Pilecki Institute: Exercising Modernity Academy (Germany)

Exercising Modernity Academy is a project for intellectual and artistic exchange, focused on describing the Polish share in modern heritage in a new, interdisciplinary way as well as in an international context. The project aims to highlight modern ideas in a broader sense by tracing modernisation practices in Europe and beyond, as well as by following the establishment of modern societies and modern states. Nevertheless, it pays special attention to culture, and more specifically to architecture, which is considered as a unique field of various intersecting perspectives, ambitions, concerns and hopes relevant to the formation of the 20th century world.

The fourth edition of the Exercising Modernity Academy will be devoted to Eastern Europe and its historical and contemporary methods of understanding. The aim is to reflect on the concepts of East and West, and take a closer look at the incoherencies between political, geographical, and cultural borders of Europe in the 20th and 21st centuries. Participants will examine the issue of the role of culture and architecture in shaping the societies, cities and states in this region of the world.

The Academy will take place in Berlin in October 2022, during which participants will encourage a broader reflection on these issues through lectures, seminars and workshops. A maximum of 18 people will be selected from Germany, Israel, and Poland (selected candidates should be a permanent resident of one of the aforementioned countries – citizenship is not required. Refugees from Belarus or Ukraine are very welcome).

For selected participants, the Academy covers:

• Participation in the lectures and seminars of the Exercising Academy 2022.
• Partial reimbursement of travel costs:
  • For participants coming from Germany: up to 90 EUR gross.
  • For participants coming from Israel: up to 180 EUR gross.
  • For participants coming from Poland: up to 90 EUR gross.
• Expenses for accommodation in Berlin covered in full.
• For those who complete the course – the possibility of submitting their own research or artistic project, elaborated or expanded on during classes, for a special scholarship programme organised by the Pilecki Institute Berlin and devoted to the issue of modernity in the 20th century (details will be announced during the Academy).