Kategorie: News
16.12.2024
by Nikki Petroni
In 2015, Malta sparked a nationwide debate on censorship following the obscenity trial of novelist Alex Vella Gera and publisher Mark Camilleri. Amendments led to the abolishment of ‚vilification‘ of religion law in 2016. The ban was subsequently upheld by the Constitutional Court of Malta, ending any further possibility for redress domestically, and the theatre company turned to the European Court of Human Rights.
The Court found that the law relied on to ban the production was unclear and that the regulations allowed for unfettered power in the film board’s classification of stage productions. In his findings, the ruling Judge Küris questioned the board’s capacity “to rule on the ‘literary, artistic or educational merit’ of productions, ‘if any’, and to ban some of them as ‘not fit for exhibition’. This privilege, so indiscriminately worded, smells of discretionary censorship”.
In 2018, the European Court of Human Rights found that the banning of the theatrical production in Malta of the play ‘Stitching’ by Scottish playwright Anthony Neilson was a violation of the right to freedom of expression. The ban was issued by the Maltese Board for Film and Stage Classification because the play was deemed to be blasphemous, insulting to the victims of Auschwitz and portraying dangerous sexual perversion. The play tells the story of an unfaithful couple, who spend part of the play debating whether to have a child before Abby falls pregnant. They decide to have the child to save the relationship but, sometime later, when the child dies, their relationship disintegrates. Described as an extreme and unsettling work, the play is of a genre of works by playwrights who present vulgar, shocking, and confrontational material on stage as a means of involving and affecting their audiences.
The European Court of Human Rights ruling allowed the play’s successful staging in 2018, yet the situation caused financial strain on the theatre company.
Malta’s House of Representatives unanimously approved an artistic freedom bill on July 12, 2023. Introduced by Ministers Owen Bonnici and Byron Camilleri in June of the same year, it protects artists from prosecution and promotes broad cultural expression, with specific provisions in the Criminal Code and Electronic Communications Act. The bill focuses on credible and realistic threats in court action and safeguards online statements under artistic, satirical, or comic contexts.
The case had a wider, positive impact, with the protests against the ban playing a part in the removal of blasphemy as a crime in 2016 by a new government less influenced by religious bodies. The Maltese Board for Film and Stage Classification was also replaced by a Film Age Classification Board that would no longer be able to censor works.
With FIVE by Cécile Wajsbrot, the European Alliance of Academies starts a series of contributions dealing with the topic of artistic freedom in different European countries. A kaleidoscope on the state of democracy.
Five syllabes – Vin-cent-Bol-lo-ré.
A man, from Bretagne, beautiful landscapes – wild and soft, sea and country. At the beginning active in paper industry, then maritime transport, banks, since the 2000 years a businessman investing in medias and patiently building an empire. A billionaire’s empire. To diffuse far-right ideas: ultra-conservative, ultra-catholic, Zemmour if it rings a bell to you. Even more far-right than Marine Le Pen, to put it bluntly.
Five branches media empire.
Television with Canal+, once a pioneer and innovative channel, now emptied from every substance, still investing though in cinema. CNews – a French version for Fox News – C8, well-known for its populistic shows.
Radio with the private radio station Europe 1. Almost all journalists on strike, which never happened before, 80 per cent quitted. But Bolloré can pay and so a new redaction has been build up.
Papers with Paris Match, a weekly magazine, le Journal du Dimanche, his last prey. 6 weeks strike, 6 Sundays with no paper. Also there did almost all journalists quit. New ones are now in charge. On the day after the earthquake in Marocco, JDD is for instance the only paper which doesn’t consider the event as breaking news. On the front page is the victory of the French team in the world rugby championship. With the title “Allons enfants de la patrie”.
Publishers with the Hachette group, one of the two main editorial groups in France. And right now publishing a book by Jordan Bardella, president of the Rassemblement National. After protests, the SNCF just refused to do the publicity campaign which was foreseen for the book.
Last but not least L’Écume des pages. A bookshop. The last surviving signpost in the once intellectual district Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Where now only luxury shops stand. Till recently l’Écume des pages had been a kind of harbour on the boulevard Saint-Germain. After the acquisition the team posted a message on Facebook. We will do our best to advise and serve our customers. Business as usual. No more strikes, just acceptance.
Things do not happen out of the blue. It takes time to build up such an empire as it takes time to establish a dictatorship. Controlling medias is part of it – is the first step. Hungary knows, Poland knows, Italy knows, Slovakia, the list becomes longer and longer. It begins slowly, it begins with undertones, then the voices become louder, the words become clearer and one morning, you wake up and listen to the radio and hear it has happened. So suddenly, you think, how could it happen? But it was not sudden. What will happen has already begun to happen.
