Organizer's ally found in Benz's camp
Weiterstadt and Darmstadt, two cities in Germany, have been in the spotlight recently due to a series of events.
In Weiterstadt, a playground has been temporarily closed due to a suspected rat infestation. The city administration is taking action to address the issue, and citizens are urged not to leave any food remains on playgrounds to prevent further problems. Vandalism on playgrounds has also been reported, and measures have been taken to increase security. Citizens are asked to report any rat sightings to the public order office in Weiterstadt immediately.
Meanwhile, Darmstadt has shown its solidarity by donating two buses filled with medical supplies to its partner city, Uzhgorod, Ukraine, in response to the ongoing war. The Mayor of Darmstadt, Hanno Benz, described the donation as a "sign of solidarity and support."
The Darmstadt vacation courses, a two-week festival organized by the International Music Institute (IMD) and supported by the Schader Foundation, have also been making headlines. During a workshop titled "Non-Binarity in Artistic Practice", an incident occurred where a participant created a graphic with slogans such as "Stop Genocide", "Israel Conqueror", "Whites go Home", or "Free Palestine, Free Wallmapu". The Mayor and Cultural Commissioner Hanno Benz (SPD) stated that one-sided, historically ignorant, and undifferentiated blame towards Israel is unacceptable and not covered by the freedom of art.
The Schader Foundation, a German foundation that supports social science research and encourages interdisciplinary dialogue, including in cultural and social matters, has not been commonly noted for a specific policy or incident related to political statements in artistic expression at the Darmstadt vacation courses.
Lastly, the Darmstadt vacation courses aim to provide an international platform for contemporary and experimental music forms as well as composition. The festival offers various courses and workshops on the topic of music.
As always, we will continue to monitor these developments and bring you updates as they become available.
- Despite the ongoing issues with a suspected rat infestation at the playground in Weiterstadt and reports of vandalism, the city administration is also focused on political matters, such as the incident at the Darmstadt vacation courses where a participant used art to express biased and historically ignorant political slogans.
- While donating medical supplies to war-stricken Ukraine and running an international music festival, the politics of art expression has also come into focus in Darmstadt, with the Mayor and Cultural Commissioner criticizing one-sided and historically ignorant political statements during the Darmstadt vacation courses, which generally make headlines for contemporary and experimental music forms.
