FÜR ALLE! DEMOKRATIE NEU GESTALTEN

In the organizer's words:

Does democracy need an update? Have we relied for too long on the fact that nothing can shake our democracy? The thing about democracy is that it only exists if we are constantly working on it. In a world that changes on a daily basis, it must be constantly kept "fit". So it's time to strengthen our democratic muscles!

All aspects of democracy are designed, so we can also design them differently. This doesn't just apply to ballot papers or posters. It applies above all to the system itself: Who takes on the representation of the people? What role do parties play? And who is allowed to vote and have a say? Everything that constitutes democracy according to the Western model is under scrutiny. Does it actually deliver what it promises? Is "for all" really for all? And what would happen if elections were not the sole centerpiece of democracy?

The exhibition Macht mit! Shaping Democracy is a call for active participation - both in the exhibition and in democracy itself. It is about participating in power - about shaping structures of co-determination. In fact, a more direct form of democratic co-determination is already being tested in various places. The Bundestag has set up a Food Council, in Belgium there is an additional citizens' parliament, and numerous cities allow their citizens to have a direct say on various issues. There will also be such a council at the Bundeskunsthalle as part of the exhibition: The Bundeskunsthalle's Society Forum will be convened to help democratize and open up the building.

The exhibition will also feature a "fitness studio" where everyone can exercise their democratic muscles: Visitors will experience first-hand what it means to be empathetic, to show staying power and to negotiate compromises. In addition, Macht mit! Shaping Democracy sheds light on society's current desire for more participation as well as traditional forms of democracy. How have people fought for democracy, equal rights and freedom to date? In addition to art and design, there will be evidence from political cultural history, architecture, film and photography. The exhibition will be an excursion to the turning points of history, to the beginnings and milestones of democracy, as well as a bold speculation towards the future: What will the democracy of tomorrow look like?

An exhibition project of the Bundeskunsthalle in Bonn and the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, Kunstgewerbemuseum

Price information:

Free admission up to and including 18 years, with free ELLAH Card* for pupils, students and trainees even up to 25 years (available at the ticket office). Day ticket for all exhibitions: €13/€6.50 (extra) Happy hour ticket (2 hours before closing time): €7 for all exhibitions Free admission for refugees.