European Alliance of Academies

Polish Perspectives

On the occasion of the Polish EU Council Presidency, the European Alliance of Academies organised a diverse programme to focus on the newly emerging art and cultural landscape in Poland. Artistic and discursive contributions were dedicated to the questions of how years of restrictions imposed by the PiS government affected artistic freedom.

Akademie President Manos Tsangaris and Katarzyna Sitko, Acting Director of the Polish Institute Berlin, opened the event. They claimed that artists have a crucial role when it comes to political protest. Institutional representatives, artists and cultural professionals discussed how the Polish art and culture scene is dealing with the ongoing political changes. A special focus lied on the role of women in the cultural political transformation process and the impending disillusionment of Polish women regarding their fight for reproductive rights. The reading from Joanna Bator’s latest novel Gorzko, Gorzko added the literary sound and made women voices heard, going through different eras of Polish history. The sound performance Rebirth by Anna Sowa echoed the challenges that women are facing in today’s world.

A highlight of the programme was a conversation between award-winning film directors Agnieszka Holland and Volker Schlöndorff on their personal experiences in the fight against nationalistic policies and narrowed world views. When asked about what Europe would mean to her, Agnieszka Holland replied that Europe always had a double meaning – the cradle of human civilisation as well as the place of many crimes against humanity. About her latest movie Green Border, that was screened after the discussion, Agnieszka Holland emphasized that even though she was not allowed to show the human catastrophe going on at the border between Belarus and Poland, she reconstructed it by making a movie. “When something like that is going on close to my home, I have the duty to talk about it.”

The theatre performance JaWa by Turkowski & Nowacka gave a deep inside in Polish societal matters and the artistic – and very personal – response to that. To honour former Academy member Günter Grass, whose commitment to Polish art and culture is being continued by the Daniel Chodowiecki Foundation, literary texts relating to his native country were read, followed by a discussion with former Academy Vice-President Kathrin Röggla.

An event organised in cooperation with Polish Institute Berlin and funded by the Foundation for German-Polish Cooperation. Kindly supported by Daniel Chodowiecki Foundation, Goethe-Institut Warsaw, Villa Decius and European Film Academy.

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 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 hostilities 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.

Rights and Freedom of Culture in Times of Political Change

Shortly before the elections in Poland, the Polish Alliance partner Villa Decius invited the European Alliance of Academies to a study trip to Krakow from 21-22 September. In discussions with prominent representatives of independent museums, theatres and houses of culture, it became clear how the Polish government is pushing for the renationalisation of art and culture and increasingly influences artistic decisions.

The cultural workers painted a picture of political and financial pressure. The targeted spread of misinformation about artworks, personal hostility and accusations, and even physical attacks are the conditions under which Polish artists and cultural workers are increasingly working.

In her keynote speech at the public roundtable “Rights and Freedom of Culture in Times of Political Change”, UN Special Rapporteur for Cultural Rights Alexandra Xanthaki pointed out how these methods can lead to artistic self-censorship and that the right to artistic freedom is a state obligation that must be legally enforced if necessary.

The most recent example is the personal hostility of the Polish Minister of Justice Zbigniew Ziobro against the Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Holland and her film Zielona Granica (Green Border), which was awarded at the 80th Venice International Film Festival with the Special Jury Prize.

Jeanine Meerapfel, President of the Akademie der Künste and initiator of the European Alliance of Academies, commented: “To compare Agnieszka Holland with the propagandists of the Third Reich is an attack on the dignity of a highly acclaimed filmmaker and colleague and a violation of the right to artistic freedom”. In an official statement the members of the European Alliance of Academies expressed their solidarity with Agnieszka Holland.

Discussion of freedom of artistic expression with young Britons

European Alliance authors discussed the freedom of artistic expression in literature with UK students at Cambridge on 26 and 27 August. Censorship has many forms. Who has the power to raise their voice? And who can silence other voices? Four writing workshops and two public discussions on this year’s topic “Building a Sustainable and Healthy World” were part of the annual student conference at the Homerton College campus.

After events in Budapest, Madrid, Amsterdam and Berlin, members of the European Alliance of Academies debated the necessity of artistic freedom for a functioning democracy for the first time in the UK. Together with the Royal Society of Literature, the transnational network which has been committed to the freedom of the arts in Europe since 2020 is organising the programme aimed at the younger generation.

