Berliner Korrespondenzen

Berliner Korrespondenzen - a joint project of Allianz Kulturstiftung and the Gorki Forum – in cooperation with the Humboldt University Berlin and funded by the Federal Foreign Office – is a forum to debate the truly big questions of our times.

Where: Berlin, Maxim Gorki Theater

When: ongoing

With: Maxim Gorki Theater, Humboldt Universität, Auswärtiges Amt

Since its inception in 2016, the lecture series Berliner Korrespondenzen at the Maxim Gorki Theater Berlin has been a mainstay in the German Capital’s cultural calendar.

Each event brings together two cutting-edge thinkers and artists of vastly different biographical and disciplinary backgrounds. In surprising, boundary-pushing constellations, they develop ideas and incentives to find ways out of seemingly desperate situations.

Among the past guests of the Berliner Korrespondenzen are Nobel Laureates in Literature Svetlana Alexievich and Herta Müller, winner of the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade Navid Kermani, as well as philosopher Achille Mbembe, constitutional judge Susanne Baer and sociologist Eva Illouz.

Break-Up, the 2021-22 edition of Berliner Korrespondenzen, looks at the tensions and cracks in the social fabric of post-Covid Europe, asking how younger generations organize protest, voice discontent, take responsibility and imagine alternative futures. To really engage with the next generations’ dreams and grievances, each event combines the screening of an exclusive documentary short film by talented filmmakers with intense debates featuring high-profile thinkers, artists and activists.

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Berliner Korrespondenzen with Lina Majdalanie, Jeffrey G. Karam, Diana Al-Halabi, Sara Fattahi and Leyla Dakhli

7 June 2022, 8:00pm CEST

Film premiere: Fitnat Beyrouth by Sara Fattahi

In English (simultaneous interpretation into German provided)

Live on stage at the Maxim Gorki Theater Berlin, and dummy livestream

How do you stay strong when you are far away while your home is falling to pieces? The closing event of the series “Break Up” zooms in on a specific topic with wide-ranging implications: how do Lebanese artists and thinkers in exile deal with the turbulent events back home, from a revolution in 2019 to the horrendous explosion in Beirut’s harbour in 2020, to the ongoing state crisis today?

The event kicks off with the premiere of a new film by acclaimed Syrian director Sara Fattahi – an intimate portrayal of Rotterdam-based up-and-coming artist and feminist activist Diana Al-Halabi. In the subsequent debate, Al-Halabi joins veteran Lebanese artist Lina Majdalanie and scholar and activist Jeffrey G. Karam, discussing transnational solidarity and critical activism. The conversation is moderated by historian Leyla Dakhli.

dummy To the event

Concept & Design: Keller & Lieder

#4 - With Friedemann Karig, Quang Paasch and Zara Zandieh

6 April 2022, 6pm CET / UT+1, In German

Live at Maxim Gorki Theater Berlin. To the video recording .

An evening for all age groups: The Berliner Korrespondenzen tackled the topic of climate justice in the fourth edition of the Break-Up series. Because the fight against climate change affects us all: young and old, poor and rich, in the Global South and North. But we experience our planet’s dramatic changes in very different ways and have different views of what they mean for the future – and what we can do to combat them.

Quang Paasch from Fridays For Future, author of non-fiction Friedemann Karig and director Zara Zandieh talked with Esra Küçük about how we can overcome the borders between different generations, cultures and spheres to reach agreements on climate change, and how storytelling and fantasy help in finding a future worth living in for everyone. The programme started with the theatre premiere of Zamani, a short film by Zara Zandieh.

Concept & Design: Keller & Lieder

#3 - With Tania Bruguera, Olga Shparaga, Övül Durmuşoğlu, Lili Nagy, Lilla Kizlinger

24 March 2022, 8:00 pm CET / UT+1.#

Live at Maxim Gorki Theater Berlin. To the video recording .

Can the art in resistance (“wehrhafte Kunst”) show us ways out of authoritarian systems? Feminist voices from Belarus, Cuba, Hungary and Turkey discussed the relationship between art and protest during the third episode of “Break-Up”. The world-renowned political artist Tania Bruguera from Cuba meets the Belarusian philosopher Olga Shparaga, who took part in the protest against the Lukaschenko regime in 2020 and was sentenced to a prison term for her activism. In conversation with curator Övül Durmuşoğlu from Turkey, they reflected on the possibilities of collaborative, critical art to resist oppression and develop utopian perspectives.

