Capturing Freedom in Everyday Life: The Aligned Freedom Project at Upcoming DBJW Events
Aligned Freedom Project
by Jonathan Tertsunen
What does freedom mean to Georgians or to Russian migrants? Where can freedom be found when democracy itself is under attack? How can visual stories build bridges across polarized communities?
This September, the German-Baltic Future Foundation (DBJW) is hosting an interactive art and education project that explores the above questions. Managed by Jonathan Tertsunen, one of the foundation’s ambassadors, the Aligned Freedom Project will feature as an interactive exhibition and keynote at two flagship events: The Baltischer Jugend- und Studentenkongress (BJSK) in Lauenburg and the Deutsch-Baltische Kulturtage (DBK) in Lüneburg.
What is the Aligned Freedom Project?
Incepted in Tbilisi in 2023, the Aligned Freedom Project is a participatory research and art initiative designed to explore personal definitions of freedom, cultural stereotypes, and social polarization.
Following the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, over 120,000 Russian migrants moved to Georgia, sparking complex social tensions. To examine these dynamics from the ground up, Jonathan handed analogue cameras to 32 participants of Georgian and Russian background, most of whom had no formal artistic training, to document their daily lives.
The project utilizes Photovoice, a participatory method empowering individuals to capture and share their lived realities through photos. Since 2023, the project has gathered more than 1,100 analogue photos and qualitative interviews. As civic spaces in Georgia faced increasing autocratic pressures, the project shifted its focus to Europe. By exhibiting the stories of 32 people in the midst of this rapid deterioration of civic space, the project provides an innovate and deeply humanizing lens on the meaning of freedom and offers vital lessons for democracies around the world.
The Events: Two Audiences, Two Venues
From September 25–27, 2026, the Aligned Freedom Project will be exhibited during two events:
Workshop & Exhibition @ BJSK (Lauenburg): On September 25, Jonathan will open the photo-exhibition and lead an interactive workshop for young changemakers. Participants will explore the Photovoice method, connect social polarization with questions of security and resilience, and engage with 32 curated analogue prints about personal freedom.
Keynote & Exhibition @ DBK (Lüneburg): On September 26 at the Brömsehaus, Jonathan will deliver a keynote addressing democratic backsliding and his field research in Georgia. A print selection will be complemented by a digital showcase of previously unseen field photographs from Georgia.
At both events, attendees will be asked to reflect on their own concepts of freedom, and where they find it in their lives. This way, Jonathan builds a participatory dataset that iteratively informs the project and leads to future academic publications.
How this Aligns with Our Mission
Georgia and the Baltic nations share many geopolitical similarities and collective memories, and when the 2024-protests in Tbilisi began, Baltic leaders were the first to participate. Exhibiting the Aligned Freedom Project at DBJW events mirrors our commitment to intercultural dialogue, civic engagement, and international solidarity. Through such projects by our ambassadors, we seek to make our democracies more resilient and shed a light on the importance of an active civil society. Especially at events like the BJSK, we equip young leaders with actionable tools to foster dialogue within their own communities, and the Aligned Freedom Project exemplifies this well.
Jonathan Tertsunen holds an Erasmus Mundus M.Sc. in Transition, Innovation & Sustainability Environments and is the initiator of the Aligned Freedom Project. He has served as an ambassador for the DBJW since 2025 and is happy to collaborate with you.
