Why Germany: Online lecture series

Why Germany is an international lecture series addressing the crackdown on free speech in Germany and beyond. Within Germany, some of the most effective actors in the intimidation of Palestinians and their allies over recent months have been cultural venues, art schools and universities. The hostility towards advocacy for Palestinian lives has surpassed recent escalations across Europe or the USA: the lockstep is more thorough, the language more hateful, the measures more extreme. With the help of historical perspectives and specific case studies of German art schools and universities, this series addresses the eclipse of free speech and its ramifications for local cultural landscapes, but also for neighbors and allies – not to mention for Palestine itself. These weekly lectures are co-hosted by a network of institutions that grows over time. By means of a rolling program, it creates a space for creative, informed and considered expression. Importantly, the series will move beyond critique alone, to propose strategies for the future: which languages, alliances, policies and support systems might ensure a measure of autonomy in the longer term?

Full list of lectures:

• Tuesday 7 May at 6pm (CET): lecture by Nadija Samour, hosted by OMAM Université libre de Bruxelles, Belgium
• Tuesday 14 May at 6pm (CET): lecture by Hanan Toukan and Tirdad Zolghadr, hosted by de Appel
• Tuesday 21 May at 6pm (CET): lecture by Noor Niefgotodien & Ulrike Kistner, hosted by University of Witwatersrand (Wits) Johannesburg, South Africa (event link)
• Tuesday 28 May at 5pm (CET): lecture by Sami Khatib, hosted by The Academy of Fine Art at Oslo National Academy of the Arts, Norway (event link)
• Tuesday 11 June at 6pm (CET): Laura Fiorio & Sarah Naira Hachem Herfurth in conversation with Student Coalition Berlin, Royal Institute of Art, Stockholm (event link)
• Tuesday 25 June at 6pm (CET): lecture by Yasmeen Daher, hosted by Ashkal Alwan, Beirut, Lebanon (event link)
POSTPONED • Tuesday 2 July at 6pm (CET): lecturer TBA, hosted by Center for Research Architecture, Goldsmiths, London (event link)
• Tuesday 9 July at 4pm (CET): Dirk Moses in conversation with Ana Teixera Pinto, hosted by Dutch Art Institute, Roaming Academy (event link)
• Tuesday 16 July at 6pm (CET): lecture by Joud al Tamimi (in Arabic), hosted by Wekalet Behna, Alexandria, Egypt (event link)