Wednesday 05 November 2025, 18:30
Rupert, Mindaugo g. 15, Vilnius

Part of PERSPECTIVES, a project implemented by the Goethe-Institut Lithuania and in partnership with the Rupert Alternative Education Programme

What is the relationship between art and state narratives? How free are art and its practitioners when they are state-funded? What political power can contemporary art wield, and what are its operational parameters? 

soft power co-founders and curators Eva Herrmann and Linnéa Bake, November residents at Rupert, present their work on the critical examination of “soft power” as a conceptual framework – through artistic, curatorial and design research, practice, writing and teaching. From a critical perspective and from their position in the current German context, they address the relevance of work in a sector that is almost entirely dependent on public funding and, together with the participants of the Rupert Alternative Education Programme and the audience, reflect on the political impact of contemporary art and its operational realities.

soft power is an independent art space in Berlin and a collaborative curatorial project. Its name takes up a term from political theory that describes and utilises the influence of ‘soft’ values such as culture and art on politics and economics. This event is organised in collaboration with PERSPECTIVES – a new label for independent, constructive, multi-perspective and transnational journalism. More info at www.perspectives-media.eu

The soft power residency and the event is supporter by the Lithuanian Council for Culture.

The project is implemented by the Goethe-Institut together with partners. Co-financed by the European Union. The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the funding institution can be held liable for them.