13.09.2024
The event was a sign of solidarity with Hungarian artists and cultural stakeholders who, under the influence of the Orbán government since 2010, have seen artistic freedom in their country increasingly threatened. Hungary still holds the EU Council Presidency until December 2024.
Academy members and partners of the European Alliance of Academies entered into dialogue with those affected by the cultural policy situation. Artistic contributions showed that despite political restrictions, a lack of resources and difficult working conditions, the Hungarian cultural landscape is characterised by diversity and dynamism.
Manos Tsangaris, President of the Akademie der Künste and Kateryna Stetsevych, Head of the Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe Project Group of the Federal Agency for Civic Education (bpb) welcomed the artists and the audience.
The speeches were followed by readings by Kinga Tóth and Zsófia Bán, the virtual reality performance ‘Necromancy’ by Kristóf Kelemen, the theatre performance ‘Living the Dream with Grandma’ by and with László Göndör, a musical contribution by the percussion trio Dakoda Percussion Group (Dániel Láposi, Dávid Burcsik, Kornél Hencz) and talks with Miriam Bruns (Director of the Goethe-Institut Budapest), Nikolett Erőss (curator), Anna Gács (literary critic), Gergely Nagy (journalist), György Szabó (cultural manager), Diána Vonnák (writer) and others. The evening ended with the film screening, ‘Explanation for Everything’ by Gabor Reisz, which was introduced by Matthijs Wouter Knol, Director of the European Film Academy.
Overall moderator: Carolin Savchuk, Project Group Central, Eastern and South Eastern Europe of the Federal Agency for Civic Education.
You can find the programme here and in the programme flyer
An event of the Akademie der Künste and the European Alliance of Academies in cooperation with the Federal Agency for Civic Education (bpb) With the kind support of the Goethe-Institut Budapest and the European Film Academy (EFA)
6.09.2024
Tuesday, 1 October, 5 pm
Akademie der Künste, Hanseatenweg 10
The Café Climate aims to engage in a dialogue at equal level with civil society, experts and political actors on the topics of climate injustice and arts and culture. In an informal atmosphere, at small tables, like in a café.
The Café Climate event series is taking place for the 5th time – always in different contexts and settings such as playgrounds, university campus etc. On 1 October, Café Climate takes place in the context of the symposium Time to Listen
Three questions move us:
– How the climate crisis affects our daily lives.
– How the climate crisis sounds.
– How the climate crisis affects art and culture.
We cordially invite you to discuss different aspects of climate (in)justice with following experts:
Alexandra Nehmer (Architect), Bernhard König (Composer), Jovana Popić (Visual artist), Eckhard Roelcke (Journalist and activist Letzte Generation) and Dr. Carla J. Maier (Cultural Anthropologist, Planetary Listening Collective). Café Climate is organised and moderated by a working group of the European Alliance of Academies: Iris ter Schiphorst (Composer), Cécile Wajsbrot (writer), Petja Ivanova (Visual artist) and others
An event of the European Alliance of Academies as part of the symposium Time to Listen
More information: Time to Listen 2024: An Open Space on Sustainability in Contemporary Music | Akademie der Künste, Berlin (adk.de)
13.08.2024
In 2023, a climate group was constituted inside of the European Alliance of Academies and has been working since then about this urgent issue. Writer Cécile Wajsbrot, composer Iris ter Schiphorst, visual artists Liesbeth Bik and Jovana Popic as well as performer Petja Ivanova and supporter Leon Erhorn were driven by the question:
How can the Alliance, as a whole and each art academy or cultural institution in their respective country, come up with new formats to understand, communicate and improve the mitigation of and adaptation to changes required by the climate emergency?
The group decided working on an Atlas of Change, collecting records of the changes wherever it is happening, gathering narrative data on adaptation strategies, creating a European map where as many places as possible will be documented.
The result is a subjective documentation for climatic changes already happening, as well as for effective solutions. A subjective and artistic evolutive map of Europe with texts, photos, videos, each time linked with a specific place, to awake more and more awareness about the climate issue.
All contributions welcome!
13.05.2024
Expression of Solidarity with Artists and Cultural professionals in Slovakia
The European Alliance of Academies (EAoA) is observing with great concerns the current cultural-political developments in the EU-member-state Slovakia. Since the elections of the new government in October 2023, Robert Fico is again prime minister and created his 4th cabinet in a coalition with his party Smer, as well as Hlas and the nationalistic party SNS. The new government addresses openly their conservative, nationalistic, anti-EU and pro-Russian positions, and already proofs to be a great danger for the freedom of art and culture in Slovakia.
