CAN THERE BE SUCH A THING AS CULTURAL DIPLOMACY ON EQUAL FOOTING?

Debate with: Ilka Eickhof (FU Berlin); Samuli Schielke (ZMO Berlin); Aliaa El Gready, Maher Sherif, Ahmed Salem (Iskanderiyan Standards, Egypt).

Moderation: Caram Kapp (Spring Lessons).

This evening is in collaboration with Spring Lessons.

As an international collaboration ISOE is part of the problem it explores. In Egypt many art and cultural projects rely on European funding. On the one hand, this cultural diplomacy provides opportunities for an independent cultural scene. On the other hand, there is the risk of dependence and imbalance. Within the framework of ISOE, a group of authors and artists from Alexandria came together to produce the collective work Iskenderiyan Standards to explore this ambiguous relationship with Europe. What expectations do funding institutions have? How much liberty of action is provided for Egyptian artists and cultural producers? Is it possible at all to conduct cultural diplomacy on equal footing? In this debate, researchers, curators and artists from Berlin and Alexandria talk about their experiences when different ideas and expectations collide, and examine what conditions would be necessary for a real cultural exchange.

all photos (c) Mike Kelly