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Alle locaties SPUI25 Online Rialto Posthoornkerk Paradiso Odeonzaal Amsterdamse Academische Club (AAC) Doelenzaal Nationale Opera & Ballet De Brug (Roeterseiland) De Duif De Brakke Grond Binnengasthuisstraat 9 Aula Roeterseiland Nationale Opera & Ballet, Odeonzaal Singelkerk OBA Theater Vondelkerk Agnietenkapel

17 05 24

Breaking the Meme: Critical Meme Reader III Launch

Memes are more than funny cat images on the internet. There are not even statistics available of how many memes are created and consumed every day, so it makes sense to look at them critically. Memes can have a tangible impact on the society we live in and could help create a future we would want. Join us for the launch of the Critical Meme Reader III: Breaking the Meme, edited by Chloë Arkenbout and Idil Galip.

26 04 24

Concentration Camps as Instruments of Terror: From Bosnia to Syria

Most people equate concentration camps with Nazi Germany, for a good reason. However, mass detention and incarceration was an instrument of oppressive regimes before Hitler, and lasts until this very day. From Bosnia in the 1990s to Syria in our days, the persistence of this destructive practice calls for a thorough reflection.

25 04 24

Heads above the Water? Writing History in the Anthropocene

Is history still relevant as accelerating climate change is rapidly transforming the world we live in? In her lecture, Sandra Maß explores the different layers of this pressing question and calls for a new type of historiography.

22 04 24

Rising AI and the Concentration of Corporate Power

Technology reshapes our societies. AI, platform economy and other technological developments are remaking our daily routines, practices, and ways of being in the world. These changes also come with shifts in power dynamics between corporations, states, and citizens, giving rise to novel political questions. This multidisciplinary event delves into the concentration of power held by Big Tech companies, the societal challenges arising from this concentration, and potential strategies to uphold public imperatives.

19 04 24

With Shannon Dea

Academic Freedom in a Polarized Age

What are the values a public university must stand for in a polarized age? How should a university defend and conceptualize these values in practice and in dialogue with students, staff, and the wider academic community? These and other challenges will be discussed this afternoon with Professor Dr. Shannon Dea, a leading public thinker on academic freedom.

18 04 24

From Anthropocene to Symbiocene: Earth Emotions with Glenn Albrecht

In his ground-breaking book Earth Emotions, Glenn Albrecht provides an account of the relationship between the state of the Earth and our mental and emotional states. He argues that in the epoch known as the Anthropocene, we have threatened both the health of the planet and triggered an avalanche of mental and emotional distress on humans and non-humans. During this lecture, Albrecht proposes to supplant anthropocentric living and thinking by symbiocentric alternatives. These can emerge from positive “psychoterratic” states.

16 04 24

European Populism and the Looming European Parliamentary Elections

After a very turbulent few years, populism remains a defining feature of ongoing electoral politics in Europe and the world. This last year we’ve seen some reversals in the hold that (radical right) populist parties have – such as the electoral defeat of Poland’s Law and Justice party, but also major new gains – such as the electoral victory of Wilders’s PVV in the Netherlands. This evening, scholars Sarah de Lange, Robin de Bruin, and Brian Burgoon will discuss the different aspects of populist politics in Europe and the World.

15 04 24

Confronting (Historical) Responsibility for the Holocaust and Slavery in a Relational Perspective

Beyond ‘Good’ and ‘Evil’

The question how to study, teach and remember historical mass crimes, above all the Holocaust and Slavery, has become emblematic in recent years. This 3rd Balzan Bystanding Lecture takes up the challenge and provides grounds for a relational perspective based on new conceptual thinking from the field of Transitional Justice and fresh empirical work on how Dutch teachers address these issues in their every-day educational work.

28 03 24

The Return of Paranoid Nationalism

“We are going to ensure that the Netherlands belong to the Dutch again,” promised a triumphant Geert Wilders after the unexpected PVV victory in the 2023 elections. It is tempting to dismiss such statements as an expression of gut feeling, of unthinking xenophobia. But the ideas expressed by Wilders are based on a coherent world view, an ideology. In this lecture, Annelien de Dijn will argue that this ideology can best be described as paranoid nationalism.