New Minister of Culture Martina Šimkovičová (SNS) showed with first actions the direction cultural policy is now taking in this small EU-country:
- Revoking the funding and therefore closing Kunsthalle Bratislava, the only state-funded contemporary cultural institution in Bratislava known for its progressive focus,
- refusing any further support to LGBTQ+-projects,
- threatening cultural professionals by implementing plans that any head of state-funded cultural institutions can be replaced at any time, as it happened already with the sudden dismissal of the director of Bibiana-International House of Art for Children, and the director of the Slovak National Library,… .
These are only some examples of the beginning of a deep change in Slovakia’s cultural policy landscape. While the minister herself describes these actions as “return to normality”, the Slovak cultural scene and civic society worries for good reason to face from now on similar restrictions as their neighbours in Hungary. A petition with more than 170 000 signatures – a current record – to force the resignation of Šimkovičová, remains without success.
The Slovak EAoA partner Slovenská akadémia vied (Slovak Academy of Science) expressed that they are currently not affected by the governmental decisions on culture.
If this becomes the “new-old normality”, Slovakia’s artistic and cultural freedom is truly endangered. Institutions and projects depending on state funding won’t have any chance but follow the directions of the new government, while we can only imagine from other examples which restrictions will follow for the independent artistic sector.
The Slovak example highlights again the importance of the fight of the European Alliance of Academies for democratic values and artistic freedom, as they are not to be taken for granted for all of us in Europe! We stand with the people of Slovakia who are suffering because of the new government’s decisions and are currently protesting in thousands to protect their democratic rights.
We all must keep fighting for democratic values and stand for the freedom of arts and culture in Europe.
As the most basic step, don’t forget to promote and to go vote for a democratic Europe in June!
2.05.2024
In a world where physical borders are often the focus of our attention, it’s all too easy to overlook the invisible boundaries that exist within our societies. These intangible lines can be just as impactful, if not more, in shaping the lives of individuals and communities across Europe.
The Atlas of Invisible Borders is an online platform that presents a comprehensive collection of videos, serving as a digital forum for reflection, amplifying diverse perspectives, and shedding light on the persistent invisible barriers shaping Europe today. It showcases the results of our first Call for Contributions, featuring 23 selected videos from 12 European countries. Each video offers a unique perspective on invisible borders, organized by concept and country to facilitate exploration and engagement.
Our aim is to prompt reflection on these often-overlooked divisions and foster a deeper understanding of their implications. The Atlas online platform serves as a space where voices from all corners of Europe can converge to share their insights and experiences.
Our contributors represent a vibrant mix of voices from diverse ages and backgrounds, including artists, writers, philosophers, cultural managers, journalists, and more. They cover a wide array of topics, ranging from new technologies to global conflicts, community inequalities, migrations or the value of cultural heritage and nature.
But our project doesn’t end here. As we grow, we invite you to take the time to explore the diverse narratives presented here and to engage in the dialogue they inspire. Stay tuned for regular updates as we continue to add new content to our platform, providing you with even more opportunities to explore, learn, and connect.
The Atlas of Invisible Borders is an initiative of the European Alliance of Academies, a transnational network of 70 art academies and cultural institutions advocating for the freedom of artistic expression, a pivotal element for social cohesion in Europe.
At the core of this project lies the collaborative effort of the Círculo de Bellas Artes – Casa Europa and many other Alliance members who have contribute to create a virtual space aimed at exposing and raising awareness about the invisible borders that persistently divide Europe.
Mit dem Laden des Videos akzeptieren Sie die Datenschutzerklärung von Vimeo.
Mehr erfahren
15.04.2024
With a strong voice for a democratic Europe
From 25-26 March, 41 members from 17 countries of the European Alliance of Academies met at the Akademie der Künste in Berlin on Pariser Platz.
In the face of multiple crises on the continent, Academy President Jeanine Meerapfel recalled the origins of the European idea: „Europe was and is a utopian project. Numerous European states joined forces, overcame former enmities and renounced part of their sovereignty in order to create the European Union peace project. Even today, many of us dream of Europe as an open continent. And we are not just dreaming: three and a half years ago, we founded the European Alliance of Academies to work together for the freedom of art and the creation of a democratic Europe.“
In the run-up to the European elections, which will take place in Europe from 6-9 June, the members of the European Alliance of Academies decided to publish an election appeal to all Europeans: Diversity, respect and solidarity are the core elements of vibrant democracies. The European Alliance of Academies calls on European citizens to fulfil their responsibility to protect these values by exercising their right to vote.
