Conference Art during crisis: From reflection to action - Programme

Art in times of crisis due to war, persecution, and climate change is not temporary but a permanent condition to which we relate. How do we give meaning to hospitality and international solidarity? How does this fundamentally change (international) work in the art world? And how can we be critical in this transition from our privileged Western perspective – which is often the cause of crises?

How do we translate this ongoing crisis into our local arts sector? What shift is necessary, what does it take, and what are the obstacles? What's already happening, and how can we take further steps together? Discuss this with local art professionals.

Crisis is putting pressure on the voices of artists worldwide, including in the West. How can we support eachother internationally so that art can continue to play its civic role in society, even in challenging economic, (geo)political, and climatic conditions? How can we connect the forces and tactics of survival and resistance? How can we share knowledge, contacts, and resources? These networks – or rather, communities – of care and solidarity emerge through migration and forced mobility, and are also growing between professionals and areas not necessarily connected to the Western sphere of influence.

How can we radically rethink international relations in the arts, which currently rely primarily on visibility, fame, and income? How can Southern support networks be sustained without Europe being at the center?

An information session on visas and employment opportunities for artists with precarious or temporary residence permits. What are the legal options for hiring someone, paying them correctly, what are the conditions for obtaining a work visa, etc.?

In a context of increasing social and political inequality, this workshop explores the role and responsibility of image-making, curation, and design as active and urgent practices. It focuses on how visual identity, narrative construction, and spatial engagement can function as instruments of solidarity and resilience. Through collective reflection and exchange, participants will explore how images, stories, and curatorial frameworks can challenge dominant power structures, counter erasure, and actively support communities under pressure. The workshop draws on transdisciplinary, decolonial, and justice-oriented practices rooted in lived experience and cultural production.

A key form of solidarity is boycotting. What boycotts are currently active, how are they organized, and what can the arts sector do to help?

Radical rest as a form of resistance and vulnerability. How can we create space for rest and care in the arts sector? How can we foster (inter)national solidarity by organizing spaces of rest?

Crisis is putting pressure on the voices of artists worldwide, including in the West. How can we support eachother internationally so that art can continue to play its civic role in society, even in challenging economic, (geo)political, and climatic conditions? How can we connect the forces and tactics of survival and resistance? How can we share knowledge, contacts, and resources? These networks – or rather, communities – of care and solidarity emerge through migration and forced mobility, and are also growing between professionals and areas not necessarily connected to the Western sphere of influence.

How can we radically rethink international relations in the arts, which currently rely primarily on visibility, fame, and income? How can Southern support networks be sustained without Europe being at the center?