Twintig jaar geleden werd Theo van Gogh op straat in Amsterdam vermoord. Een gebeurtenis die Nederland voorgoed veranderde. Deze avond brengen we de nalatenschap van de moord op Theo van Gogh in kaart.

Na 2 november 2004 brak een periode van diepe verdeeldheid aan. In dit programma onderzoeken we hoe begrippen als ‘het vrije woord’ en ‘het publieke debat’ gevormd en vervormd zijn door de moord op Van Gogh. Ook kijken we naar de politieke implicaties: is er een lijn te trekken van de moord op Van Gogh naar de verkiezingswinst van de PVV in 2023? Of was Theo van Gogh, als popularisator van rechtspopulisme, juist al een exponent van een veel diepere trend?

Ex-black, that is what the American writer and cultural critic Thomas Chatterton Williams calls himself provocatively. Chatterton Williams argues that while there is a lot of attention for the fluidity of gender and sexuality, when it comes to race we are still stuck in binary concepts. Should we stop using racial terminology?

Growing up in the United States, son of a black father from the segregated South en and a white mother from California, Thomas Chatterton Williams never questioned his identity: he was black. This was so fundamental to his self-conception that he never rigorously reflected on its foundations. But his experience of living in France and becoming the father of two white-looking, blonde-haired children led him to question long-held convictions about race and identity. During Vrijdenkersfestival we invite Thomas Chatterton Williams to discuss his quest to unlearn race. Did we bring in the Trojan horse with racial terminology, or is thinking in ‘black’ and ‘white’ the only way to address and fight racism?

I am convinced that we will never overcome the evils of racism as long as we fail first to imagine and then to conjure a world free of racial categorization and the hierarchies it necessarily implies

‘Denk je dat je ADHD hebt?’, ‘Vijf kenmerken van ADHD’, ‘Doe de ADHD-test’. ADHD is uitgegroeid tot een van de meest besproken psychische stoornissen op TikTok en Instagram. Video’s met #ADHD worden miljarden keren bekeken. Een zelfdiagnose is online snel gesteld, maar wat leren sociale media ons werkelijk over ADHD?

In deze editie van Techdenkers bespreken we de invloed van technologie op ADHD. Wat is ADHD precies en leiden de miljoenen video’s over dit onderwerp op sociale media tot meer (zelf)diagnoses? Is er reden tot zorg of is de grote hoeveelheid online voorlichting juist toe te juichen? Ook onderzoeken we of sociale media zelf tot meer ADHD leiden. Wordt onze aandachtsspanne korter door ons gescroll op TikTok?

The Techdenkers series is provided and broadcast by De Balie and is part of our partnership with Adyen.

Please be welcome to the special closing event of Artists Against the Kremlin — the largest collection of anti-war and dissident art from Russian speaking artists, united by a clear anti-war stance and their criticism of Russian imperialism. On the last day of this special exhibition in De Balie we close off with a special evening of informal talks with the artists, followed by a charity auction.

The exhibition showcased over 100 artworks created after the start of the full-scale invasion in Ukraine, and 10 of them have been selected for auction. 50% of all profits will go to the Orphans Feeding Foundation: a charity that brings children back to Ukraine that were forcibly displaced by Russia since the beginning of the war.

To participate in the auction or to request the catalogue, please send an inquiry to allrightsreversed.art@gmail.com.

All ticket holders will receive a complimentary drink and an exclusive artist poster from the exhibition’s Prometheus pop-up store.

About Artists Against the Kremlin
Artists Against the Kremlin is a major exhibition organized by The Moscow Times, All Rights Reversed and De Balie, featuring more than 100 works of Russian-speaking contemporary artists who share universal human values and a clear anti-war stance such as Linor Goralik, Philippenzo, Nadya Tolokonnikova(Pussy Riot), Andrei Bilzho, Victor Melamed, Mikhail Ray, Danila Tkachenko, olo.olooloolo, Slava Ptrk, Kungfuct, Artem Loskutov, Serafima Bresler, Vladlena Sandu, Pomidor, The Party of the Dead, Igor Ost, artisterror, BFMTH, K. Hell, Alexey Kovalchuk, Kuril Chto, AXYXY and others.

In the media:

Antioorlogskunstenaars exposeren in De Balie tegen het Kremlin: ‘Alles in het grootste geheim

NRC

Kritische Russische kunstenaars tonen hun werk in de Balie: ‘Wij veranderden hoe mensen dachten

PAROOL

Russische anti-Kremlinkunst in Amsterdam. ‘Het verzet heeft symbolen nodig

TROUW

The world is increasingly influenced by the growth of the radical right and populism. Conservative leaders are attracting a significant number of voters, including many young people. How can this be explained? And where did liberalism fail? Tonight, we delve into these questions in a one-on-one interview with writer, essayist, politician, and modern thinker Michael Ignatieff.

Michael Ignatieff is a Canadian intellectual, writer, and politician. He has a wide-ranging career in academia, journalism, and public service, served as the rector of Central European University and taught at Harvard. He is the biographer of Isaiah Berlin, the foremost philosopher of the 20th century. Ignatieff has written extensively on history, human rights, and political theory. Ignatieff also led the Liberal Party of Canada from 2008 to 2011. He is widely regarded as a key thinker on nationalism, democracy, and international relations.

