European Forum on Culture and Politics

I. The New World Order: The End of the Transatlantic West

On the first day of the Bonn Summit, we will examine the current relationship and the state of the community of values between the US and Europe. The protagonists of authoritarian and autocratic movements in Washington openly and radically question the effectiveness of democratic social models with their complex participatory processes and administrative structures. The aggressive assault on a supposed ‘Deep State’ by the Department of Governance Efficiency (DOGE) at the start of Donald Trump’s second term has made this abundantly clear. Authoritarian governance by decree continues to bypass the usual legislative procedures. What is at stake here is nothing less than key historical achievements such as freedom of information, participatory decision-making, and the rule of law. Culture plays a central role in this context: after all, decisions are made on the basis of alliances and social affiliation. Thus, at the 2026 Munich Security Conference, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio explicitly articulated what he expects from European culture and historiography: a ‘renewal and restoration’ in the form of an intellectual and cultural shift, which aims to realign the coordinates of transatlantic relations in the long term. This demand is all too readily taken up by (far-)right political forces in Europe, which in turn is often rewarded with support from the US. So what is the state of the community of values between the United States and Europe, and what does this entail for Germany and the EU? And which paradigms can help overcome such antagonisms in the spirit of a global community based on solidarity?

from 3:00 pm
Check-in

5:00 pm
Welcome Address
Eva Kraus, Director, Bundeskunsthalle
In German with English translation

5:05 pm
Introduction
Sven Sappelt, Curator, Bundeskunsthalle
In German with English translation

5:15 pm
Keynote
Glenn Micallef, European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport (BE) – requested
In English with German translation

6:00 pm
Keynote “Our Planetary Condition. Foundations for a Politics with the Earth”
Claus Leggewie, Professor of Political Science, University of Giessen (GER)
In German with English translation

6:30 pm
Break

7:00 pm
Keynote “Climate Justice & Political Leadership”
Jennie C. Stephens, Professor of Climate Justice, Maynooth University (US/IE)
In English with German translation

7:30 pm
Keynote “Protecting Artistic Freedom”
Elizabeth Larison, Director of the Arts & Culture Advocacy Program, National Coalition Against Censorship (US)
In English with German translation

7:45 pm
Keynote “The West Is Us Now. Germany's Relationship with the USA”
Jörg Lau, Journalist, ZEIT (GER)
In German with English translation

8:00 pm
Panel
Elizabeth Larison, Director of the Arts & Culture Advocacy Program, National Coalition Against Censorship (US)
Jörg Lau, Journalist, ZEIT (GER)
Claus Leggewie, Professor of Political Science, University of Giessen (GER)
Jennie C. Stephens, Professor of Climate Justice, Maynooth University (US/IE)
In English and German with translation

9:00 pm
Reception (on the roof terrace, weather permitting)

II. Cultural Infrastructures under Attack

How Can We Counter the Attacks on the Arts, Science, the Media and NGOs? In the wake of this forced change of course, more and more cultural institutions in the US – such as museums, universities, media organisations, and NGOs – are coming under fire. It is no coincidence that (far-)right parties in Europe use the very same script for such attacks. Numerous organisations in Germany are feeling the effects already. Those who hold different political views are being deliberately intimidated, radical ideologies are promoted, and cultural dominance pursued. Where politically feasible, key positions are replaced, funding reduced, and programmes scrapped. On the second day of the Bonn Summit, we wish to address the current attacks on state and non-state institutions in the US and Europe (including Germany specifically). Given that the arts, academia, the media, and NGOs are prepared for such attacks to varying degrees, we wish to learn from one another across sectors. A central question here is what constitutes mere symptoms and what the root causes. Waves of moral outrage and dramatic calls for freedom are clearly failing. What is needed are nuanced debates, far-sighted strategies, and long-term alliances to effectively strengthen cultural infrastructures to help them help fulfilling their social role as places of democratic self-understanding. Not least, this involves a self-critical questioning of our cultural institutions’ integrity and a search for possible improvements.

from 9:30 am
Check-in

10:00 am
Morning Briefing
Sven Sappelt, Curator, Bundeskunsthalle
In German with English translation

10:05 am
Key Note “Shrinking Civic Spaces”
Siri Hummel, Director, Maecenata Institute for Philanthropy and Civic Society (GER)
In German with English translation

Cultural Infrastructures Under Attack

10:25 am
Panel
Jens-Christian Wagner, Director, Buchenwald Memorial (GER)
Ferenc Czinki, Author, Society of Hungarian Authors (HU)
Marita Muukkon, Curator, Artists at Risk (FI)
Carena Schlewitt, Intendantin, HELLERAU, Dresden (GER)
In English and German with translation

11:20 am
Presentation “Re:Create Europe & Atlas of Resilience”
Jara Díaz Alberola, Círculo de Bellas Artes de Madrid (ES) &
European Alliance of Academies (GER)
In English and German with translation

11:30 am
Break

Media platforms as accelerants

12:00 pm
Keynote “European Media Plattform Souvereignity”
Geert Lovink, Media Theorist, Institute of Network Cultures (NL)
In German with English translation

12:15 pm
Keynote “Synthetic Data, Deep Fakes and Disinformation”
Dietmar Offenhuber, Chair of the Department of Art + Design, Northeastern University (US)
In English with German translation

