Jeanine Meerapfel ‒ filmmaker, president of the Akademie der Künste and initiator of the European Alliance of Academies ‒ stated: “We have come to Budapest to learn more about the situation facing artists in Hungary. The European Alliance of Academies will continue to pressure the European Parliament to insist the Hungarian government support independent artist associations.”

During the upcoming Spanish EU Council Presidency, the European Alliance of Academies is planning artistic actions and conversations with members of the European Parliament before the 2024 European elections to raise awareness about increasingly restricted freedoms in the arts.

For more information on the programme and livestream here

An event of the European Alliance of Academies in cooperation with the Akademie der Künste and Szépírók Társasága. With the kind support of the Central European University and the Freeszfe Initiative

From 15-16 December 2022, 42 members from 19 countries of the European Alliance of Academies met at the Akademie der Künste in Berlin to discuss restrictions on artistic freedom in the face of war and crisis. How are the working conditions of artists changing? What can artists contribute to peace? What opportunities does the digital space offer? 

Numerous actors from art and culture reported on their experiences. Victor Sydorenko, President of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine, appealed in his digital greeting to the solidarity between the European art and cultural institutions and the opportunities for cooperation. The Ukrainian Academy of Fine Arts was recently admitted to the majority into the Alliance. 

In his speech, Sergei Loznitsa, filmmaker and member of the Akademie der Künste, warned against the background of his expulsion from the Ukrainian Film Academy, „replacing one propaganda with another“. Hanna Bilobrova, co-director of the documentary Mariupolis 2 and fiancée of the slain documentary filmmaker Mantas Kvedaravičius, showed film excerpts which expressed the absurdity of war, the destruction, suffering and life behind the headlines. In order to complete the film after the murder of her partner Bilobrova had brought the film footage from Mariupol to Lithuania. Reports from artists and cultural workers from Poland and Hungary, who are struggling with financial restrictions imposed by the government, were heard in the internal working sessions. In their speeches Resist to the Siren’s Songs and Certain Things, the writers Cécile Wajsbrot and A. L. Kennedy used the power of their art to describe the situation in the world and to move the audience deeply with their words.

Academy President Jeanine Meerapfel: „Art will not end the war, nor change the political situation. But we have the responsibility to read the books, show the films and perform the music that bear witness to it. That is what we are trying to do with the European Alliance of Academies, transcending national borders: We have soft borders, but clear goals.“ The assembly decided to support concerned institutions unanimously, be it through transnational cooperation in projects or through publicity campaigns on the ground.

In response to the question of what politically engaged art means, filmmaker Andres Veiel argued for allowing doubts and contradictions in artistic creation and to endure ambivalences. Composer Iris ter Schiphorst appealed to the art academies present to create spaces for debates between artists and civil society in order to address inequalities and initiate the necessary transformation of society.

In their video messages, Minister of State for Culture and Media, Claudia Roth, and the UN Special Rapporteur on Cultural Rights, Alexandra Xanthaki, stressed the importance of the European alliance and pledged their and assured the European Alliance of Academies of their continued support.

Since its founding in October 2020 in Berlin on the initiative of Akademie President Jeanine Meerapfel, the European Alliance of Academies has been committed to freedom of the arts in Europe. With declarations, petitions, events and in discussion with political stakeholders, the European Alliance raises awareness about cultural policy shortcomings in a shared commitment to strengthening an open, solidary-based and democratic Europe.

As a means of furthering the artistic collaboration in the network, the European Alliance of Academies has developed the digital platform LOOM – Interweaving the Arts in Europe and present some of artwork as a video projection.

With Olena Balun, Hanna Bilobrova, Ferenc Czinki, Wolfgang Kaleck, A.L. Kennedy, Sergei Loznitsa, Leszek Koczanowicz, Jeanine Meerapfel, Andres Veiel, Iris ter Shiphorst, Cécile Wajsbrot as well as Minister of State for Culture and Media Claudia Roth and UN Special Rapporteur for Culture Alexandra Xanthaki (online) and Thomas Krüger, President of the Federal Agency for Civic Education (bpb). Music by AoA Impro Group: Antonio Borghini, Floros Floridis, Joe Hertenstein, Elena Kakaliagou, Almut Kühne.

See public programme for details

Press coverage by rbb Inforadio, Deutschlandfunk Kultur, Deutschlandradio and Deutschlandfunk Kultur (Fazit) 

Funded by the Federal Foreign Office, the Society of Friends of the Akademie der Künste and the Federal Agency for Civic Education

In cooperation with Croatian Association of Fine Artists, Academy of Fine Arts Zagreb and the European Alliance of Academies, a project presentation of Ignorance is Strength? Artistic Expression and Biopower in the Post/Pandemic Age took place in Zagreb, Croatia.

On 7 October, 10 artistic positions arising from the call for proposals „Ignorance is Strength? Artistic Expression and Biopower in the Post/Pandemic Age“ were presented to the public in Zagreb by artist Josip Zanki and curator Mihaela Zajec. ith a video stream of the art projects in the Gorgona Hall of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Zagreb. On 8 October, fellow Luïza Luz, Alliance member Liesbeth Bik, Cristina Stoenescu, Josip Zanki and curator Leila Topić had an open dialogue with the public about the methodology of artistic research.
For a summary of the panel discussion by Leonarda Fofić, student of the Academy of Fine Arts Zagreb: click here

The two-day event closed with the Pop-Up exhibition of the project Truth is a Forgotten Memory by fellow Željko Beljan and Rebecca Merlić.

The presentation was supported by the City of Zagreb and the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia.

