16.05.2023
Press Release:
Reminder: Solidarity conference Budapest with the Society of Hungarian Authors Szépírók Társasága
30 – 31 May 2023, Central European University, Budapest and as livestream
Invitation to the press conference
Wednesday, 31 May 2023, 12 pm
Central European University, Auditorium A, Nador utca 15, 1051 Budapest
With
Jeanine Meerapfel, President of the Akademie der Künste and initiator of the European Alliance of Academies
Ferenc Czinki, author and President of the Society of Hungarian Authors Szépírók Társasága
Valerio Rocco Lozano, Director of Círculo de Bellas Artes de Madrid
Jákob Ladányi Jancsó, representative of the Freeszfe initiative
Please register for the press talk with Vágvölgyi András: szepiroktarsasaga@gmail.com
The European Alliance of Academies invites you to a conference on 30 and 31 May 2023 in Budapest, organised in solidarity with the Society of Hungarian Authors Szépírók Társasága. The Society’s continued existence is currently under threat by impending drastic cuts in the annual budget. The members of the Alliance have organised a series of events to bring attention to the cultural-political policy mechanisms that lay the groundwork for numerous restrictions of artistic freedoms, whether in Hungary or in other European countries. “As a European Alliance of Academies, we act in solidarity when one of our founding members comes under pressure through political and financial repression. Currently the Society of Hungarian Authors Szépírók Társasága is under threat. By holding the event in Budapest, we are sending a clear message.
We will also be debating what framework conditions need to be instituted across Europe in order to protect the freedom of artistic production in all European countries. We are 70 European art academies and cultural institutions, and together we form a strong alliance.” Jeanine Meerapfel
“I still don’t believe that literature should be political – I would like to reserve that luxury for myself. But suddenly politics started to interfere in literature. Politics targeted us, and it wasn’t pleasant. Literature and art are inherently resilient. At
least that’s what I think.” Ferenc Czinki
During his time as member of the Akademie der Künste (since 1991) and as its president (1997–2003), the writer György Konrád was already a tireless proponent of the idea of a Europe unified in peace. Konrád was instrumental in helping to overcome the existing social and intellectual division of Europe by promoting East-West encounters and organising talks and discussions.
Szépírók Társasága was founded in 1997 with the aim of supporting contemporary literature and contributing to the democratisation culture in Hungary. Among the nearly 400 members are some of the most internationally recognised Hungarian writers as well as renowned cultural journalists, critics, translators and literary scholars. www.szepiroktarsasaga.hu
An event held by the European Alliance of Academies, organised by the Akademie der Künste and Szépírók Társasága. With the kind support of the Central European University and the Freeszfe initiative.
Event details
European Alliance of Academies
Artistic Freedom. A Core Element of the European Project
Tuesday, 30 May 2023, 6 pm + Wednesday, 31 May 2023, 6 pm
In English and Hungarian
Central European University, Nador utca 15, 1051 Budapest and as livestream
Free admission
Livestream and further information: www.allianceofacademies.eu
With: María José Crespo, György Dalos, Péter Inkei, Simon Márton, Jeanine
Meerapfel, Katharina Schultens, Bartosz Szydłowski, Balazs Szücs, Béla Tarr
and digital contributions by Terézia Mora, Robert Wilson, George Szirtes as well
as Members of the European Alliance of Academies from Belgium, Bulgaria,
Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Spain
and Ukraine.
See: Press release 20 April 2023