25 03 24

Long Live Queer Nightlife! (Amsterdam Edition)

In his new book Long Live Queer Nightlife, acclaimed author Amin Ghaziani unveils the unexpected revolution revitalizing urban nightlife. It is an exhilarating journey into underground parties, pulsating with life and limitless possibility. Tonight, Ghaziani discusses his encounters and experiences with Haroon Ali and Jan Willem Duyvendak.

20 03 24

Green Clouds? Towards Sustainable Data Infrastructure

In our rapidly digitizing world, the demand for data storage and processing has surged, leading to the proliferation of data centers and cloud computing infrastructure. However, this exponential growth comes with significant environmental costs, as data infrastructure consumes vast amounts of energy and contribute to carbon emissions. This roundtable addresses this pressing issue, delving into the critical intersection of technology and environmental sustainability from the civil society perspective.

14 03 24

Fritz Haber (1868-1934): The Scientist Who Fed the World and Poisoned the Enemy

Hardly any biography reflects the contradictions of the early 20th century as dramatically as that of Fritz Haber. The chemist was awarded the Nobel Prize for the pioneering invention of artificial fertilisers, but he also introduced poison gas as a weapon in World War I. In this lecture, Stefan Wolff will be speaking about his research on Haber and related questions about the social responsibility of science and the influence of politics on it. Moderation: Mario Daniels.

14 03 24

Multiple Perspectives on Emerging Curiosity in Societal Contexts

We value curiosity as an important driver of human evolution, society, art and intellect—and rightly so. But what is curiosity? How, when and where does it develop? What happens when that development is interrupted, or cut short? And how can we make sure that, when it is, the personal and societal consequences are minimised and addressed?

12 03 24

Migrants' Access to Social Benefits and Services

Welfare Chauvinism in Europe

Should migrants in Europe receive social benefits and services? Not according to the notion of welfare chauvinism, which is currently at the heart of political conflicts in many societies. With the launch of her new book Welfare Chauvinism in Europe, Gianna Maria Eick will discuss this concept, unveiling how the public in Europe really thinks about it.

07 03 24

Why Capitalism Is Not Going To Save Us

The Price Is Wrong

What if our understanding of capitalism and climate is back to front? What if the problem is not that transitioning to renewables is too expensive, but that saving the planet is not sufficiently profitable? This is the claim renowned geographer Brett Christophers makes in his latest book, The Price Is Wrong. Tonight, he will discuss this premiss with Nicky Pouw, Crelis Rammelt and Valentina Carrera. Koen Haegens will read a column.

07 03 24

Redeeming Objects: A West German Mythology

Out of the rubble of World War II and the Holocaust, the Federal Republic of Germany emerged, and with it a foundational myth of the “economic miracle.” In her new book Redeeming Objects. A West German Mythology (University of Wisconsin Press 2023) Natalie Scholz shows how this mythical foundation derived its redemptive qualities from being entangled with Nazi culture. Scholz will discuss the different dimensions of her book with Marieke Bloembergen, Carolyn Birdsall and Till van Rahden. Mario Daniels will moderate the event.

01 03 24

Queerness, Spirituality and Decoloniality in the Indonesian Archipelago

This Spring, SPUI25 in Spe collaborates with De Nieuwe Kerk on the occasion of the latter’s Grote Indonesië Tentoonstelling. During two events, various guest speakers explore pre-colonial, contemporary and decolonial perspectives on Queerness. Following the exhibition and panel discussion hosted by De Nieuwe Kerk, this second edition in SPUI25 revolves around a special film screening of the Indonesian Queer film Dear to Me (2020) by Monica Vanesa Tedja.

28 02 24

Don’t Stop the Music! The Cold Winds Facing Culture

Have the ghosts of ‘Cultuur als linkse hobby’ returned with the prospects of a PVV-led coalition in the Netherlands? With political leaders like Geert Wilders intoning the words ‘kunstenaars zijn profiteurs’ it is important to shed light on crucial issues, and discuss how cultural stakeholders could join to change perceptions of culture-as-work. Why is a diverse and fair cultural practice so important?

23 02 24

Welcome to the New Future of the Tech Industry

Data Is Dead

The future of the tech industry is in infrastructure, not data. This means that those companies that control key infrastructure, like chips and cloud computing, hold sway. Companies like ASML, Microsoft, and Amazon Web Services (AWS), rather than X or Meta, will become the most powerful players. Is it their choices that will influence what our collective futures look like? Do we need to adapt our understanding of power in the tech sector to this new reality?

