Genshagen Notes 4/2014

Our fourth Genshagen Note is dedicated to the international event 'Art as a Rescue: Roma in Europe: An Academy Under Trees', which took place from 11 to 13 September 2014 at Genshagen Castle and Park. The 'Academy under Trees' was organised by the Genshagen Foundation in collaboration with the Hildegard Lagrenne Foundation for the Education, Inclusion and Participation of Sinti and Roma in Germany. 

The Genshagen Foundation organises an “Academy under Trees” every two years. This series of events focuses on significant contemporary challenges. Taking a different perspective, the Genshagen Foundation asks what role art and culture play in these themes and what contribution they can make to finding new solutions.

At the “Academy under Trees 2014”, the Genshagen Foundation and the Hildegard Lagrenne Foundation addressed the topic of the Roma minority. With an estimated population of around 12 million, the Roma constitute the largest minority in Europe. Many of them live in conditions of extreme marginalisation, and anti-Roma sentiment is widespread in many European countries. 

For centuries, Roma people have been the subject of art created by 'non-Roma'. While some art has conveyed positive associations, it has predominantly perpetuated negative stereotypes and prejudices. But are Roma people still portrayed as outsiders today, or does art now reflect the reality of life for a marginalised minority? The event therefore focused on the role of art and culture in the inclusion or discrimination of the Roma population and their potential to break down prejudices. To explore this question, representatives of artistic and cultural projects from various European cities were invited to present their concepts to one another during moderated discussion rounds in the castle park.

The following documentation not only presents these projects but also includes introductory presentations and discussions that provided a historical, sociological, and political context for the project presentations.