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Reflexes & Reflections

Key Visual Reflexes & Reflections 2026

The Great Disorder

4-Day Focus curated by Saba-Nur Cheema and Meron Mendel

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Reflexes & Reflections 2026

Advance ticket sales for this year’s edition of Reflexe & Reflexionen begin on 3 June at 14:00.

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Reflexes & Reflections 2026

The Great Disorder

Certainly since the re-election of Donald Trump it has become clear that a violent, multipolar world order is evolving. Autocratic tendencies that are now also manifesting themselves in former liberal democracies are converging with returning fantasies of great imperial power. Meanwhile East-West and North-South axes are gradually becoming less significant in charting political relations in a radically changing world.

As a result, the legacy of liberal institutions and international co-operation is being questioned. A postcolonial perspective, fed by criticism of Western policy, is also insufficient to describe current geopolitical conflicts. At the same time, major global conflicts impact Germany’s postmigrant society and threaten social harmony.

The third edition of Reflexes & Reflections, again curated by the political scientist Saba-Nur Cheema and the historian Meron Mendel, also marks the 75th anniversary of the Berliner Festspiele. As a cultural institution that is linked to Berlin’s eventful history, in their anniversary year the Berliner Festspiele will examine the consequences of the current geopolitical upheaval for open societies.

Where should socially and culturally engaged individuals and institutions now turn? Which new co-ordinates offer a degree of orientation? In considering these problems, among the prominent speakers from the fields of politics, academia and culture, the voices of Berlin schoolchildren will also be heard for the first time.

Impressions 2025

  • Dancers lie on the stage, legs drawn up and one arm stretched upwards.

    Freedom Sonata by Emanuel Gat

    © Julia Gat

  • The Installation of Hito Steyerl, Giorgi Gago Gagoshidze und Miloš Trakilović.

    MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: BELANCIEGE. By Hito Steyerl, Giorgi Gago Gagoshidze and Miloš Trakilović.

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • A photo of the Reflexe&Reflexionen stage.

    Opening with Jeffrey Goldberg

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • A photo from the event. Four people are sitting in chairs on a stage. They are engaged in a discussion.

    Who Can Have a Stage? On Artistic Freedom and Deplatforming. Panel with Elke Buhr, Emanuel Gat, Nora Sternfeld, Deniz Yücel.

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • Stefan Niggemeier, Hasnain Kazim, Mithu Sanyal und Gilda Sahebi on the panel talk.

    Who Has the Last Word? The Power of Personal Testimony in Public Debate. Panel with Hasnain Kazim, Gilda Sahebi, Mithu Sanyal, Stefan Niggemeier.

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • Five dancers striking athletic poses on a dark stage.

    Freedom Sonata by Emanuel Gat

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • Max Uthoff and Enissa Amani on stage. Max Uthoff is laughing loudly, holding his head against his hand.

    Late-Night Programme with Max Uthoff and Enissa Amani

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • Dancers lie on the stage, legs drawn up and one arm stretched upwards.

    Freedom Sonata by Emanuel Gat

    © Julia Gat

  • The Installation of Hito Steyerl, Giorgi Gago Gagoshidze und Miloš Trakilović.

    MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: BELANCIEGE. By Hito Steyerl, Giorgi Gago Gagoshidze and Miloš Trakilović.

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • A photo of the Reflexe&Reflexionen stage.

    Opening with Jeffrey Goldberg

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • A photo from the event. Four people are sitting in chairs on a stage. They are engaged in a discussion.

    Who Can Have a Stage? On Artistic Freedom and Deplatforming. Panel with Elke Buhr, Emanuel Gat, Nora Sternfeld, Deniz Yücel.

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • Stefan Niggemeier, Hasnain Kazim, Mithu Sanyal und Gilda Sahebi on the panel talk.

    Who Has the Last Word? The Power of Personal Testimony in Public Debate. Panel with Hasnain Kazim, Gilda Sahebi, Mithu Sanyal, Stefan Niggemeier.

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • Five dancers striking athletic poses on a dark stage.

    Freedom Sonata by Emanuel Gat

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • Max Uthoff and Enissa Amani on stage. Max Uthoff is laughing loudly, holding his head against his hand.

    Late-Night Programme with Max Uthoff and Enissa Amani

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • Dancers lie on the stage, legs drawn up and one arm stretched upwards.

    Freedom Sonata by Emanuel Gat

    © Julia Gat

  • The Installation of Hito Steyerl, Giorgi Gago Gagoshidze und Miloš Trakilović.

    MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: BELANCIEGE. By Hito Steyerl, Giorgi Gago Gagoshidze and Miloš Trakilović.

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • A photo of the Reflexe&Reflexionen stage.

    Opening with Jeffrey Goldberg

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • A photo from the event. Four people are sitting in chairs on a stage. They are engaged in a discussion.

    Who Can Have a Stage? On Artistic Freedom and Deplatforming. Panel with Elke Buhr, Emanuel Gat, Nora Sternfeld, Deniz Yücel.

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • Stefan Niggemeier, Hasnain Kazim, Mithu Sanyal und Gilda Sahebi on the panel talk.

    Who Has the Last Word? The Power of Personal Testimony in Public Debate. Panel with Hasnain Kazim, Gilda Sahebi, Mithu Sanyal, Stefan Niggemeier.

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • Five dancers striking athletic poses on a dark stage.

    Freedom Sonata by Emanuel Gat

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

  • Max Uthoff and Enissa Amani on stage. Max Uthoff is laughing loudly, holding his head against his hand.

    Late-Night Programme with Max Uthoff and Enissa Amani

    © Berliner Festspiele, photo: Fabian Schellhorn

Reflexes & Reflections in the Media Library

On the future of debate culture: The videos of the second edition of “Reflexes & Reflections” with lectures, discussions and a late-night programme are available in the Media Library.

To the Media Library
People sit on a stage and look at each other.

Who Can Have a Stage? On Artistic Freedom and Deplatforming

© Berliner Festspiele / Reflexe & Reflexionen

About Reflexes & Reflections

The “Reflexes & Reflections” theme days are a programme series organised by Berliner Festspiele. In times of increasing polarisation of social debates, it aims to create open and controversial spaces for discussion. “Reflexes & Reflections” brings together artistic and discursive positions to negotiate social problems and contentious issues.

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