Let’s talk about …anti-democratic, anti-queer, misogynist, antisemitic, right-wing spaces and their counter-movements

The project is realized within the framework of CAS on Curating at OnCurating Academy Berlin, where applications for the 2025/2026 study cycle are currently open. Sign up for an info event on May 18 to learn more via this link. Application deadline is July 31.

A global movement is spreading authoritarian, patriarchal ideologies that are misogynistic, queerphobic, xenophobic, and antisemitic. This movement relies on distorted, ideologically charged narratives that reject nuance, contradictions, and historical facts in favor of closed worldviews. Such thinking manifests not only in authoritarian states, dictatorships, and kleptocracies but also emerges disguised as social movements within neoliberal democracies. The tolerance for ambiguity that Nathan Sznaider advocates—the ability to recognize and accept contradictions—has largely disappeared. We therefore aim to move beyond abstract camp debates in art and culture to focus on concrete projects and strategies.

The lecture series features talks by Ivor Stodolsky and Marita Muukkonen, Hadas Kedar, Stephan Trüby, Debby Farber and Sapir Huberman, Leon Kahane, Sergio Edelsztein, Nkule Mabaso, Inke Arns, Ariel Reichman, Nir Evron and Omer Krieger, Tanya Abraham, Klaus Theweleit, Michaela Melián, Simon Strick, Veronika Kracher, Dmitry Vilensky, Nora Sternfeld and Havîn Al-Sindy, Oliver Marchart, Michaela Dudley and is available at curating.org/talks. Recordings will be uploaded continiously and will be followed by an issue of OnCurating magazine in autumn 2025.