Council of Europe to celebrate the Freedom of Artistic Expression at Venice Biennale

On the occasion of the 60^th Venice Biennale, the Council of Europe is organising an event in Venice on 20 April under the title the Other Session, to discuss and assess, through dialogues, performances and exhibitions, the landscape of artistic freedom in Europe, and to identify measures needed to address remaining challenges to the right to freedom of artistic expression.

The Other Session, held in the context of 70 years of the European Cultural Convention, is being set up at the start of the Venice Biennale under the Free to Create programme, with support from the Council of Europe's entities dealing with sports, youth and Roma and Travellers, and in collaboration with the Experimental Observatory on Artistic Freedom (OoAF).

Representatives of governments, arts communities and civil society will have the chance to take part in a critical and experimental dialogue (the Performative Talk) with the help of two artistic curators from OoAF, David Liver and Michael Kaethler. The Performative Talk will be accompanied by a performance presented by Gabriel Fontana that engages with questions concerning the role of nationalism in sport.

Press release
Council of Europe to celebrate the Freedom of Artistic Expression at Venice Biennale