The discussion followed the premiere of the experimental short film Freedom of the Fighters by the young Hungarian directors Lili Nagy and Lilla Kizlinger. They document performances and artistic interventions conceived during the occupation of the University for Theatre and Film Art SZFE in Budapest in 2020. In playful and imaginative reenactments, the performances given by the FreeSZFE movement – which was the topic of the second episode of “Break-Up” – are transformed and conserved at the same time.

Concept & Design: Keller & Lieder

#2 - With György Dalos, Kornél Mundruzcó, Kata Csató, László Földényi and Anna Faur

7. December 2021, 8:00pm, TO THE VIDEO RECORDING

In Hungarian (interpreted simultaneously into English and German)

Three generations discussed the current political situation in Hungary in the second episode of “Break-Up”. Kicking off with a speech by the essayist László Földényi, the event featured the premiere of a documentary short film on the protest movement FreeSZFE. It recounts last year’s events at the University of Theater and Film in Budapest, during which students occupied the institution to protest against the installation of pro-government leadership and to demand a free and independent education.

In the ensuing debate, historian György Dalos, director Kornél Mundruzcó and Kata Csató, president of FreeSZFE, put the students’ protest into historical and political context: How do the events at the university relate to past popular movements, what does it tell us about the state of freedom of expression and art in Hungary today and what effects could it have on next year’s elections? The discussion was moderated by Anna Faur, member of FreeSFZE and co-director of the eponymous documentary short film.

Concept & Design: Keller & Lieder

#1 - With Sahraa Karimi, Eyal Weizman & ReFocus Media Labs

11 October 2021; TO THE VIDEO RECORDING

In English (interpreted simultaneously into German)

This edition’s opening event started with the world premiere of Nothing About Us Without Us by Refocus Media Labs, a collective of refugee filmmakers from Lesvos, Greece. The film asks questions: how can asylum seekers tell their own stories, counter stereotypical media images and shape the political debate in Europe?

In the ensuing debate, prize-winning Afghan filmmaker and activist Sahraa Karimi, renowned researcher and human rights defender Eyal Weizman and Douglas Herman from Refocus Media Labs discussed how images can influence politics, how we can practice solidarity in times of humanitarian crises and how the subjects of media reports can become the authors of their own stories. In order to not only talk about, but also with those at the heart of the discussions, the film’s co-directors Yaser Akbari and Nazanin Foroghi were connected via video live from Levos.

Concept & Design: Keller & Lieder

Book series: Berliner Korrespondenzen

Place: Berlin

Time Frame: November 2019 - May 2020

Publishers: Andreas Görgen, Esra Küçük und Jan-Hendrik Olbertz

In cooperation with: Maxim Gorki Theater, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Auswärtiges Amt.

The series is published by Nicolai Verlag.

More information

Review 2019-20 edition: (Dis-)Orders in global Europe

Nationalism, digitalization, migration, climate change: in the face of major challenges, Europe seems to be plagued alternatively by short- and farsightedness. Political Europe remains in the mode of crisis management, shunning a genuine new approach. Cultural Europe on the other hand discusses apocalyptic and utopian visions. It is high time to break out of this double distortion, to cross external and internal perspectives, and seek answers to pressing questions beyond the divisions of politics and culture.

Can Europe still produce impulses for mastering the great challenges of our time? Can algorithms save the climate? What does transcultural identity mean in times of neonationalism? What will the reality of working life look like in the future? And what about a time after Europe?

After dealing with questions of (dis-)orders in a world in political and social upheaval as well as with struggling perceptions on historical narratives in their first two seasons, in 2019/20 the lecture series Berliner Korrespondenzen (Berlin Correspondence) dealt with translocal perspectives on Europe.

