Genshagen Notes 10/2018

On 25 May 2018, as part of the “Academy under Trees” series of events, the Genshagen Foundation, in cooperation with the Villa Decius Association and Dialogues en Humanité, explored the theme of “A Europe of Boundaries and Borders”. The Foundation and its partners initiated a European discussion about how art and culture can help ensure an open Europe remains a reality in the future. This event is documented in the Genshagen Note No.10. 

'Fortress Europe': This term has frequently been used in recent years to describe the EU's isolationist policy, which has led to the reintroduction of temporary border controls at some internal European borders and even the construction of new border fences. In recent years, migration flows have severely challenged the status quo of the Schengen Agreements and drawn attention to the extent to which Europe wishes to present itself as open to the world. These developments have clearly demonstrated the fragility of cohesion within the European community, the difficulty of cooperation, and how little we actually know about one another. Recent years have also made it clear that divisions within European societies are increasingly being played out between those who desire an open society and those who desire a closed one.

During the Academy under Trees 2018, artists, cultural practitioners, and representatives of civil society from Germany, France, Poland, Italy, Sweden, Ireland, Great Britain, and Israel discussed whether and how certain borders can be overcome through art. Genshagen Note No. 10 presents examples of artistic projects in various European countries that engage with visible and invisible borders, offering new perspectives and exploring how these borders can be overcome through art. The documentation also includes photographs from the “Borderline, Frontiers of Peace” exhibition by photographer Valerio Vincenzo, which was on display at Genshagen Castle at the time of the event.