21 02 24

Do We Really Care? Public Values and Digital Technology in the Netherlands

What do the Dutch value in digital technologies? This roundtable presents the results of the first survey to explore the relation between public values, human rights, and technology design. We find that most people take measures to protect their online privacy, but also that half of the population has never heard of technical standards.

19 02 24

Never Again: Germans and Genocide after the Holocaust

Germans remember the Nazi past so that it may never happen again. But how has the abstract vow to remember been translated into concrete action to prevent new genocides abroad? In this lecture, historian Andrew Port will examine this question in relation to the genocides that took place in Cambodia, Bosnia, and Rwanda.

16 02 24

The Joy of Consent

In the age of #MeToo, consent has become the answer to problems of sexual harassment and violence: only if all parties agree to sex, the act is legitimate. Critics argue that consent, and the awkwardness of confirming it, rob sex of its sexiness. However, opposing the consent regime means defending a masculine erotic of silence and mystery, a pillar of patriarchy.

08 02 24

Knowledge-Driven Power in a Digitized World

Who holds, controls, and creates power in contemporary societies? On the occasion of their new book, The New Knowledge: Information, Data and the Remaking of Global Power, Blayne Haggart and Natasha Tusikov will present their answer to this question. They will take us along from Google’s Internet-of-Things projects, new modes of property and knowing that arose during the Covid-19 pandemic, and the ideology through which power is exercised.

07 02 24

Waves of Restitution, Reparation and Cultural Memory after the Second World War

The debate on reparations and restitution for victims of war, persecution, and human rights violations remains an ongoing process. In this lecture, historian Constantin Goschler will explain why and how these debates have changed in the German context, due to a memory boom, globalisation, changes in the domestic and foreign policy, and generational shifts. Lorena De Vita will comment upon Goschler’s lecture.

02 02 24

Unboxing Gaza: Disrupted Histories and Photo Kegham

Kegham Djeghalian Sr founded the first photography studio of Gaza. Focusing on the legacy of this exceptional photographer, Özge Calafato and Karène Sanchez Summerer will be in discussion with his grandson, Kegham Djeghalian Jr, who works on activating the surviving fraction of his grandfather’s endangered archive. The talk will address the significance of preserving Gaza’s precarious visual history and cultural heritage in the light of the current critical crisis of Gaza.

29 01 24

The Unmarked Burial Sites in Lebanon

The Soil and the Sea

In Lebanon there are more than 100 untouched mass graves dating back from the Civil War, and thousands of families awaiting a missing relative or at least a bone to bury. The documentary The Soil and the Sea unveils the violence lying beneath a garden, a school, a cafe, a hotel, and other unremarkable landscapes. As the camera interrogates these everyday spaces, voices fill them with erased stories. After screening the documentary, we will have a discussion with film director Daniele Rugo, Yara El Murr and Eleri Connick.

26 01 24

Political challenges after the EU’s AI Act

Building the European AI Future

In December 2023, the EU finally reached agreement over the AI Act, celebrated as the legal fundament for a safe and prosperous digital European future. Look past the political accord, however, and central questions are unanswered: from managing the wider societal impact of AI and its military implications to ensuring that the AI Act rules are actually enforced. This event explores the political challenges that emerge—or remain—in AI governance now that an EU framework has been agreed upon.

23 01 24

Deleuze and Guattari and the Psychedelic Revival

We are in the midst of a psychedelic revival. Scientifically, the therapeutic potentialities of psychedelics get a lot of attention. The philosophical and aesthetic dimensions of the inner journeys and its implied significance that often transgress medical scientific frameworks has received relatively less attention. Tonight, our panel will offer ideas and thought on these current developments with the launch of a special issue of the journal Deleuze and Guattari Studies.

22 01 24

Listening Exercises: Towards an Ethics of Silent Resistance

Is it possible to be in the world without being devoured by it, to care without getting lost, to contribute sincerely without projecting yourself over others? Public philosophers Miriam Rasch and Costica Bradatan invite you to a conversation about alternative ways of engaging.