Programme

Tuesday, 28 June, 4 – 8 pm

Welcome: Liesbeth Bik, visual artist and Chair Akademie van Kunsten, Amsterdam and Jeanine Meerapfel, filmmaker and President Akademie der Künste, Berlin

Panel 1: “Contested institutions: Making the Past Productive”

Over the past few years, cultural institutions have, partly under the influence of public opinion and partly out of own desire, started to critically assess their own histories. Sometimes this concerns a location or a building, but at other times this focuses on the collection or even the name of an institution. This panel discussion will explore ways from museum practice that try to make history productive.

with Charles Esche, Director Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven
Wendelien van Oldenborgh, visual artist and member Akademie van Kunsten, Amsterdam
Paul Spies, Director Stadtmuseum Berlin and chief curator Federal State of Berlin at the Humboldt Forum

Moderation: Bruno Alves de Almeida, curator and architect

6:15 pm

Panel 2: “Contested Monuments: How to Deal with Controversial Monuments in Public Spaces?”

Debates on a controversial past do no only take place around cultural institutions, monuments in public space can lead to lively debate as well. Sometimes this leads to a statue being taken down, sometimes a counter monument is put into place, and sometimes this leads to entirely new interventions. The artists on this panel will present examples of how they in their practice deal with controversial monuments in public space.

with Andreja Kulunčić, visual artist (Croatia)
Amina Menia, visual artist (Algeria)
Joanna Rajkowska, visual artist (Poland)

RAAAF experimental studio operating at the crossroads of visual art, architecture and academic philosophy (Netherlands)

Fernando Sánchez Castillo, visual Artist(Spain)

Moderation: Bruno Alves de Almeida, curator and architect

Wednesday, 29 June, 2 – 3:30 pm

Lecture and Talk: “The War in Ukraine and the Future of European Memory” 

In the first place, the war in Urkaine forms a deep tragedy for the citizens of this European nation. Not only are numerous people being killed or wounded, and buildings being demolished, memory and the future of commemoration in Europe is at stake as well. Statues and cultural objects are being wrapped up in order to protect them from devastation. Other monuments are being removed as they refer to a past that one no longer wants to see as shared. New forms of commemoration will eventually take shape. In this final lecture, the speaker will shed light on the current situation in Ukraine and its relevance for the future of European Memory.

with Vasyl Cherepanyn, Director Visual Culture Research Center, Kyiv

Moderation: Maria Hlavajova, General and Artistic Director of BAK, Utrecht

The public programme is streamed live from the Trippenhuis Amsterdam.

An event of the European Alliance of Academies, organised by the Akademie der Künste and the Akademie van Kunsten (KNAW). Funded by the German Federal Agency for Civic Education (bpb)

For the livestream and greeting of the president please see here

Welcome Words: Juan Miguel Hernández León President Círculo de Bellas Artes de Madrid & Jeanine Meerapfel President Akademie der Künste, Berlin

Adress: Miquel Iceta Spanish Minister of Culture and Sport

Input: Christos Carras Executive Director Onassis Cultural Center (online)

Public Debate: The Power of Art: How can we use the potentials of artistic cooperation to overcome national cultural policy in Europe?
with Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón Filmmaker/Member Real Academia Española, Jean-François Chougnet President Musée des civilisations de l’Europe et de la Méditerranée, Elvira Dyangani Ose Director Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona             ,
Jeanine Meerapfel Filmmaker/President Akademie der Künste, Berlin

Moderation: Valerio Rocco Lozano Director Círculo de Bellas Artes de Madrid

Public Debate: How is political radicalisation endangering artistic freedom in Europe?
with Aleš Šteger, Writer and Member of the Akademie der Künste,
Antonio Muñoz Molina, Writer and Member of the Real Academia Española and
Wolfgang Kaleck, Director European Center Constitutional and Human Rights
Moderation: Dominika Kasprowicz, Director Villa Decius Kraków

Conclusion: Jurko Prochasko, Writer/Translator, Saxon Academy of Arts

Closing Words & Perspectives
H.E. Wolfgang Dold, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Kingdom of Spain and Marta Rivera de la Cruz, Regional Minister of Culture and Tourism, Madrid 

An event by the European Alliance of Academies initiated and organized by the Akademie der Künste and Círculo de Bellas Artes de Madrid in cooperation with the Embassy of the German Federal Republic in Madrid. Funded by the Federal Agency for Civic Education (bpb) and the Madrid Region. Media Partner: Radio 3

Latest event of the Alliance of Academie in Hungary.

The European Alliance of Academies launched a series of events on the freedom of the arts in Budapest with a public discussion and workshops involving authors from all over Europe and in close cooperation with Society of Hungarian Authors.

Under the title „Battle with the Empty Sky: Language, nationalism and freedom of art in early 21st-century Europe“, Academy member and writer Robert Menasse, Hungarian author László Márton and Hungarian literary critic Anna Gács examined the interaction between language, society and politics: How are language and literature affected when politics moves in a populist, nationalist or other radical direction? The British poet Daljit Nagra moderated.

In preceding workshops with the authors Luc Devoldere (Belgium), Sophie Collins (London) and László Martón (Budapest), different aspects of the topic were discussed on a European level: Which terms are reinterpreted by politics? What vocabulary do we need to describe future challenges? What possibilities are there for authors to become socio-politically active without neglecting their linguistic aesthetics?

The event was an expression of the solidarity of the European Alliance of Academies with the Society of Hungarian Authors. In December 2020, the latter had vehemently defended itself against anti-Semitic statements by Szilárd Demeter, director of Budapest’s Petöfi Literary Museum. Various Alliance institutions – Royal Society of Literature, Royal Academy of Dutch Language and Literature and German Academy for Language and Literature – then joined forces to bring more public attention to the issue.

The event was funded by the Federal Agency for Civic Education (bpb).

See here for more information about the event, our programme and press releases.