Art Against the Tyrants: Interview Marathon
What does the future of Europe look like in an era of rising authoritarianism, renewed oligarchy, and democratic values under siege? During our Interview Marathon, the Forum on European Culture invites writers, artists and thinkers to reflect on the role of art in the fight against tyranny.
It may seem that art is powerless against weapons, yet history tells us otherwise. Autocrats and dictators fear artists and intellectuals — why else would they feel compelled to censor, imprison, and persecute them? It is the freedom of thought they seek to extinguish, the critical reflection they dread, and the plurality of voices they aim to silence. Art disrupts the singular narratives authoritarian leaders impose, making it a force of defiance.
During this Interview Marathon, the Forum on European Culture gathers writers, artists, thinkers, and activists for conversations on resistance, identity, and the power of culture in confronting oppression. Can Europe uphold its democratic ideals in times of crisis? What role do artists and intellectuals play in the fight against tyranny?
During the interview marathon, guests take turns joining one after another for about an hour each. Visitors can walk in and out of the room and occasionally stretch their legs. The full marathon lasts from 5:00 PM to around 1:00 AM.
About the guestsNino Haratischwili (1983) is a Georgian-German author, playwright, and director. She gained international recognition for her multi-generational saga The Eighth Life (for Brilka)
Beatrix Ruf (1960) is a German art curator. She is the former director of het Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. She is currently director the Hartwig Art Foundation, which is developing a new museum for modern art in Amsterdam.
Ece Temelkuran (1973) is a Turkish journalist and writer. In 2012, she was fired from the Turkish newspaper she was working for at the time, for writing critically about the Erdogan government. In 2019, she published How to Lose a Country: The Seven Steps from Democracy to Dictatorship.
Volodymyr Yermolenko (1980) is a Ukrainian philosopher, writer, and journalist. He is the editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, a multimedia platform, and author of several books on Ukrainian identity and European philosophy.
Želimir Žilnik (1942) is a Serbian filmmaker and key figure of the Yugoslav Black Wave-movement. His award-winning work, including Early Works (Golden Bear Berlinale, 1969) and Kenedi Goes Back Home (2003), continues to influence new generations of filmmakers.
Gosia Wdowik (1988) is a theatre maker and an member of GILDIA (Union of Polish Theater Makers).
Open Group is Ukrainian art collective founded in August 2012. During Forum their work Repeat After Me II will be shown in De Balie.
About Forum on European CultureWho’s afraid of art? Now that tyrants are on the roll and more and more people in the West seem to be falling for the autocratic alternative, Forum on European Culture 2025 (June 25 – June 29) brings together international artists, writers, and thinkers to celebrate the subversive power of art and literature.
