Art in Times of Crisis

Dear visitors to Gessnerallee, dear artists

What can art achieve when social conflicts come to a head, wars dominate everyday life or information is deliberately manipulated? And what responsibility do artists bear when they address these issues? Since the 2024/25 season, the monthly discussion series ‘Art in Conflict’ has been bringing together practitioners and researchers from various artistic disciplines at Gessnerallee.

The focus is on the question of what impact art can have in regions affected by crises and conflicts, and how it can create spaces for encounter and exchange.

The next four episodes of ‘Art in Conflict’ will explore the power of storytelling, young people and their perspectives on war and crisis, propaganda and digital influence, as well as collective writing and translation. Four evenings that examine how art can make conflicts visible, open up new perspectives and create spaces for shared reflection.

‘Art in Conflict’ is organised by the artasfoundation in collaboration with the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) through the Centre for Art and Peacebuilding (ZKF), and is held in partnership with the Gessnerallee and the HGK Basel media library.

The discussions take place once a month, on Wednesdays at 5.30 pm, at Stall6 and are broadcast live to the HGK Basel media library.

‘Art in Conflict’ programme at a glance

‘Shifting Power Through Storytelling’
21 October 2026, 5.30–7.00 pm
With Maša Hilčišin, documentary filmmaker, artist and activist, and documentary filmmaker Tamar Yarom. On political imagery, personal stories and the responsibility of documentary storytelling.

‘LOSING.IT. – Youth Share Their Stories’
11 November 2026, 5.30–7.00 pm
With theatre and film-makers Simon Labhart and Markus Strobl, as well as young people from the theatre project ICH.KRIEG.DIE.KRISE. On growing up amidst war, crisis and militarisation – and on what theatre can offer as a counterbalance.

‘Hijacked Information’
9 December 2026, 5.30–7.00 pm
With the artist duo !Mediengruppe Bitnik, who work with and on the internet, and academic Karena Avedissian, who researches disinformation, security and social movements in Eurasia. On propaganda, digital influence and artistic resistance.

‘Divided and Shared – Collective Writing’
20 January 2027, 5.30–7.00 pm
Featuring author and editor Ulrike Ulrich, alongside transdisciplinary artist and translator Sandra Hetzl. On collective writing, translation and the question of how language can foster community.

Newspaper

‘Do you have Armenian ancestors?’ by Rana Yazaji
If you’d like to find out more about the work of the artasfoundation and the issues behind ‘Art in Conflict’: in the summer of 2025, cultural studies scholar and cultural manager Rana Yazaji wrote in our newspaper about her work and the possibilities and limitations of art in conflict regions. Read the article

And now we’re looking forward to the weekend: pop round, stay a while and dance your way through Gessnerallee. Click here for tickets to the Backslash Festival. See you on the dancefloor. 🪩

The Gessnerallee team