The opening discussion “How does self-censorship work for a writer?” with authors Marina Warner (UK), Bianca Bellóva (CZ), Ferenc Czinki and Réka Borda (HU) looked at the political pressure on the freedom of expression in many countries and its impact on the artistic work of writers. The event “Who has the right to speak? Whose voice is heard?” with Kenan Malik (UK), Annelies Verbeke (NL), George Whitley (UK) and Cécile Wajsbrot (FR) explored the question of which voices are underrepresented in literature, who can speak freely and to what extent, and who is silenced.

Academy member Cécile Wajsbrot initiated “Café Climate” with the young persons present. This project explored how the climate crisis affects our daily lives, endangers democracy and has an impact on art and culture. The outcomes were:

• Information: For the students, democracy means getting more access to information.
• Education: They insist upon the fact that at school, the importance of climate issues is not approached.
• Responsibility: They point out the fact that they are aware of the responsibility weighing upon  their shoulders, at the same time, they feel powerless because they are not in charge.

British writers Bhanu Kapil and Mariah Whelan conducted creative writing workshops with the topic of eco-poetry and „What would you say if you could?“

Text excerpts of each author can be found here: allianceofacademies.eu

An event of the European Alliance of Academies organised by Akademie der Künste and the Royal Society of Literature. In cooperation with the University of Cambridge, Czech Literary Center, Royal Academy of Dutch Language and Literature, Society of Hungarian Authors

„Artistic Freedom. A Core Element of the European Project“

From 30 to 31 May 2023, the European Alliance of Academies held a conference of solidarity with the Society of Hungarian Authors Szépírók Társasága in Budapest.

Eleven European countries were represented. Both internal and public podium discussions focused on the increasingly restricted freedom of art and artistic platforms in Hungary and other European countries. In internal discussions, representatives from non-government-run cultural organisations drew attention to a lack of funding, production and distribution for alternative artistic work. During a public discussion with the writer György Dalos, filmmaker Béla Tarr, poet and novelist Katharina Schultens, director Bartosz Szydłowski and others, it became apparent that, unlike individual freedoms, institutional independence is mainly endangered.

Jeanine Meerapfel – filmmaker, president of the Akademie der Künste and initiator of the European Alliance of Academies – stated: “We have come to Budapest to learn more about the situation facing artists in Hungary. The European Alliance of Academies will continue to pressure the European Parliament to insist the Hungarian government support independent artist associations.”

During the upcoming Spanish EU Council Presidency, the European Alliance of Academies is planning artistic actions and conversations with members of the European Parliament before the 2024 European elections to raise awareness about increasingly restricted freedoms in the arts.

More information on the programme and livestream.

An event of the European Alliance of Academies in cooperation with the Akademie der Künste and Szépírók Társasága. With the kind support of the Central European University and the Freeszfe Initiative.

"The Freedom of Art in Times of War and Crisis" (December 2022)

From 15 to 16 December 2022, 42 members of the European Alliance of Academies from 19 different countries came together at the Akademie der Künste to discuss the restrictions that war and crisis have placed on artistic freedom. Numerous actors from the realms of art and culture commented on their experiences.

In his online message of greeting, Victor Sydorenko, President of the Ukrainian National Academy of the Arts, appealed for solidarity between arts and cultural institutions in Europe and invoked the possibilities of cooperation. The Ukrainian Academy was recently admitted to the European Alliance of Academies, with a large majority voting in favour.

Following his expulsion from the Ukrainian Film Academy, filmmaker Sergei Loznitsa, a member of the Akademie der Künste, warned against "replacing one form of propaganda with another". Hanna Bilobrova, co-director of the documentary Mariupolis 2 and fiancée of the murdered documentary filmmaker Mantas Kvedaravičius, showed film clips illustrating the absurdity of the war, the destruction and anguish it brings and the lives lived behind the headlines. Bilobrova took the film footage from Mariupol to Lithuania so she could finish the film after the death of her partner.

The internal working sessions included reports from artists and cultural workers from Poland and Hungary who have to contend with financial constraints and restrictions imposed by the government on the content of their work. The conference came to a unanimous decision to support the institutions concerned, be it through projects involving transnational cooperation or through local actions that generate positive publicity. A newly developed and jointly adopted agenda defines the future activities of the Alliance.