12:30 pm
Panel
Geert Lovink, Media Theorist, Institute of Network Cultures (NL)
Dietmar Offenhuber, Chair of the department of Art and Design, Northeastern University (US)
In German with English translation

1:00 pm
Lunch Break

Expert-Labs

2:00 pm
Parallel Deep Dives

Deep Dive 1 – Art and Culture
Elizabeth Larison, Director of the Arts & Culture Advocacy Program, National Coalition Against Censorship (US)
In Englisch

Deep Dive 2 – Science and Climate Protection
Jennie C. Stephens, Professor of Climate Justice, Maynooth University (US/IE)
In Englisch

Deep Dive 3 – Media and Media Platforms
Geert Lovink, Media Theorist, Institute of Network Cultures (NL)
In German

Deep Dive 4 – NGOs and Civic Society
Siri Hummel, Maecenata Institute for Philanthropy and Civic Society
In German

3:00 pm
Break

Strategies for Strengthening Cultural Infrastructure

4:00 pm
Panel International Cooperation in Times of Geopolitical Tensions
Gregory Houston, President, arts and artists (US)
Gabriela Moulin, Director, Instituto Tomie Ohtake (BR)
Sasha Priewe, Founder, North American Cultural Diplomacy Initiative (CA)
Mikael Mohamed, Director of International Relations, Mucem (F)
Moderator: Doris Rothauer, Vienna/New York
In English with German translation

5:00 pm
Panel Political Strengthening of Cultural Infrastructures
Sven Lehmann, Chair of the Committee on Cultural and Media Affairs, German Bundestag (GER)
Markus Hilgert, President, Berlin University of the Arts (UdK) and the Kulturpolitische Gesellschaft e.V. (GER)
Elisabeth Mayerhofer, Culture and Science, City of Vienna (AT)
Paul Spies, President, ICOM Germany (GER)
Moderator: Sven Sappelt, Curator, Bundeskunsthalle
In German with English translation

6:00 pm
Break

7:00 pm
Ed Neumeister (New York) & the Bujazzo young jazz orchestra (GER)
Doors open at 6:30 pm

8:30 pm
Evening program with reception at the Representation of the European Commission
(Due to space limitations, the number of participants is unfortunately limited. Registrations will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis.)

III. Public Imaginaries
European Identity between Self-Relativisation and Self-Assertion

On the third day, we will finally turn our attention to the cultural foundations of our European self-image and its future. On the one hand, there are good reasons to engage in a self-critical examination of historical transgressions such as imperialism, colonialism, fascism, communism, etc. On the other, the EU and its member states must stand their ground against hostility on the world stage and, if necessary, even defend their values militarily. But what are the collective guiding principles that, amidst these paradoxes and complex interdependencies, hold us together as Europeans and help us find our bearings? On what values are they based, and what principles do they follow? What prospects exist for ambitious models such as universal human rights, a global community based on solidarity, or ‘planetary thinking’ that aims for a healthy balance of the biosphere as well as peaceful human coexistence across the globe? How can political organisations and international institutions such as the UN effectively champion such models?

from 9:30 am
Check-in

10:00 am
Morning Briefing
Sven Sappelt, Kurator, Bundeskunsthalle
In German with English translation

Public imaginaries 1:
European Identity between Self-relativisation and Self-assertion

10:05 am
Keynote “Europe After Eurocentrism: Narratives of a World Province in Transition”
Albrecht Koschorke, Professor of Literary Studies, University of Konstanz (GER)
In German with English translation

10:35 am
Panel
Albrecht Koschorke, Professor of Literary Studies, University of Konstanz (GER)
Dominika Kasprowicz, Director of Villa Decius, Poland
In English and German with translation

11:30 am
Coffee break

Public imaginaries 2: The Imperative of Neutrality?
European Values ​​for Transnational Cooperation

12:00 pm
Panel
Marion Ackermann, President, Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation (GER)
Barbara Gessler, Representative of the European Commission in Germany (GER)
Amanda Mayne, Head of Partnerships, British Museum (UK)
In English and German with translation

1:00 pm
Lunch Break

Public imaginaries 3:
Cosmopolitanism and Global Community: Sustainable Concepts for Solidarity within Planetary Boundaries

2:00 pm
Keynote “Radical Universalism Beyond Identity”
Omri Böhm, Associate Professor of Philosophy, The New School New York (US)
In English with German translation

2:10 pm
Keynote
Kumi Naidoo, GCCA (SA)
In English with German translation

2:20 pm
Keynote
Patricia Espinosa (MX)
In English with German translation

2:30 pm
Panel
Omri Böhm, Associate Professor of Philosophy, The New School New York (US)
Patricia Espinosa (MX)
Kumi Naidoo, GCCA (SA)
Christina Beinhoff, Head of the Cultural Department, Federal Foreign Office (GER)
Silke Weinlich, Deputy Director, UN SSC (GER)
In English and German with translation

3:30 pm
Summary, Outlook and Closing Remarks
Eva Kraus, Director, and Sven Sappelt, Curator, Bundeskunsthalle
In German with English translation

4:00 pm
Networking and conclusion of the event

5:00 pm
End of the event