The Hindu (Thiruvananthapuram)
The president of Goethe-Institut on how artists and cultural institutions can transcend divides and foster dialogue
Multiple crises in my home country, Germany, and around the world have reopened debates on the signicance of artistic production and cultural work. Political intrusion into cultural spaces is not an unusual phenomenon because often culture is the symbolic arena where societies try to examine who they are, process what shapes them, and re£ect on how to grow together. However, the global rise of illiberalism is increasingly challenging this vital function.
As artists, cultural practitioners and intellectuals, our eorts to navigate ambiguities, understand diverse perspectives, and respect the rationality of alternative world-views are now constrained by questions that tend to interfere with fundamental freedoms: who are we allowed to criticise?; with whom are we expected to express solidarity?; which voices must be amplied, and which ones silenced or omitted?; to what extent should culture encompass the political?
Culture can be, and has been in the past, used as a powerful instrument for propaganda, but also for liberation. The power of culture comes from its ability to in£uence people’s emotional states, particularly through formats that are not necessarily discursive, but more aective, such as music, images, performance, and art. Culture is a double-edged sword — it can embody greater understanding or be used to create more hatred and prejudice; wielding it as a cultural institution or practitioner is a great responsibility.
In Germany, for instance, I have observed that the con£ict in West
Asia has polarised public discussions and fuelled an intense debate on public funding of culture and the freedom of expression. I am convinced that owing to the historical weight of the Holocaust, Germany, along with its cultural institutions, must steadfastly denounce any and all instances of anti-Semitism. However, there is debate on how exactly to dene anti-Semitism, and where to draw the necessary red lines. Right now, there seems to be a tendency to limit the spaces of discussion — through boycott calls, event cancellations and threats to funding — in mere anticipation of anti-Semitism, even before arguments are fully articulated.
Not everywhere in the world are the red lines dened in the exact same ways, and therefore robust debate is essential. However, it is equally crucial not to enable intolerant, repressive, and violent hate speech and actions in the name of freedom of expression. The discourse of cultural institutions thus becomes a balancing act where the urgency to create inclusive narratives that re£ect varied experiences must be negotiated daily.
Listening and sharing
As an anthropologist, I hav that too rigid controls sti£e expression that lies at the h human art and culture, and curiosity permits authentic relevant questions to emer cultural arbiters in these unprecedented times, it is i that we build bridges of sol that transcend geopolitical and foster thoughtful dialo
Since assuming the role President of the Goethe-Ins November 2020, I have wit