The Ruhrtriennale is an ideal place where forms of cultural cooperation can be observed: international artists, the most various art forms, co-productions that are based on networks that span the globe. Common sense tells us that successful cooperation is based on shared interests. When conflicts arise in intercultural situations, they can frequently be attributed to cultural differences. At the same time, culture is often entrusted with bringing people together to engage in shared projects.
The project of the Käte Hamburger Kolleg ›Politische Kulturen der Weltgesellschaft in cooperation with Kulturwissenschaftliches Institut Essen (KWI) takes this contradictory situation as its starting point. KWI is an interdisciplinary research institute for the humanities, and sees itself as a core for crystallizing questions on modern culture with a link to practice.
By way of exact observation, intense dialog, and academic interpretation, this conference will seek explore the foundations of intercultural understanding and misunderstanding in the artistic sphere. What exactly is a culture of cooperation beyond linguistic, ethnic, or religious differences? Practices of improvisation, collaboration across artistic disciplines, and participation can thus be explored in dialog with art, scholarship, and the audience.
