[spectre] SHADOWS OF ILLIBERALISM - Resisting the Radical Right, June 13-15 Berlin

[Tatiana Bazzichelli]

Dear Spectre List,

I would like to invite you to our 35th conference SHADOWS OF 
ILLIBERALISM - Resisting the Radical Right at Kunstquartier Bethanien 
(Berlin and streaming), on June 13-15.
https://www.disruptionlab.org/shadows-of-illiberalism

SHADOWS OF ILLIBERALISM: Resisting the Radical Right focuses on the rise 
of anti-democratic and authoritarian ideologies in the Western world and 
the complicit role of big tech. The title refers to the concept of 
'illiberal democracy', whereby a governing system hides its 
non-democratic practices behind formally democratic institutions and 
procedures. The conference showcases technological, media, artistic and 
activist projects designed to counteract human rights violations 
perpetrated by state or corporate actors, and deconstructs the current 
language of violence by tracing the origins of far-right politics.

As usual, you can also participate using our online chat to ask 
questions to the speakers.

———

## Full programme

OPENING · Fri 13.6 · 16:30–16:40
Tatiana Bazzichelli · Artistic Director, Disruption Network Lab - 
Director, Disruption Network Institute.

KEYNOTE · Fri 13.6 · 16:40–18:10
Exhaustion and Hyper-Colonialism: The Disintegration of the West

Franco "Bifo" Berardi is a key figure of the Italian Autonomia movement 
of the 1970s, and has published around twenty books, translated in 
several languages. His keynote, moderated by Yasmeen Daher, examines the 
resurgence of the mythology of white supremacy, how illiberal oligarchy 
has taken control of the most powerful nuclear powers, US, and Russia, 
and the disintegration of both geopolitical and socio-economic order in 
the Western system.
https://www.disruptionlab.org/shadows-of-illiberalism#exhaustion

PANEL · Fri 13.6 · 18:40–20:40
Art, Activism & the Rise of Illiberalism in Hungary, Poland & Slovakia

Moderated by Tonia Mastrobuoni, this panel features case studies on the 
rise of illberalism in Eastern Europe. Péter Adamik from the Freie 
Ungarische Botschaft exposes the real face of the Orbán’s system and the 
authoritarian playbook his government is exporting from Hungary. Anna 
Krenz, founder of the Dziewuchy Berlin collective, provides an 
auto‑ethnographic perspective on feminist Polish activism and political 
art, arguing that the fight for democracy remains inseparable from the 
fight for women’s rights. Slavo Krekovič, the artistic director of A4 in 
Bratislava, maps the unfolding systematic attacks in the Slovakian 
context and highlights the tactics of immune response by the cultural 
community.
https://www.disruptionlab.org/shadows-of-illiberalism#art-activism

KEYNOTE/PANEL · Sat 14.6 · 16:30-18:10
The New Right’s Cultural Hegemony and Contradictions

This keynote focuses on the contradictory positions of the New Right: 
queerness versus anti-gender politics, disruption versus traditionalism, 
technocracy versus ecofascism, populism versus elitism. Katrien Jacobs 
focuses on anti-gender movements in Belgium and the Netherlands, 
enigmatic grassroots alliances between religious groups, conspiracy 
theorists and political campaigns against sex education. Florian Cramer 
addresses how illiberalism emerged from liberalism, and how liberal 
concepts of spontaneous order informed experimental arts, technological 
developments, free-market economics, and ultimately the New Right.
https://www.disruptionlab.org/shadows-of-illiberalism#new-right

LECTURE PERFORMANCE & PANEL · Sat 14.6 · 18:30–20:30
Generative AI, Weaponised Language & Political Shadow Campaigns

'Speculative violence' of generative AI is the topic of Donatella Della 
Ratta’s lecture performance "Ask Me for Those Unborn Promises That May 
Seem Unlikely to Happen in the Natural #2", blending text with 
visuals—including found footage, social media threads, and AI-generated 
media—about the violence of the not-yet-realised, traversing landscapes 
from Palestine to Trump’s America. The performance is followed by a 
panel discussion with Míriam Juan-Torres, on how authoritarian populists 
weaponise the language of justice and democracy, and Amber Macintyre on 
how the far-right runs disinformation shadow campaigns with 
institutional financing. Moderated by Tina Lee.
https://www.disruptionlab.org/shadows-of-illiberalism#ask-me
https://www.disruptionlab.org/shadows-of-illiberalism#ai-weaponised

WORKSHOP · Sun 15.6 · 13:00–16:00
Defending Civic Space: Lessons from Georgia, Hungary, Russia & Turkey

This workshop examines how disinformation - including conspiracy 
theories and misleading narratives - is used to justify legal, 
administrative and narrative tools to limit activism, weaken independent 
media and discredit opposition voices. Focused on Georgia, Hungary, 
Russia and Turkey and led by Maya Talakhadze, director of the Regional 
Development Hub – Caucasus, it explores the impact of such tactics on 
protest movements, media freedom and the safety of human rights defenders.
Registration for the workshop is required.
https://www.disruptionlab.org/shadows-of-illiberalism#workshop

Get tickets here:
https://tickets.disruptionlab.org/shadows-of-illiberalism/
The streaming doesn't require previous registration.

More information:
https://www.disruptionlab.org/shadows-of-illiberalism#introduction

-- Check also our upcoming dates:
https://www.disruptionlab.org/upcoming
https://www.disruptionlab.org/meet-ups

I am looking forward to seeing you!

All the best,

Tatiana

-- 
Tatiana Bazzichelli // Artistic Director
Disruption Network Lab
https://www.disruptionlab.org/
E-mail for personal messages: tbazz(at)disruptionlab.org
Twitter: @disruptberlin // @t_bazz
Fingerprint: A87C 3637 03ED 1D1C E6FE E828 1F55 2B2F F5A5 C9A0