‘Might is right’. This principle seems increasingly the rule in today’s world. And the race to be stronger is accelerating.
But should even the world of culture take part in this power race? Or should artists and creatives employ their creativity and imagination to build something better?
There is an opportunity today to take a stance on this question. Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s foreign affairs chief, and Glenn Micallef, EU Commissioner for intergenerational fairness, youth, culture and sport, are embarking on a journey to write a new EU strategy for international cultural relations.
Should Europe’s cultural achievements demonstrate the continent’s might in the world – or can artistic collaboration and co-creation across physical and mental borders expand the common space of possibilities?
At this point it is important to understand how cultural engagement in international relations works.
I would like to differentiate between two options:
One vision sees culture as a tool of governmental power to disseminate a positive self-image in order to engineer perceptions abroad. This image can be generated by policy makers themselves; it can draw on factors such as history, sports or fashion and can be beautifully presented by artists, athletes, designers and others working in creative fields.
This transactional approach fits into the logic of power dynamics: ‘I’m attractive and deserve your attention’.
The problem is that attractiveness can’t be imposed. Might and impact do not arise from the sender’s self-image, but from the perspective of the recipients. They alone will decide whether the presented self-image is attractive, credible and trustworthy.
The other vision understands cultural engagement as an opportunity to build relationships based on dialogue, reciprocity, and mutual respect. It allows artists, creatives and cultural managers to learn from each other and to work together towards a shared goal. It has the potential to build bridges and to keep communication channels open where political relations may be strained.
This approach is called international cultural relations. Here, culture is understood not as a resource to be used, but as a sphere where people-to-people relationships can grow.
In today’s world of power dynamics, the approach of international cultural relations seems to be on the back foot.
Finding common ground, learning from each other, and accepting compromises are increasingly labelled as weak.
However, in my experience of over 20 years as a cultural manager for the Goethe Institute, I saw first-hand the potential of a relational approach in forging long-lasting connections and trust.
Ethiopia as case study
In 2018, I was working in Ethiopia, a country with an authoritarian regime, where the arts are basically confined to a limited number of venues.
Artists and creatives shared with us that to be relevant in society, they need to be present in public spaces.
So, together with various European cultural institutes and embassies, we supported Ethiopian artists in obtaining the necessary permissions to organise the first ever street art festival in Addis Ababa.
For three weeks, pop up stands appeared in various places across the city and invited thousands of people to imagine improvements to public space alongside architects, to experiment with gamers on how to gamify their city, or to simply enjoy a free open-air concert by a famous band.
The festival facilitated participation, artistic freedom and solidarity.
This project, funded by EUNIC – European Union National Institutes for Culture, was developed jointly with partners in a local context.
All stakeholders contributed their knowledge, experience and resources.
Through a collaborative and co-creative approach, it was possible to hear what local partners really needed, and how European partners could contribute meaningfully.
In a project based on fair collaboration, shared ownership, and a willingness from everyone to adapt, we were able to build relationships, and to build trust.
The approach also proved sustainable over the long term, continuing over the following years and expanding beyond Addis Ababa.
In 2024 it transformed into a project running cultural activities along the Ethiopia-Djibouti railway line. In international cultural relations, presence, continuity and reliability beat short-term success.
EU support needs to be arms-length
This brings me back to Europe and the EU’s strategy for international cultural relations.
Europe’s creative and cultural sector is outstanding in its diversity, economic significance and in its capacity to innovate. It would be wrong to use it as a means to promote an orchestrated self-image.
Instead, what makes the European cultural sector a real asset – with its various histories, languages, traditions and creativity – is its unprecedented potential to build bridges and connections with civil societies around the world.
If European artists and creatives are given trust, support, and independence from governmental influence, they can help build a solid foundation for collaboration.
Working alongside their local and international peers they can explore, imagine and innovate solutions that serve the common good.
This spirit of peaceful collaboration, sharing expertise, embracing compromise, and overcoming boundaries was a founding principle of the European Union.
This should also be the vision of how Europe engages with the world, reaffirmed through a new strategy for international cultural relations.
