War of Images
Modernity and its Discontinuities
organized by German Federal Cultural Foundation and House of World Cultures, conference languages: English, Arabic, and German with simultaneous translations
Friday 5.5.
Conference opening
Hortensia Völckers, Artistic Director, German Federal Cultural Foundation
Bernd M. Scherer, Director, House of World Cultures
Focus 1: The Meaning of Images: Media and Transcultural Iconography
16:30–17:30 h Lectures
Nicholas Mirzoeff, New York: On Visuality and Image Wars: The Graphic and the Hero
17:30–18:00h Break
18:00–19:30h Panel discussion
Nicholas Mirzoeff, New York / Kai Hafez, Erfurt / Walid Sadek, Beirut
Moderation: Ludwig Ammann, Freiburg i. Br.
War of Images Modernity and its Discontinuities
The controversies surrounding the caricatures of the prophet Muhammad and the violent reactions in the Islamic world raise important questions about the rules by which cultures with different value systems can peacefully co-exist. Suddenly, it has become clear just how far-reaching the phenomenon of globalisation has become. Indeed, every act of public communication today has the potential to be perceived by every other individual, regardless of where he or she lives. Limiting a message to a particular country or target group is no longer possible.
The goal of the conference is to discuss strategies for preventing further polarisation. During the discussions we will focus on five main points:
What logic do media interventions follow in the age of globalisation, and what role is played by the transcultural iconography of images in these interventions?
How do representatives of state institutions and Muslim communities treat polarisations between «Islam and the West» in their efforts to promote integration in Europe and, in particular, in Germany?
What role do the simultaneous and often contradictory demands and expectations of different cultures play when it comes to developing a modern consensus on pivotal civil and human rights?
Which global changes influence the co-existence of individuals and societies?
Which strategies do we need to achieve a peaceful and rewarding co-existence
of individuals and societies with different value systems?