In 2018, Michael Ignatieff, the rector of Central European University, announced that the university would relocate to Vienna. For years, CEU had been a hub for liberals and scholars to share knowledge. However, Viktor Orbán passed a law in parliament intended to shut down this independent and academic institution. Following a lengthy legal battle, the CEU ultimately decided to concede.

Who’s afraid of art? More and more far right politicians in Europe are trying to silence artists and institutions. The most recent example being Slovakia, where the directors of the Slovak National Theatre and the Slovak National Gallery suddenly were dismissed by the minister of culture. The director of SND, Matej Drlička will speak about the incident and the broader political culture in which this happened. Milo Rau, artistic director of the Wiener Festwochen, who started a petition in Drlička’s defense, will join him in the conversation.

On the 6th of August both Matej Drlička, director of SND, and Alexandra Kusá, director of the Slovak National Gallery were suddenly and for political reasons dismissed by the minister of culture Martina Šimkovičová. This flagrant attack on the freedom of artistic expression happened under the watch of populist prime minister Robert Fico. This is not a unique incident, but part of a broader European trend of far right politicians shutting down institutions, replacing executives in cultural and media organizations and silencing artists. During this evening, we analyze what happened in Slovakia and discuss what kind of opposition can be formed against these developments.

Speakers

Matej Drlička was the director of the Slovak National Theatre. As a musician, he performed in prestigious European orchestras such as the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande in Geneva, the Paris Opera and the Orchestre National in Paris amongst many others. In 2005 he founded Viva Musica!, which is the largest and most visited summer classical musical festival in Slovakia. In 2019, he founded and led IXPO: the largest technology festival in Slovakia. This summer Drlička received a French Knighthood of the Order of Arts and Letters award from French Culture Minister Rachida Dati in recognition of his longstanding involvement with culture and the excellent work he’s done at the helm of the SND.

Milo Rau is artistic director of Wiener Festwochen and director, curator and artist in residence at NTGent. He created many acclaimed productions, including La Reprise, Lam Gods, Orestes in Mosul, The New Gospel, Antigone in the Amazon and Medea’s Children and initiated and curated the prestigious series Histoire(s) du Théâtre. Since 2002 he has published over 50 plays, films, books and actions. Rau’s theatre productions have been shown at all major international festivals, including the Berlin Theatertreffen, the Festival d’Avignon, the Venice Biennale, the Wiener Festwochen and the Kunstenfestivaldesarts in Brussels, and have been touring in over 30 countries worldwide. Milo Rau has received many awards, including the European Theatre Prize for his work. In 2019 he was the first artist ever to be appointed Associated Artist of the European Association of Theatre and Performance – EASTAP.

Theresa Kuhn is Professor of modern European history and politics at the University of Amsterdam and Academic Director of the Amsterdam Center for European Studies. Her research focuses on key challenges in European politics, such as euroscepticism, nationalism and increasing polarisation, particularly in light of recent crises such as the eurozone crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s war on Ukraine. Currently, she leads a 5-year research project on European identity formation funded by the Dutch Research Council. Professor Kuhn has received several prestigious awards, including the UACES Best Book Prize for her book Experiencing European Integration. Transnational Lives and European Identity (Oxford University Press 2015) and the CES Carolina de Miguel Moyer Young Scholar Award 2022 for the most significant contribution to the interdisciplinary study of Europe for a scholar under the age of 40. Originally from Innsbruck, Austria, she lived in several European countries and now lives in Amsterdam with her husband and two children. 

Woon je in de stank? Of maak je je zorgen om de luchtkwaliteit in jouw wijk? Dan is Live Journalism op zoek naar jouw verhaal. De komende vijf maanden onderzoeken we de dilemma’s van woningbouw naast overlastgevende industrie in Amsterdam.

Een penetrante, misselijkmakende lucht waar je ‘s nachts wakker van wordt. Brandende ogen, geïrriteerde luchtwegen. Om in een stad die bijna uit zijn voegen barst aan de huizenvraag te voldoen, komen Amsterdammers steeds dichter bij industrie, snelwegen en havengebieden te wonen. Daarbij is het vaak onduidelijk of de luchtvervuiling en stankoverlast in nieuwbouwwijken en oude fabrieksbuurten de gezondheid van Amsterdammers in gevaar brengt. Maar de woningnood is groot en de druk om snel nieuwe woningen te bouwen neemt onverminderd toe. Hoe helpt de stad haar bewoners aan een woning, zonder hun gezondheid te riskeren?

Tijdens deze eerste bijeenkomst zijn we op zoek naar jouw verhaal. Woon jij zelf in Amsterdam en ervaar je stankoverlast of maak je je zorgen over de luchtkwaliteit in jouw wijk? Of houd je je bezig met woningbouw en vergelijkbare vraagstukken? Dan nodigen we je uit om mee te praten. Jullie verhalen vormen het vertrekpunt voor ons onderzoek. Naast een publieksprogramma gaan we met de zaal in gesprek.

