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Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
The Franz Rosenzweig Visiting Professorship at the University of Kassel has been awarded in the summer semester to the art and cultural historian and curator Doreet LeVitte-Harten. The native-born Israeli will give a public lecture on the relationship of Zionism and science fiction on May 6.
Doreet LeVitte-Harten studied art history and comparative religion in Jerusalem and then worked as a journalist and art critic for the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz as well as serving as a lecturer at the Bezalel Art Academy, Jerusalem, and at the Visual Center, Beer Sheva. Since 1980 she has curated exhibitions in Germany and Israel, most recently "About Stupidity, the Phenomena of Stupidity as Observed by Artists" at the Petach Tikva Museum of Art, Israel (2013) and "Conflicts, the Problems of Other People” at the Herzliya Museum of Contemporary Art, Israel (2014).
"With Ms. LeVitte-Harten we have secured a renowned connoisseur of the German and Israeli art scenes for the Rosenzweig Professorship this year whose projects regularly incite controversial discussion and highly productive exchange between the participants in both countries," commented Prof. Dr. Martina Sitt, a member of the selection committee and head of the department General Art History at the University of Kassel/School of Art and Design. Her projects, says Sitt, have endeavoured to administer a sort of "dose of reality" in Germany as a prerequisite for fruitful exchange to allow a clear look at the realities of the situation in the Middle East.
The public inaugural lecture with the title "Zionism and Science Fiction" will take place on
6 May from 6:00 to 7:00 pm at the Gießhaus at the University of Kassel, Mönchebergstraße 5, Kassel. According to LeVitte-Harten's thesis, which she will present at the lecture, Zionism and science fiction have much in common: Both have their roots in the ideology of colonialism, both focus on "borders" as a central site of engagement and both treat the ethos of the pioneer as a legitimation of their respective projects. The lecture will be held in German.
In addition to this public event, Doreet LeVitte will also conduct two seminars. There she will consider "Art’s Blind Spot: On the Impossibility of Art to Depict Horror " and "The Role of Art in Nation-Building Processes. The Case of Israel".
Remembrance of a distinguished son of the city of Kassel
The Franz Rosenzweig Guest Professorship, unique throughout Germany, remembers the work and legacy of the Jewish religious philosopher who came from Kassel. The professorship is awarded each summer semester. Numerous scholars in the fields of philosophy, history, literature and religious studies from Israel, Europe and North America have been honoured with the guest professorship.
In recent years the professorship has served particularly to bring attention to the culture of European Jewry that was destroyed by National Socialism and to foster discussion of contemporary Jewish life. The Franz Rosenzweig Guest Professorship has been awarded by the University of Kassel since 1987. The Professorship was originated at the conclusion of an international congress on Franz Rosenzweig that took place in 1986 on the occasion of the 100th birthday of the important religious philosopher.
The University of Kassel has just under 23,700 enrolled students (winter semester 2014/15). The Kassel School of Art and Design is part of the University.
Picture of Doreet LeVitte-Harten at:
http://www.uni-kassel.de/uni/fileadmin/datas/uni/presse/anhaenge/2015/DLV.jpg
Contact:
Sebastian Mense
University of Kassel
Communications, Press and Public Relations
Tel.: +49 561 804-1961
E-Mail: presse@uni-kassel.de
http://www.uni-kassel.de/uni/internationales/english-version/university/about-us...
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Art / design, Cultural sciences, Religion, Social studies
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