Berliner Korrespondenzen SPECIAL: Rewriting the Future

25 February 2021, 7:30 pm, Watch the video

With Herta Müller and Svetlana Alexievich

Moderation: Jens Bisky

In German and Russian, simultaneous translation into English

Two of the most important authors of our times meet on stage in Berlin: Svetlana Alexievich and Herta Müller have both created unparalleled literature out of experiences of dictatorship, persecution and injustice. Both have continuously been looking for ways to give voice to those that are heard too rarely or those forgotten too frequently. During the Festival “Re:Writing the Future” they discuss how history can be re-written and how a praxis of resistance can give birth to a language of hope.

Herta Müller is known foremost for her collage technique and received numerous awards. On awarding her the Nobel prize for Literature the prize committee described Müller as author "who, with the concentration of poetry and the frankness of prose, depicts the landscape of the dispossessed."

In her award-winning books, Svetlana Alexievich gives a voice to contemporary witnesses and preserves their memories from falling into oblivion. From World War II to until our present times she holds a mirror up to the world that shows the blatant absurdity of war and violence. In 2015 she was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Herta Müller/© Stephanie von Becker – Svetlana Alexievich/© Margarita Kabakowa

#7 One face, many crises: The US elections and the fight against autocracy

1 November 2020, 7:30 PM CET / UT+2, in English, Watch the Video

With Masha Gessen and Harold James

Moderation: Catherine Newmark

On the occasion of the upcoming US presidential election, Berliner Korrespondenzen will stream a digital special edition live. Increasing Corona numbers, racism and police violence, fires and storms, a tanking economy and quarrels about the supreme court: Numerous crises seem to reinforce and complicate each other. What is at stake in the race Biden vs. Trump? Together with Masha Gessen and Harold James we want to discuss the state of transatlantic relations and debate what constitutes the “system Trump” in political, social and economic regards and what are the odds to prevent four more years of his presidency.

Masha Gessen has written “the platonic ideal of an anti-Trump book” (Washington Post) with 2020’s Surviving Autocracy. Here as well as in weekly columns for the New Yorker, Gessen analyses US-politics in unique and illuminating ways by putting them in relation to historical and contemporary developments in Russia and Europe. Harold James is one of the world’s leading experts on transatlantic economic history and globalization. Like few other historians he manages to shed light on contemporary developments like the crisis of the European Union (Europe Contested: From the Kaiser to Brexit, 2019) or the social and political effects of globalization by contrasting them to past events.

For those who cannot connect live, a recording of the discussion will be available as a video and as a podcast online.

#6 One crisis, many faces: Exploring the political, philosophical and cultural implications of Corona

30 June 2020, 7:30 pm, WATCH THE VIDEO

With Eva Illouz and Shoshana Zuboff

Moderation: Catherine Newmark

For the third edition of our digital live-series „One crisis, many faces”, Berliner Korrespondenzen brings together sociologist Eva Illouz and economic scientist Shoshana Zuboff. Our guests connect from their homes to moderator Catherine Newmark on stage. Together they discuss three theses on how Corona might impact our societies.

Eva Illouz's unique sociological work deals with the question of how consumer capitalism and modern culture have transformed our emotional and love lives. Translated into many languages, the author reveals the social dimensions of even the most intimate areas of life.

Shoshana Zuboff, like few intellectuals, shapes the words and terms with which political debates on new technologies are conducted. A social and economic scientist, Zuboff began to examine the effects of digitization on our working lives and our society long before most.

For those who cannot connect live, a recording of the discussion will be available as a video and as a podcast online.

#5 One crisis, many faces: Exploring the political, philosophical and cultural implications of Corona

28 May 2020, 8 pm, WATCH THE VIDEO

With Bénédicte Savoy and Milo Rau

Moderation: Catherine Newmark

German with simultaneous English translation

Berliner Korrespondenzen continues its digital live series »One crisis, many faces« – with art historian Bénédicte Savoy and theater director Milo Rau. The Gorki stage will once again transform into a live broadcasting studio. Our guests connect from their homes to moderator Catherine Newmark. Together they discuss three theses on how Corona might affect our societies. They offer room for reflection beyond the myriad hectic comments on our rapidly changing present.