11 01 24

Moderate Modernity: The Newspaper Tempo and the Transformation of Weimar Democracy

The collapse of the Weimar Republic, Germany’s first liberal democracy, is still one of the most intensely debated topics in modern history. With Western democracies currently under pressure by populists and authoritarian regimes worldwide, the question why the Weimar Republic failed has acquired renewed urgency and relevance. In his book Moderate Modernity, Jochen Hung offers a new perspective on this question. Hung will discuss his new book and the meaning of Weimar democracy for today in conversation with Moritz Föllmer and Mario Daniels.

10 01 24

On Display: Instagram, the Self, and the City

Two billion global Instagram users, yet minimal social science research. Beyond its perceived superficiality, Instagram’s self-presentation raises profound questions: Who are we? What do we want to show of ourselves? What do we aspire to be? Justus Uitermark and John Boy present On Display: Instagram, the Self, and the City. The book launch features a talk with Princeton’s ‘sociologist of technology’ Zeynep Tufekci.

15 12 23

The Danger of Conflation

What is Antisemitism?

Since Hamas’s atrocious attack on October 7 and Israel’s near-immediate retaliatory bombings that have killed more than 18,000 Palestinians, Europe has seen a troubling surge in both state and private efforts to restrict criticism of Israel or support of “the Palestinian cause” with the stated goal of protecting against anti-Semitism. But how is anti-Semitism being defined, why so, and with what results?

12 12 23

Border Forensics: Documenting and Contesting Violence at the External Borders of Europe

Recent developments at Europe’s borders indicate a transformation of the forms of violence inflicted upon illegalised migrants from the Global South. During this event, Charles Heller and Stefan Salomon discuss how forensic practices are used to address these forms of violence, and explore their impact as well as the challenges that these challenges bring about.

08 12 23

The Western Liberal Order from Foundation to Fracture

Geopolitics and Democracy

With the launch of the book Geopolitics and Democracy we explore the fortunes and fragility of the international liberal order, where nation-states invest in international openness and multilateralism on the one hand and in military preparedness on the other. The book provides a novel argument and historical evidence explaining why the Western liberal international order emerged and why it is under threat from anti-globalist forces today.

07 12 23

Art, Technology, and Intimacy: Writing Fiction in the Sharing Economy

In her debut novel The Sharing Economy (Gedeelde liefde in Dutch) Sophie Berrebi brings together art, social media, and love, and explores various, modern modes of intimacy. She will discuss her book and the ways we view relationships with cultural theorist Pınar Türer and author Ilse Josepha Lazaroms.

05 12 23

Making it Political: China, the EU, and Technology Standards

Technological standards are at the center stage of the competition between China and the EU. China promotes their own standards in the EU and on the international stage, which gives them a leading role in the geopolitics of technology. This evening we discuss the nature of this interaction between China and the EU.

04 12 23

LGBTQI+ and Women’s Rights in The Face of Democratic Erosion

The rise of transnational conservative networks in Latin America and Europe forms a threat to LGBTQI+ and women’s rights. This event aims to discuss the challenges that arise in the LGBTQI+ and women’s rights movement in Latin America and Europe, as well as the role of civil society and academia in counteracting these challenges.

29 11 23

Update Language: On Current (Sign) Linguistics

In Update Language 2023, two of the UvA’s leading linguistics researchers talk about current trends in their specific take on linguistics. Floris Roelofsen and Titia Benders will each give a lecture about their respective research fields: sign languages and spoken languages. Afterwards they will engage in conversation about the current research developments in their fields.

24 11 23

Debating Muslim Marriage

Unconventional Muslim marriages have been topics of heated public debate around the globe. Religious scholars, policy makers, political actors, media personalities, and women’s activists discuss, promote, or reject unregistered, transnational, interreligious and other boundary-crossing marriages. Couples entering into such marriages, however, have different concerns from those publicly discussed. At this event, we will present chapters from a newly published book that examines these debated marriages: Muslim Marriage and Non-Marriage. Where Religion and Politics Meet Intimate Lives, edited by Julie McBrien and Annelies Moors.

23 11 23

Against Aggression: Monstrous and Resonant Forms of Uncontrollability

In his book The Uncontrollability of the World (2020), German sociologist Hartmut Rosa argues that the late modern human being desires to control the world. However, to truly experience “life” and achieve resonance with the world, we must be open to its uncontrollability. Tonight, Rosa will be in conversation with philosophers Daniel Loick and Beate Roessler.