ORBIT

In a time of profound social change and global uncertainties, the role of art as a space for political engagement is inevitably evolving. Against the backdrop of a growing right-wing surge, urgent questions arise: How explicitly political can, should, or must art be today? Is the artistic process itself already a political act, as it claims and creates spaces for freedom? To what extent can the loss of trust in politics, in structures, and in institutions be restored as an important stabilizing resource? What can be done when mutual distrust itself becomes a threat?

Art can only fulfil its social function – revealing injustice, addressing social inequality, and initiating discourse that can lead to change – if it remains independent and finds its own language. Particular attention is given to the independent arts scene in Germany: How threatened is it by right-wing politics and the cultural policy shifts of recent years?

The focus lies both on analyses and reports of individual experiences as well as on concrete strategies and methods relating to artistic tools, social alliances, and mutual support. The necessity of responding to politically motivated measures that affect the independent arts scene is undeniable. This symposium is an invitation to exchange ideas on resistance, solidarity, and the processes required to preserve art as an independent counterweight within society.

The panel brings together different perspectives from artistic practice and active politics:

GEORGIA KOUMARÁ
The composer, born in Thessaloniki and now based in Cologne, offers insight into her artistic work, in which she consistently engages with social critique and feminist perspectives.

BRIGITTA VON BÜLOW
As spokesperson for the anti-right alliance “Köln stellt sich quer” and long-time spokesperson for cultural policy in the Cologne City Council, she reflects on how cultural policy has changed and how artistic freedom must be defended politically.

SAMU GRYLLUS
The composer reflects on the existential limits of artistic freedom. His childhood in a dictatorial system in Hungary has shaped his sharpened awareness of the impact that contemporary autocratic systems have on artistic communities.

RIKA SAKALAK
The dramaturg and current co-artistic director of the Favoriten Festival moderates the symposium.