Academy Discussion
The Freedom of Art: A Fundamental Right and Promise
Defending the freedom of art is a core mission of the Akademie der Künste. Especially at times when social discourse is losing differentiation and empathy, the arts should keep the field of vision open and allow for different, even contradictory perspectives. In a series of events in autumn 2024, the Akademie der Künste will explore the discursive and legal framework of artistic freedom.
For the opening event on 27 September, Akademie President Manos Tsangaris and Akademie Vice-President Anh-Linh Ngo have invited Prof. Monika Grütters, Member of the German Parliament and former Minister of State, Amelie Deuflhard, Artistic Director of Kampnagel, Lars Henrik Gass, Director of the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen, Helge Lindh, Member of the German Parliament, SPD and others to discuss these questions. At the beginning, the Divan's General Manager Tabaré Perlas reports on how political conflicts interrupt artistic collaboration in the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, but also how they can be overcome in sensitive negotiation processes.
The panel will debate in various constellations the current political projects to introduce clauses and codes of conduct, that testify to a fundamental mistrust on the part of politicians in the responsibility of cultural institutions in combating antisemitic and discriminatory endeavours. Pro and contra voices will be formulated, analysed and discussed on the podium. Considering, amongst others, the current instrumentalization of cultural funding by the far-right party AfD, the panellists will ask which elements are essential for artistic freedom and how these can be effectively protected as the fundament of a free democratic society.
Welcome:
Manos Tsangaris, President of the Akademie der Künste and composer
In discussion:
Prof. Monika Grütters, Member of the German Parliament, former Minister of State for Culture and the Media
Amelie Deuflhard, Artistic Director of Kampnagel, Hamburg
Lars Henrik Gass, Director of the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen, from February Founding Director of the House for Film and Media, Stuttgart
Helge Lindh, Member of the German Parliament, SPD
Tabaré Perlas, General Manager of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra and CEO of the Daniel Barenboim Stiftung
Moderation:
Anh-Linh Ngo, Vice-President of the Akademie der Künste and architectural publicist
Interventions:
Akademie President Manos Tsangaris and Johanna M. Keller, Programme Officer of the Akademie der Künste, media artist Bjørn Melhus and other Akademie Member