An cooperation with the Goethe-Institut: New issue of "Freepost" on goethe.de
Starting October 2018, in a new issue of "Freepost", the digital discourse format at goethe.de, artists discussed how contemporary art positions itself politically, at the same time preserving itself from (self-)instrumentalization, and how artists can reach directly to the European audience.
In two online debates spanning several weeks, three discussion partners exchanged ideas on the current social and political role of artists in Europe at goethe.de/freepost. Political scientist Geraldine de Bastion moderates the talks.
View the debate at www.goethe.de/freepost, on the Goethe-Institut's Facebook-Page and under the hashtag #freepost onTwitter.
How political should artists be today?
The first debate between Joseph Young, sound artist, belit sağ, video artist and Via Lewandowsky, visual artist, in October 2018 was dedicated to the positioning of artists in the social and political debate in Europe. Contemporary art in Europe is socially relevant. But how does it shield itself from political appropriation?
City, country, Europe – how the art world grows together
The second debate between Simona Da Pozzo, visual artist, and the curators Gottfried Hattinger and Hajnalka Somogyi started mid-January 2019 and discussed how international collaborations can generate solidarity. Art may not know any boundaries, but the art world certainly does. So how can curators become better networked – and make a stand for their shared values?
„Fragile Affinities - (re)strengthening international artistic collaboration“
The topic of this "Freepost" issue followed on from the symposium "Fragile Affinities - (re) strengthening international artistic collaboration", organized by the IGBK in cooperation with the Akademie der Künste, Berlin, in November 2017. At the symposium, over 100 international participants, artists and curators from Germany, Poland, Hungary, Turkey and Great Britain, discussed their strategies to confront the many current nationalist movements in Europe and how they react to the dwindling acceptance of the European unification process. The symposium was organized under the direction of Andrea Knobloch and Dr. Anke Hervol.
On "Freepost"
"Freepost" is a digital discourse on goethe.de. Artists, publicists and civil society actors exchange ideas with each other and with readers. "Freepost" connects debating participants from different countries and takes place both on goethe.de and in the social media. Readers can post their views on Facebook and Twitter under the hashtag #freepost and in reader comments on goethe.de/freepost, name new aspects or ask questions - the moderator brings these into the debate. Thus "Freepost" becomes an international platform, which invites you to leave your own filter-bubble and to open your mind to new ideas. The result is an open, cross-cultural, multilingual correspondence: digitally and completely "postage-free"!
This issue of "Freepost" was a cooperation between the Goethe-Institut and the Internationale Gesellschaft der Bildenden Künste (IGBK).
