26 September 2024

The Price of Freedom

Artistic positions and debates from Hungary
Long Night, 12 October 2024, Akademie der Künste, Hanseatenweg

The event “The Price of Freedom. Voices of the Hungarian art scene” is a demonstration of solidarity with artists and cultural workers from Hungary who, under the influence of Viktor Orbán’s government since 2010, have been experiencing increasing threats to artistic freedoms in their country. Hungary holds the EU Council Presidency until December 2024.

Akademie members and partners of the European Alliance of Academies will engage in a dialogue with those directly impacted by the cultural policy situation in Hungary. The artistic contributions presented at the event testify to the fact that, despite political restrictions, a lack of resources and difficult working conditions, the Hungarian cultural landscape is still characterized by diversity and a vibrant dynamic.

Theatre and film screenings, performative readings and a musical performance serve as the starting point for joint discussions about the effects of restrictive cultural policy on the artistic process: What influence do experiences of exile or inner adaptation have on the artists’ own work, and what are their strategies for coping with it? Against the backdrop of such a situation, what kind of potential for support can transnational networks develop? And what is actually meant by “national art” as it is propagated by autocratic regimes?

With Zsófia Bán, Kinga Tóth, Diána Vonnák, Anna Gács (literature), László Göndör, Kristóf Kelemen, György Szabó (performing arts), Nikolett Erőss (visual arts), Gergely Nagy (journalist) as well as Manos Tsangaris, President of the Akademie der Künste, Kateryna Stetsevych, Federal Agency for Civic Education (Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung, bpb), Miriam Bruns, Director of the Goethe-Institut Budapest and Matthijs Wouter Knol, Director of the European FilmAcademy

Music: Dakoda Percussion Group

An event organized by 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)

In the event series about the freedom of art “Freiheit der Kunst”, the Akademie der Künste explores the legal and discursive framework of artistic freedom in Germany; 27 September: “Grundrecht und Versprechen”, 29 October: “Erregungsmechanismen”, 12 November: film screening of No Other Land and 28 November: DIE VIELEN on new cultural policy strategies to counter right-wing extremism. More information to be published soon on adk.de.

Event information
Europäische Allianz der Akademien
Der Preis der Freiheit. Stimmen aus der ungarischen Kunstszene
Saturday, 12 Oct. 2024, 3 pm to midnight
In English, Hungarian and German
Akademie der Künste, Hanseatenweg 10, 10557 Berlin
Day ticket €15/9
Tickets: adk.de/tickets, Tel. 030 20057-2000
www.allianceofacademies.eu