Culture talks @ Goethe
Toronto

Imagine a new kind of cultural talk show, cultivating fresh conversations with some of Canada’s and Germany’s most celebrated and innovative curators, culture makers, artists and commentators. The Goethe-Institut Toronto is excited to host Culture talks, a salon-style series designed to cultivate dialogue around global arts, culture and international exchange.

Culture talks allow audiences to participate in Q&As and engage in conversation with artists, artistic directors, and experts from both sides of the Atlantic.

Special guests have included Düsseldorf media artist Mischa Kuball, TIFF’s Cameron Bailey, Andréa Picard and Magali Simard, former Luminato Artistic Director Jörn Weisbrodt, Prof. Colin Ellard of BMW Guggenheim Lab, curators Dr. Deepali Dewan (ROM) and Prof. Gerald McMaster (OCADU).

“Our audiences tell us they are fascinated by the invisible, intangible cultural undercurrents that give arts practices their distinct flavour, so we’re trying to lift the veil a bit, to allow audiences to get closer to the people who make and share culture. One thing we’re interested in exploring is how do artists and curators throw the ball back and forth between cultures?” says Jutta Brendemühl, the Goethe-Institut Toronto’s Program Curator. Many Canadians have a connection to Germany and have spent time there, so it is worth looking at how cross-cultural encounters seep into their work. “What ideas does a Canadian curator come back with after a stint in Berlin? How does a festival director bridge cultures and address diverse audiences? These are the questions Culture talks hopes to shine a spotlight on,” explains Brendemühl.

The Goethe-Institut is the obvious setting for Culture talks because of its extensive multidisciplinary arts program, with cultural events, artist residencies, directors talks, and working relationships with major festivals such as Berlinale, TIFF and Luminato. “For over 50 years, the Goethe-Institut has been a meeting place for creative and inquisitive minds in Toronto, acting as a mediator between cultures,” said Sonja Griegoschewski, the Goethe-Institut Toronto previous director. “The Goethe-Institut has been leading continuous dialogue and cultural exchanges between Canadian and German artists for decades and acts as a resource hub for all things contemporary in German culture. We are excited to present this series as part of our dedicated ongoing cultural programming initiatives.”

Join us for Culture talks @ Goethe and get in on the conversation.