Art colleges have long viewed themselves as autonomous islands of artistic freedom. Yet it is becoming increasingly clear that it is not only the market that is exerting pressure on them, but that the political foundation of their autonomy is also coming under growing scrutiny. As state-funded institutions, art colleges have always operated at the intersection of public interests and expectations; however, specific content, positions, and even individuals are now increasingly becoming the focus of political attention. Against this backdrop, we believe it is necessary to reaffirm the legal foundations of art production and education and to remind ourselves of how and in what form freedom of expression, artistic freedom, and academic freedom are enshrined in Germany.

The symposium opens a dialogue with representatives from other universities and institutions and aims to provide a space to reflect on the tensions between abstract artistic autonomy and concrete political influence. We explore the question of whether art can maintain a position of resistance in the context of increasing authoritarian tendencies, even though—and precisely because—it is itself entangled in these social dynamics.

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Program

10:00 a.m.
Opening Remarks - Prof.in Eva von Platen-Hallermund, President, AdBK Nuremberg

10:15 a.m.
Introduction  - Prof.in Dr. Kerstin Stakemeier, AdBK Nuremberg

10:30 a.m.  

Lecture

On the Legal Basis of Freedom of Art, Science, and Expression 
It is not only in the U.S. that “academic freedoms” are threatened by attacks on universities; here as well, reports are mounting of canceled lectures by politically controversial speakers, student protests, or demands for an alleged duty of neutrality. To what extent are universities and their members protected against this by fundamental rights, and where does this protection end? The lecture provides a brief overview to answer these questions.

Prof. Dr. Lothar Zechlin former presidents of German and Austrian universities and professor emeritus of public law.

11:00 a.m. - Panel 1  

On the current practice of freedom of art, science, and expression
Recently, the Düsseldorf Art Academy found itself at the center of national attention. The student group SPARTA had invited the Palestinian-American artist Basma al-Sharif to give a lecture. Her clear stance in favor of Palestinian autonomy had drawn the attention of both local and state authorities, who not only urged the academy’s rector, Donatella Fioretti, to cancel the invitation but, when she did not comply, even questioned her authority to hold office. At no point was al-Sharif’s artistic work at issue here. Rather, it was her stance as part of the Palestinian diaspora that turned her invitation into a matter of state policy. On this panel, Donatella Fioretti and Lothar Zechlin will discuss concrete efforts to uphold academic freedom in the arts and sciences.

Prof.in Donatella Fioretti, President, Düsseldorf Art Academy

Prof. Dr. Lothar Zechlin
Moderators: Prof. Dr. Kerstin Stakemeier, AdBK Nuremberg

1:30 p.m. - Panel 2
Right-wing Media Presence

Right-wing media presence is increasingly shaping the perception of public discourse in text and images. The panel discusses the implications of this phenomenon: Katrin Köppert takes a media-theoretical look at AI-generated images of a desolate world and at a fascist lust for destruction that appears not only nihilistic but also creative. Birgit Mair examines the pressure exerted by the far right on cultural figures in Nuremberg through “Mosaik-Rechte” and the resulting shift in how counter-protests are perceived in the mainstream media. Julian Vogel and Johannes Büttner reflect on their cinematic encounters with far-right actors and individuals, discussing the “Direct Cinema” method in relation to their film “Soldaten des Lichtes”.

Johannes Büttner, filmmaker and artist, Berlin
Prof.in Dr. Katrin Köppert, art and media scholar, Humboldt University of Berlin
Birgit Mair, social scientist, author, and science journalist, Nuremberg
Julian Vogel, filmmaker and screenwriter, Berlin
Moderators: Annett Stenzel & Peter Wendl, AdBK Nuremberg

3:30 p.m. - Panel 3
Art as a Space for Political Action? 
Art and politics are locked in a relationship of mutual tension. Amid increasing attempts by the state to control art, the threat of institutional co-optation, and symbolic gestures that lack real impact, how much political influence can art actually be trusted to wield, and in what ways can art have a political impact at all?
These and similar questions will be discussed with guests Natascha Sadr Haghighian and Diedrich Diederichsen. 

Prof. Diedrich Diederichsen, author and cultural studies scholar, Berlin
Prof.in Natascha Sadr Haghighian, artist and professor of sculpture at the HfK Bremen

Moderators: Prof. Michael Hakimi & Prof. Dr. Kerstin Stakemeier, AdBK Nuremberg

6 p.m. - Film Screening

Soldaten des Lichts, 2025, 2025, documentary, 108 min
Johannes Büttner & Julian Vogel

The film sheds light on a growing scene of influencers, life coaches, and self-proclaimed healers who spread conspiracy narratives and have close ties to Reich Citizens. Their clientele ranges from so-called “sovereignists” and “self-governors”—who seek to break away from the Federal Republic of Germany and legitimize themselves through their own identification documents and bureaucratic structures—to people suffering from severe physical or mental illness.

8 p.m.
Closing 

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