Read the full call to vote here
The diverse programme offered pupils, young artists, civil society actors, climate experts and members of the Academy of Arts the opportunity to contribute their ideas about Europe and democracy. Contacts already established with artists and cultural professionals from Hungary and Poland were deepened. New structures and projects of the transnational network were discussed in internal consultations. The fight against right-wing extremism, anti-Semitism and the defence of artistic freedom are the focal points to which the Alliance members would like to continue to dedicate themselves.
Ferenc Czinki, President of the Hungarian Writers‘ Association Szépírók Társásagá, which has been excluded from any state funding since 2024, confirmed the solidarity effect of the alliance: „You have supported us, you have given us ideas and courage. Your solidarity has saved us through difficult times.“
Keynote speaker Meron Mendel summarised in his speach at the opening evening: There is nothing left for us but to believe in people. And believing in people is also believing in art. Art has a humanistic mission in the deepest sense of the word. This is precisely why art is under threat.
Hungarian Film director István Szabó commented in his input on the second conference day: What should a film be about? About today’s reality, because we can only improve it by confronting it. We also want to preserve European culture, as well as the desire to be free, which is what Europe stands for.
At Café Climate, Academy members Ulrike Draesner, A. L. Kennedy, Esther Kinsky, Dagmara Kraus, Ursula Krechel and Cécile Wajsbrot read specially written texts for the Atlas of Change, dealing with the impacts of climate change on their lives. Afterwards, the audience had the opportunity to share their perspectives and discuss with the artists and invited climate experts Dagmar Haase, Claudia Kemfert, Damien Bright, Eckhard Roelcke and Marco Clausen about important aspects like climate justice & civil resistance, transformation strategies, urban solutions and local activism – important impulses how to become active against climate change as individual in our society.
Nine artists from across Europe – all associated to institutions of the European Alliance of Academies engaged with poems by a young generation of Hungarian poets, all members of the Szépírók Társasága, and created multidisciplinary artworks that respond, comment and reflect on the social and political reality of today’s life in Hungary. Yese Astarloa, Matei Bejenaru, Lucija Bogunović, Sayaka Fujio, Paul Michels, Mariano Ortega, Dimitrina Popova and Laura Stojkoski presented their artistic project published on LOOM – Interweaving the Arts in Europe
In their video messages, Minister of State for Culture and the Media Claudia Roth and UN Special Rapporteur on Cultural Rights Alexandra Xanthaki emphasised the importance of the European alliance and assured the European Alliance of Academies that it would be able to continue its work.
Photos by Reinhardt & Sommer
27.03.2024
Europe has never been in greater danger of being deprived of its achievements and democratic values as it is now. Or, in other words: Never before in the three decades since the foundation of the European Union have its citizens been more called upon to go to the polls than for the upcoming elections to the European Parliament between 6 and 9 June 2024.
While Europe is going through challenging times, right-wing populists are gaining a growing impact on our societies – with fatal consequences for the freedom of expression in the media, in the political and the public debate, in the arts and culture. Each of us is affected.
The hateful discourse delivered by far-right parties erects walls instead of building bridges. Diversity, respect and solidarity are the core elements of lively democracies. The European Alliance of Academies appeals to the citizens of Europe to assume their responsibility in protecting these values by exercising their right to vote.
31.01.2024
Nine brand new digital artworks have been published on LOOM – Interweaving the Arts in Europe, the digital platform for artistic collaboration of the European Alliance of Academies.
The nine selected artists – all associated to institutions of the European Alliance of Academies – engaged with the poems of Szépírók Társasága members and created multidisciplinary artworks that respond, comment and reflect on the social and political reality of today’s life in Hungary.
Many thanks to poets Réka Borda, Renátó Fehér, Mónika Ferencz, Róbert Laboda, Zsófi Kemény, Dénes Krusovszky, Márton Simon, Balázs Szálinger and Ádám Vajna to embark with us on this artistic journey.
With their work, Yese Astarloa, Matei Bejenaru, Lucija Bogunović, Sayaka Fujio, Iosif Király, Paul Michels, Mariano Ortega, Dimitrina Popova and Laura Stojkoski added another layer of meaning to the poetry selection, thereby creating a pan-European artwork.
Several alliance members were involved in the design of the project. We would like to express our sincere thanks to Ferenc Czinki (Szépírók Társasága), Kristoffer Gansing (former International Center for Knowledge in the Arts – The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts), Anca Poterasu (Romanian Association for contemporary Art), Geertjan de Vugt (Akademie van Kunsten), Nikki Petroni (Arts Council Malta) and Josip Zanki (Croatian Association of Fine Artists).
Artists and poets will have the opportunity to present their work at the next conference of the European Alliance of Academies entitles The Climate We Live In. An Alliance Against the Far Right takes place on 25-26 March 2024 at Akademie der Künste in Berlin.