International conference on the state of culture
At the end of May, an international conference on the current state of culture in the European context will take place in Bratislava. Among others, our rector Bohunka Koklesová will speak in a debate on art education and graduates, or Ladislav Tkačík, a lecturer in Theory and History of Art, on Slovak culture.
International Conference Open Culture!
- 29 – 30 May 2025
- Old Market Hall (Stará tržnica), Bratislava
Open Culture! International Conference will focus on the worsening state of culture across Slovakia and Europe, growing concerns about artistic freedom, the increasing divide in society between conservative and progressive camps, significant budget cuts in the cultural sector, and other pressing challenges faced by the creative industries. The aim of the conference is to strengthen collaboration among EU member states, build collective pressure on EU lawmakers, support networking among cultural platforms and initiatives, raise public awareness of the cultural situation across Europe, and identify solutions to the current crisis in the cultural sector.
Panel discussion: Slovak and no other?
Slovakia is a country where conservative, progressive, national, cosmopolitan, traditional, and contemporary cultural currents coexist. They mutually respect, intertwine, and collaborate. Each of these currents produces top-tier, internationally successful works, as well as mediocre or irrelevant results. The long-term success of artistic creation is never dependent on belonging to a particular current, but only on its quality. Despite this, populist politicians manage to convince their electorate that progressive art threatens conservative art, that cosmopolitan culture pushes out national culture, and that traditional and contemporary currents are incompatible. We will discuss the reasons and consequences of this deliberate polarization with respected figures from various areas of the cultural spectrum.
- Michaela H. Pašteková – cultural journalist, critical platform *Kapitál*
- Alžbeta Lukáčová – ethnomusicologist, music dramaturge and musician
- Ladislav Tkáčik – philosopher, university lecturer and translator
- TBC
Moderated by: Jozef Kovalčik
29 May 2025 at 16:40
Panel Discussion: Alma Mater
The journey of an artist begins at school. What are the prospects today for graduates of art schools in a world where art is politicized and politics is radicalized? We will discuss the atmosphere today between students and teachers at higher art schools, as well as the prospects and motivations of students across the EU in light of the current situation in culture, with leading representatives from three European universities.
- Bohunka Koklesová – Rector of the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava
- Manos Tsangaris – President of the Akademie der Künste in Berlin, Composer, European Alliance of Academies
- Mart Kalm – former Rector of the Estonian Academy of Arts in Tallinn
Moderated by: Jozef Kovalčik
30 May 2025 at 15:30
Complete program and tickets