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Belief
Thursday 15 January 2009 - 8 p.m.
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Since the beginning of this century the secularised ideology underlying our Western society has changed. Ethical and religious questions have been put on the agenda – questions of good and evil, truth and falsehood, standards and values. The French philosopher Alain Badiou even distanced himself quite firmly from postmodern relativism by returning to some basic, universal values. No wonder that some speak of a ‘religious turn’ in contemporary society.
How can we relate this complex field of ideals, ideologies and belief systems to the arts? After the Mohammed cartoons and other examples of censorship and iconoclasm, many artists feel compelled to oppose to the religious turn by defending freedom of speech. At the same time, the art world seems to be developing an increasing positive interest in religion as well, as several recent international survey exhibitions illustrate. What does this positive interaction with religion consist of and how can these two diametrically opposite tendencies in art be related?

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Speakers
Terry Eagleton (UK) is an influential literary critic and Professor of English Literature at the University of Manchester. His recent publications suggest a renewed interest in theological themes. His numerous publications include: Ideology: An Introduction (1991), The Ideology of Aesthetics (1990). After Theory (2003), Holy Terror (2005) and The Meaning of Life (2007).
Boris Groys (DE) is a philosopher, essayist, art critic, media theorist and Professor in Philosophy and Media Theory at the Academy for Design in Karlsruhe. Among his many publications are Die Kunst der Installation (1996), Unter Verdacht: Eine Phänomenologie der Medien (1997) and Art Power (2008). He co-curated the exhibitions Iconoclash (2002) and Medium Religion at the ZKM, Karlsruhe (2008/09).

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Moderator
Sven Lütticken (DE/NL) is lecturer in Modern Art History at the Vrije University Amsterdam and curator of the exhibition The Art of Iconoclasm at BAK, Utrecht (2008/09).
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