The Heinrich-Boell-Foundation Brandenburg in collaboration with
Space Gallery Bratislava kindly invites you to the conference

Being in Europe: Crisis? What Crisis?

Conference 28th – 29th January 2010

Space Gallery

Velehradska 7/A

Bratislava

Slovak Republic

http://www.atlantisprojects.eu/

eliska.mazalanovacrazycurators.org

The conference "Being Europe: Crisis? What Crisis?" opens up
new vistas on Europe 20 years after the fall of the Iron Curtain.
Under the designation "Crisis? What crisis?" we bring into focus
various perspectives on European changes in the last 20 years and
the current crises. The title – taken from a cover of Supertramp´s
LP from 1975 – can ironically be interpreted in diverse ways. For
example as a synonym for a non-existing crisis or an attempt to
disavow the existence of crises. It also describes the crucial
questions for this conference: Are we really having a crisis? Are
we even confronted with different crises? Or do we deny their
existence and profoundness? What can we do to solve possible
crises? 20 years have passed since the Velvet Revolution. Since
then a globalized economy within a free society of politically
responsible citizens seems to have grown. In these years societies
in Europe came into transformation, new democratic systems have
emerged and social reforms have passed. The European Union has
fundamentally changed. At the same time it faces several crises.
Some of them seem to be obvious. First of all a deep economic crisis.
And also the crisis of climate change and energy resources which
affect not only Europe but the whole world. But what about European
culture and art? What about the crisis of the art market and the
lack of support of culture and art in the new member states of the
European Union? And do we also have a crisis of the democratic
system? Sure enough democratic governmental institutions do not
work efficiently in many member states of the European Union. The
current constitution of democratic systems in European countries is
confronted witha loss of political impetus. Public discussions of
political issues seem to get less important. Most decisions are
taken by only a few opinion leaders in national or supranational
parliaments and governments. The level of participation of the
citizens is low, their involvement in the process of decision-making
weak. Nevertheless, political decisions taken today in times of
crises will be eminently important for the future shape of our
political, economical, cultural and ecological system. What Europe
decides these days touches its being and the every day live of
millions of people. Again: Crisis? What Crisis?

Programme

Thursday, 28th January 2010

19.30 Opening

Juraj Carny (art critic, curator, gallerist. Space projects |
Residency lab | store; Bratislava)

Inka Thunecke (director Heinrich-Boell-Foundation Brandenburg;
Potsdam Germany)

20.00 Challenge of multiple crisis

Prof. Ulrich Brand (Institute for Political Science, University of
Vienna)

20.45 Crisis of the economy

Prof. Joachim Becker (Institute for International Economics and
Development, Vienna University of Economics and Business)

Discussion

22.00 Art Performance

Jana Kapelova (to be confirmed)

Friday, 29th January 2010

9.30 Challenges and crisis of democracy

Prof. Oliver Marchart (Department of Sociology, University of
Lucerne)

Discussion

11.30 Crisis of the institutions

Isolde Charim (philosopher and publicist, assistant lecturer
University of Vienna)

Marek Adamov (director of Stanica cultural space; Žilina)

Discussion

13.30 Break

14.30 Art – no Crisis?

Ruth Noack (author and curator)

Jakob Racek (cultural manager and curator, Art Today Association
- Center for Contemporary Art; Plovdiv Bulgaria)

Juraj Carny (art critic, curator, gallery owner. Space projects |
Residency lab | store; Bratislava)

Emil Mirazchiev (artist and director of Art Today Association -
Center for Contemporary Art; Plovdiv Bulgaria)

Nini Palavandishvili (curator and member of GeoAIR, Tbilisi
Georgia)

16.00 Discussion and Final Comments

Moderation Natalia Urblikova
(cultural<http://dict.leo.org/ende?lp=ende&p=5tY9AA&search=cultural>
scientist <http://dict.leo.org/ende?lp=ende&p=5tY9AA&search=scientist>)

Please register for the conference via mail at
eliska.mazalanovacrazycurators.org