De komende vijf maanden onderzoekt de redactie Live Journalism de dilemma’s van woningbouw naast overlastgevende industrie. Wie trekt er in de strijd tussen de woningcrisis, volksgezondheid en de Amsterdamse industrie en economische belangen aan het kortste eind?

Wil je in contact komen met Live Journalism of heb je een tip? Mail dan naar: livejournalism@debalie.nl . Alvast bedankt.

Over Live Journalism
Het team van journalisten van Live Journalism onderzoekt elk half jaar een onderbelicht onderwerp uit de stad. We publiceren artikelen in de krant, reportages op AT5 en organiseren bijeenkomsten waarbij burger en politiek elkaar ontmoeten. Als afsluiting maken we een theatervoorstelling op basis van de bevindingen uit het onderzoek. Eerdere onderwerpen van Live Journalism waren Amsterdam van ‘t gas af, vrouwenuitbuiting en jong en crimineel.

Waar komen onze tomaten vandaan? The Miracle of Almería toont op menselijke wijze de blinde vlekken van het kapitalistische systeem. Na de film gaan we in gesprek over de werking van de internationale voedselketen.

In het zuiden van Spanje, ligt Almería, een enorme provincie bedekt door wit plastic. In 50 jaar tijd slaagde deze regio erin uit te groeien van een dorre woestijn tot de grootste moestuin van Europa. Het is de plek waar onze tomaten vandaan komen, zelfs in de winter. Maar onder al dat plastic gebeuren vreemde dingen…

Vandaag de dag verplaatst de groentetuin zich onvermijdelijk naar Marokko. Spaanse boeren duiken ver onder hun prijzen om in de race te blijven. 120 duizend migranten werken onder slaafse condities in de serres. In The Miracle of Almería tonen mensen uit de regio de blinde vlekken van het kapitalistische systeem. Elk vanuit hun eigen perspectief, stellen ze filmscènes voor die een recente of minder recente herinnering verbeelden. Met behulp van hun vertel- en verbeeldingskracht, ontdekken we de onderliggende economische, politieke en sociale dynamieken. En de explosieve gevolgen daarvan in de samenleving.

Na de vertoning gaan we in gesprek met Volkert Engelsman over de voedselketen in onze samenleving.

Volkert Engelsman is een pionier in de biologische landbouwsector. Hij is de oprichter en CEO van het bedrijf Eosta, een multinationale onderneming op het gebied van biologische voeding. Hij staat bekend als een pleitbezorger voor biologische landbouw, duurzaamheid, eerlijke handel en True Cost Accounting. In 2017 bereikte hij de eerste plaats in de Duurzame 100 van het Dagblad Trouw. In 2018 won hij met Eosta de Koning Willem I Plaquette voor Duurzaam Ondernemerschap.

We speak with Anil Seth (University of Sussex) about the possibilities of AI consciousness. Will ChatGPT ever become a thinking being? And what would be the ethical implications of that?

Artificial intelligence is advancing rapidly. Today, we can interact with large language models like ChatGPT almost as if they were human. Vision models are capable of creating award-winning photographs and realistic videos of events that never occurred. These systems are undoubtedly becoming more sophisticated, but the question remains: are they conscious? Do they possess subjective experiences, feelings, and conscious beliefs similar to those of humans, which inanimate objects like tables, chairs, and calculators do not? And if they aren’t conscious now, when—if ever—might this change?

While some researchers suggest that conscious AI is imminent, others (including Anil Seth) believe it remains a distant possibility and may never be achieved. However, dismissing the possibility entirely would be unwise. The prospect of artificial consciousness introduces ethical, safety, and societal challenges that far exceed those currently posed by AI. Notably, some of these challenges emerge even when AI systems only appear to be conscious, despite being driven by algorithms operating without any subjective awareness.

About Anil Seth
Anil Seth is Professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience at the University of Sussex, where he also serves as Director of the Sussex Centre for Consciousness Science. Additionally, he is Co-Director of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) Program on Brain, Mind, and Consciousness, and of the Leverhulme Doctoral Scholarship Programme: From Sensation and Perception to Awareness. He was recently an Engagement Fellow with the Wellcome Trust. His mission is to advance the science of consciousness and to use its insights for the benefit of society, technology, and medicine.

This programme takes place in De Balie, Kleine-Gartmanplantsoen 10

This programme is part of Artists Against the Kremlin, a showcase of anti-war, anti-authoritarianism art presented by The Moscow Times, All Rights Reversed gallery and De Balie in Amsterdam from August 3 to September 3.

Fascism in modern Russia is a web series produced by the exiled Russian opposition tv-channel TV Rain. During this programme we screen the first episode which delves into the trajectory of Russian power over the past decades, exploring how Putin and his inner circle initiated a full-scale war in Ukraine. The central question it raises is whether direct parallels can be drawn between Hitler’s fascism and Putin’s regime.

Following the screening, there will be a discussion focused on Russian propaganda and resistance to it. The panel will include the editor-in-chief of TV Rain (Dozhd) Tikhon Dzyadko and the director of the TV Rain News Service, Ekaterina Kotrikadze.