Was ist politische Kunst (Veranstaltung)
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- Subject according curriculum
- Theories & aesthetics / performance theories / studium generale / elective module
- Teachers
- Prof. Dr. Philipp Hauß , Prof. Eva Maria Voigtländer
- Semester
- Wintersemester 2025/2026
- Scope
- Wed, 22.10.25 16:00 - 21:15 (kick-off event) Wed, 29.10.25 19:00 - 21:15 Thu, 20.11.25 19:00 - 21:15 Thu, 8.1.26 19:00 - 21:15 Thu, 22.1. 19:00 - 21:15
- Room
- Wiesendamm - Raum 1.15 (Seminarraum 3)
- Duration
- 1.5 Semesterwochenstunden
- Description
What is political art?
Through transdisciplinary contributions, this series seeks to explore the contemporary political landscape and to map out the potential for political art through artistic practices.
The goal is to break through the shock-induced stupor and depressive paralysis that settled over democratic civil societies—particularly among cultural practitioners and the intellectual community—by the end of 2024 at the latest, and to open up spaces for action.
This involves questioning conventional diagnoses—the fragmentation of the public sphere into individual “bubbles,” the unbridgeable divides, the lack of political initiative on the part of the Left, young people, and the “boomers”—so as not to reduce this complexity, particularly within political art.
For art—which serves as a target for autocrats in countries such as Hungary, Slovakia, Belarus, … and in the party platforms of the FPÖ and AfD, and whose freedom is being or is intended to be curtailed by monetary policy and censorship, currently faces particular challenges and must find its place between aesthetics, action, and enlightenment.
In the propagated dissolution of commitments such as truth, factuality, and empiricism—and in the free competition of entangling narratives—art on stage plays a particularly important role. When sociologist Steffen Mau describes how “a perceived polarization can become a real polarization,” this conversely also means, “Get involved, join in, participate in democracy—otherwise others will take the helm.” (Mau)
Political art therefore bears the responsibility to reflect on, deconstruct, and shape narratives. At the same time, this also presents an opportunity.
In ten lectures and an accompanying seminar—for acting, directing, and dramaturgy students collectively—these questions will be explored. The decision to address directing and acting students together underscores the common ground between the disciplines, ensemble thinking, and the exchange of ideas across disciplinary boundaries—all of which are so necessary in the current situation.
We are deliberately inviting leading researchers from various fields of social research, alternating with theater practitioners. An invitation to think and act. Guests will include, for example, Calle Fuhr, Andreas Petrik, Costa Compagnie, Ligna, Marlene Engelhorn, and many others.
The lecture and seminar will run over two semesters, beginning in the winter semester 25/26.
The seminar “Art Is a Daughter of Freedom” by Eva-Maria Voigtländer and Marlene Reiter will run concurrently.
To kick off the series, Philipp Hauß, Eva-Maria Voigtländer, and Marlene Reiter will each give a presentation on the overall project during the opening reception on October 22. Prof. Dr. Andreas Petrik, professor of political science at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, will discuss his research on social cohesion and the challenges posed by the rise of right-wing populist movements.
The lecture series will then take place approximately once a month, with each session lasting two hours.
A joint closing event is planned for the summer semester.- Credits
- 2 Creditpoints
- Modules
- Modul Schauspiel 4, Modul Theorie Master Dramaturgie, Theorie 1