Staatskunst & Staatsräson - Art about the State

Over the past two years, a remarkable renegotiation of the relationship between the arts and the state has taken place in Germany. From outright censorship to ongoing discussions around provisions for public art funding — often in the name of anti-antisemitism — cultural producers and workers across disciplines have been forced to confront the ambivalent legacies of a self-proclaimed culture nation (Kulturnation). The rapid and imminent interventions into the formerly smoothly organised apparatus of cultural funding in the name of democracy have raised broader questions about this apparatus. Have there always been pre-determined interests and motives that determine how parliamentary democracy supports art and culture? Or are the restrictions a more recent strategy by right-wing forces? The constitutional right to artistic freedom (Kunstfreiheit) seems to clash with other, less juridical principles of the state such as Staatsräson and a particular interpretation of democratic conduct. This reconfiguration of who and what is supported in the production of art has led to a broad re-evaluation of the spaces accessible and trustworthy to artists. This series of conversations aims to provide a critical overview of recent developments in the context of a longer-term legislative and historical perspective. How does the state respond to shifts and transformations in the political sphere with regard to its support for the arts? How can we preserve and defend institutional spaces that are maintained by the state despite being in regular opposition to it?

January 28, 2026, 5pm*

Art with the State

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Christoph Möllers, Professor of Public Law and Jurisprudence at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

Zoë Claire Miller, Alliance for Critical Scholarship in Solidarity

Mi You, Professor for Art and Eco­no­mies at Kassel University

April 28, 2026, 6pm

Art about the State

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Tobi Haslett, Writer

Tom Holert, Art Historian, Critic, Curator

May 13, 2026, 6pm

Art despite the State

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Pary El-Qalqili, Artist

Anselm Franke, Professor of Curatorial Studies, Zurich University of the Arts

*Please note the time – it should be possible to attend right after the IPK Institutsrat.

All events will take place at the Kunstraum and will be conducted in English. 

A cooperation between Leuphana Transformation Lab and Kunstraum. Organized by Dr. Henrike Kohpeiß and Christopher Weickenmeier.