In the location's words:

The Academy of World Arts (ADKDW) is an internationally oriented institution with an exhibition space, the Academyspace, in Cologne. The ADKDW moves beyond the Eurocentric doctrines of cultural history. While paying attention to the global conditions of postcolonialism and neocolonialism, it seeks to expose and reject romantic notions of multiculturalism, globalism, and identity politics. Moreover, in the face of a social and political climate shaped by the overwhelming logic of globalized financial markets and by neoliberal power structures, ADKDW seeks to support practices that address and challenge these very conditions. ADKDW aims to initiate processes of reflection, intervention, and collaboration that promote a critical understanding of the arts and expose and rethink the current conditions of cultural production.