Who Can Have a Stage? On Artistic Freedom and Deplatforming

Choreographer Emanuel Gat, whose work “Freedom Sonata” is presented as part of “Reflexes & Reflections”, had to defend himself on French radio for using music by Kanye West, who has recently and repeatedly attracted attention for violent anti-Semitic, racist and sexist statements. Deniz Yücel, writer, journalist and spokesperson for PEN Berlin, has often adopted a clear stance against boycotts and cancel culture. Together with art theorist Nora Sternfeld, they will discuss the possibilities and limits of artistic freedom and how it can be preserved in the face of a dangerous rationale of boycotts and counter-boycotts.