Responding to the question of what politically engaged art means, filmmaker Andres Veiel made the case in the closing discussion that doubts, contradictions and ambiguities should be tolerated in the process of artistic creation. Composer Iris ter Schiphorst called on the art academies represented at the conference to create space for debate between artists and members of civil society as a means to address inequalities and set in motion the much-needed transformation of society. The writers Cécile Wajsbrot and A. L. Kennedy used the power of their art to describe the global situation: their words had a profound effect on the audience. The video messages from Minister of State for Culture and the Media Claudia Roth and UN Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights Alexandra Xanthaki highlighted the importance of the European alliance and pledged their continued support for it.

The newly developed digital platform LOOM – Interweaving the Arts in Europe will allow artistic interventions to take a stance on socio-political issues and facilitate artistic cooperation between members of the European Alliance of Academies. Further artistic projects resulting from the cooperation between the Alliance institutions are to follow.

You can find the livestream of the public programme here.

"LOOM – Interweaving the Arts in Europe" (October 2022)

The European Alliance of Academies launches LOOM – Interweaving the Arts in Europe, a digital platform for artistic cooperation among the institutions and artists of the network, providing possible answers to current social and cultural questions. LOOM is a digital space for the cause of freedom in the arts – a space in which artistic positions are juxtaposed with current political challenges. It aims at creating a digital territory that transcends the local reach of artists and institutions and "weaves" artistic practices in Europe, across borders, into a colourful tapestry.

"Contested Histories, Shared Futures" (June 2022)

The third conference of the European Alliance of Academies (28/29 June 2022) took place in cooperation with the Akademie van Kunsten in Amsterdam and focused on the question of how historical events influence art institutions, artistic practice and cultural goods in public space.

In the public programme, artists, cultural practitioners and representatives of institutions from all over Europe dealt with the effects on artistic and cultural practice by means of concrete examples and discussed approaches to overcoming one-sided levels of meaning. In the internal working sessions, the Alliance partners discussed how to continue the joint cooperation.

With this conference, the European Alliance of Academies is emphasising the necessity to re-evaluate narratives and own practices of action - in order to be able to meet the future challenges of European societies. She is hereby responding to a debate that is becoming increasingly controversial and politically.

With contributions by Liesbeth Bik, Vasyl Cherepanyn, Charles Esche, RAAAF Rietveld Architecture Art Affordances, Andreja Kulunčić, Jeanine Meerapfel, Amina Menia, Joanna Rajkowska, Wendelien van Oldenborgh, Fernando Sánchez Castillo, Paul Spies, Aleš Šteger, et al.

The livestream of the third conference is available here.

„The Power of Art: Defending a Transnational Understanding of European Culture“ (December 2021)

The second conference of the European Alliance of Academies (2 — 3 December 2021) focused on artistic cooperation - and how it can be used for a European understanding of art and culture. In three public discussions, the participants dealt with the influence of nationalistic approaches in cultural policy and their impact on artistic work as well as on the autonomy of cultural institutions. In internal meetings, they discussed how the alliance can better network in the analogue and digital space and take action against political restrictions.

Thanks to the intensive cooperation with the partner Círculo de Bellas Artes, the event could be held with the participation of the Spanish Minister of Culture Miquel Iceta, the regional Minister of Culture Marta Rivera de la Cruz, the German Ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain H.E. Wolfgang Dold, as well as active members of the Academy of Arts and the European Alliance of Academies, among others. Liesbeth Bik, Christos Carras, Jean-François Chougnet, Manuel Gutierréz Aragón, Wolfgang Kaleck, Juan Miguel Hernández León, Jeanine Meerapfel, Antonio Muñoz Molina, Dominika Kasprowicz, Elvira Dyangani Ose, Norbert Palz, Jurko Prochasko, Aleš Šteger, Cécile Wajsbrot. Musical contribution by Zambra Barroca

Livestreams of the events can be viewed here:
The Power of Art - European Alliance of Academies

In an accompanying online event, the procedure is discussed with key players in the cultural and the political spheres in Europe. Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas opens the discussion with a welcome address. Sabine Verheyen, Chair of the Committee on Culture in the European Parliament, comments on the situation. Alliance members from Hungary, Poland, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Slovenia and Germany present their proposals for action.

The event is sponsored by the Federal Foreign Office and the Society of Friends of the Akademie der Künste.

Contributions by Academy President Jeanine Meerapfel, writers Robert Menasse and A. L. Kennedy and publicist Basil Kerski as well as agreeting by Minister of State Prof. Monika Grütters and perspective views of Europe by art historian Bénédicte Savoy and contemporary historian Philipp Ther.

Supported by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media within the framework of the German EU Council Presidency 2020.

More information, videos and documents:
www.allianceofacademies.eu