Art Lab On Air

MISSION

The new Salon Noirx season on Radio X is a conversation format show that will start in fall 2022 with four episodes. It was developed out of an urgent, socially relevant necessity in Switzerland – a society constantly shaped by and through migration. But the migration society does not correspond to the self-image of Switzerland as a whole.

This contradiction is often evident in the Swiss mass media and how many are treated in the country. Even further, it’s weird to see a country with a plus or cross on its flag, minus and segregating many deemed “outsiders.” The calculations don’t add up, which is why the show exists.

Salon Noirx makes the diversity and stories of people living somewhat on the fringes visible & heard. On the show, art, music, and culture professionals introduce and interview each other – participants tell their own stories and make sense of their and others’ perspectives. This sharing of experiences and knowledge allows a unique flow of understanding to be harnessed through conversation. The show critically investigates the word integration and tries to make sense of it through these shared capacities.

IDENTITY OVERVIEW

The show’s identity flirts with the idea of a safe space open to everyone. However, the people that enter this space are those looking for a way to be safe in a seemingly larger unsafe space. Further, as the name suggests, this safe space is a salon where these seekers of safety converse and make connections through shared and also radically different experiences. Visualizing these connections by abstracting the cross on the swiss flag by showing it as an open space speaks to what the show is about. It’s a representation of a society that has long thrived on a mythical identity while othering many.

EPISODE 01 OVERVIEW

From Kindergardners to Masters Students and everything in-between, the system encourages ideals that push forth discrimination, specifically Xenophobia. Sadly enough, this isn’t new in Switzerland. Now, with a new generation caught up in this cycle, it’s safe to call them the Xen Z. A generation that is consciously and subconsciously becoming more xenophobic by the minute, and they don’t even know it.

In this episode, we look closely at whether these statements are factual or not. First, we spoke to Jennifer Gehrig, a former Baselland special needs kindergarden teacher who was once also a kindergardener, and Alice Anaman, a current Highschool senior who moved to Basel when she was 14. Then, we spoke to three fresh FHNW HGK Masters graduates who moved here from India two years ago – Ankita D’souza, Prarthana Dixit & Chiara Gonsalves. These varied experiences and perspectives seemed like the perfect way to get a sense of what is going on and currently happening.

It is also the ideal beginning of the Salon Noirx season, a chance to understand what the kids are learning about each other at a young age and how to treat people who look different from them. Like the pills many kids are popping these days without knowing, Xen X provides an insight into a similar parallel that’s going on these days concerning discrimination – they’re just doing it.

Episode Credits: Reported by Kwaku’ Reez’ Opoku

Original music by Reez & Kxlab

Links: Kwaku Opoku // Salon Noirx - Artist Interviews (radiox.ch)