The opening talk of the program "The Condition of No" presents the question of freedom of speech in a wide and foundational manner: What must we endure, what boundaries need to be set, and how can we keep different cultural and philosophical traditions of freedom of expression in mind? Looking at the history of the Enlightenment, philosopher Susan Neiman doubts that the explosive current debates in Germany, for example, are really about freedom of expression. The historian Aziz Al-Azmeh profiles Arab and Islamic topoi present in Germany today and juxtaposes considerations of universalism with an intensified discourse of culturalism and cultural difference.
About the Program “The Condition of No – Talks on Boycott, Censorship and Protest in Germany“:
The boundaries of freedom of speech and artistic freedom are currently under scrutiny. Cancellations, boycotts, censorship, behavioural clauses and protests are having a massive impact on the cultural sector, but talking about them is difficult. With this series, we invite experts from various disciplines to engage in intensive and candid discussions about very specific case studies in Germany: What happened? Why did it happen? And: What can we learn? “The Condition of No“ seeks to facilitate understanding, differentiation and communication in what is currently a precarious situation. It’s about creating a fear-free space in which people can talk.
Curated by Tania Bruguera, Florian Malzacher, Roland Wenninger
VS – Villa Stuck in cooperation with INSTAR and The Art of Assembly