Bénédicte Savoy is an art historian who often intervenes in current political and cultural debates. An expert on European cultural heritage and translocal cultural exchange, she is committed to the decolonisation of thought in the social and academic field. She discusses with Director Milo Rau. Rau creates a unique theatre that consistently blurs the boundaries between art, critical commentary and political intervention. His pieces have repeatedly triggered controversial public debates.

For those who cannot connect live, a recording of the discussion will be available as a video and as a podcast online.

#4 One crisis, many faces: Exploring the political, philosophical and cultural implications of Corona

04 May 2020, 7:30 pm, VIDEO ONLINE

With Ivan Krastev and Susan Neiman

Opening remarks: Heiko Maas, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs

Moderation: Catherine Newmark

Berliner Korrespondenzen goes online – and returns to the stage. For its first digital edition, the debate brings together political analyst Ivan Krastev and philosopher Susan Neiman. They connect live from their homes to Gorki’s main stage to discuss how Corona might impact our social, political and cultural realities. Will nationalism come back in force? Can we survive without culture? And what are the moral and metaphysical questions that lie behind the busy news feed updates of case numbers and political reactions?

Political analyst and essayist Ivan Krastev is one of the most important contemporary thinkers of European politics. He analyses Europe’s current conflicts along radically differing historical experiences in the former East and West. Philosopher Susan Neiman has dealt extensively with the concept of evil in Western philosophy. Her recent book compares Germany’s approach to remembering its Nazi past with the way slavery and racism are remembered in the US-American South.

For those who cannot connect live, a recording of the discussion will be available as a video and as a podcast online.

#3 In the Cloud, out of Sight: An Ecological Perspective on Digitalization

11 December 2019, 8pm, Maxim Gorki Theater Berlin

With MAJA GÖPEL and ARMIN NASSEHI

Digital technologies cause almost twice as many greenhouse emissions as civil aviation, yet they are often seen as a way out of the climate crisis. A misconception? What could a sustainable digital ecology look like?

Political economist Maja Göpel is an expert on climate-related questions and secretary general of the German Advisory Council on Global Change. She will talk to sociologist Armin Nassehi whose recent book Patterns: Theory of the Digital Society has been widely discussed in the German public sphere. They will try to answer the question, if and how social systems can become more sustainable and which role digital technologies play in the global fight against climate change.

Simultaneous interpretation will be provided (German-English).

#2 Digital Municipalism: Radical democracy and the social future of technology

26 November 2019, 7:30 pm, Maxim Gorki Theater Berlin

With: LORENA JAUME-PALASÍ and EVGENY MOROZOV

Moderation: ROMY KRÄMER

Big Tech’s hunger for data is insatiable, the surveillance by security authorities continues to expand – civil society has yet to gather its forces in a response that is quick on its feet. Do digital technologies offer space for radical democratic alternatives? Is there a political future beyond digitization in cities?

Evgeny Morozov, world-renowned author, speaker and columnist, is an expert on a digital capitalism that knows no boundaries. He will be joined by Lorena Jaume-Palasí, founder of the Ethical Tech Society and AlgorithmWatch, who works at the interface between IT and law, dealing with ethical questions of new technologies. Together they will point out ways in which cities can develop smartly, without leaving urban spaces to profit-driven tech companies.

Simultaneous interpretation will be provided (German-English).

#1 OPEN HORIZONS IN TIMES OF SECLUSION

13 September 2019, 7:30pm, Maxim Gorki Theater Berlin

With: Souleymane Bachir Diagne und Mathias Énard

Moderation: Esra Küçük

Europe is steadily sealing itself off - intellectually and geographically. Traditional cultures are invoked, critics are silenced. How do we find a pragmatic position that takes a stand against these reactionary tendencies? How can we protect Europe's thinking from its own claim to absolute authority?

This discussion centres on an encounter between philosopher Souleymane Bachir Diagne and writer Mathias Énard, two nomadic thinkers for whom there are no borders to inspiration. They weave European, Islamic and post-colonial, current and historical discourses into ever changing patterns.

How can thought be kept radically open, how can the untranslatable be translated? What could be new ideas for societies between utopia and reality? The opening of Berlin Correspondence will discuss alternative political systems, transcultural identities and issues of global justice.

Simultaneous interpretation will be provided (German-French).