EMOP Berlin x Akademie der Künste
what stands between us: What is Europe Moving Towards? How Artists Are Responding to Present-Day Crises

Currently, the European project is facing more challenges than ever before: war has returned to the continent and the EU is forced to reposition itself in a rapidly changing world. In many member states, right-wing nationalist and populist forces have gained the upper hand and are infiltrating European institutions and influencing the political agenda. Climate protection agreements and progressive migration policies are increasingly coming under massive pressure, while the erosion of the liberal democratic idea can be observed everywhere.

Politicians seem at a loss for answers to urgent questions – for instance how to respond to the war in Ukraine and restore and secure peace in Europe. How are artists answering to this shift, particularly those whose work has often been driven by the desire for more democratization and a better Europe? What does it mean for artists for whom Europe was an important reference point in their work for critically reflecting developments in their homeland?

Now, around a month after the German federal election and the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we’d like to talk to artists operating from a European perspective who have been committed to the project of European unity for many years and/or who critically examine the respective political systems in which they live. In light of a fragmented public, we’d also like to reflect on how artists are (still) able to describe reality using means such as photography and text – at a time when any claim to truth is challenged by the growing onslaught of fake news and its consumption as well as by expectations of doing justice to difference and diversity.

The “EMOP Berlin – European Month of Photography” festival embodies a particular dedication to the European idea. In this spirit, EMOP Berlin and the Akademie der Künste are inviting the public to a discussion event with artists implementing a variety of strategies to navigate between these ambivalences.

With Yevgenia Belorusets, Jonas Höschl, Eric Meier and Marina Naprushkina

Moderation: Maria Isserlis

As part of EMOP Berlin – European Month of Photography 2025