Here, we present various formats that not only provide significant impulses and strengthen the dialogue on antisemitism but also demonstrate how creative, interactive and scientific approaches can foster a deeper understanding of the complex societal challenges associated with addressing antisemitism, while supporting long-term prevention efforts.

The OnCurating Academy provides a space for experimental, critical, and meta-curatorial practices, following an interdisciplinary approach that connects different fields of knowledge. Led by Dorothee Richter, the team engages with the profound transformations in contemporary societies, the restructuring of labor processes, cultural policy, and the political dynamics of inclusion and exclusion. Furthermore, the academy addresses questions that emerge at the intersections of various disciplines and social discourses.

The project "Let's talk about ... anti-democratic, anti-queer, misogynist, antisemitic, right-wing spaces and their counter-movements", initiated by the OnCurating Academy, is developed in collaboration with Daniel Laufer, artist and founding curator of DAGESH – Jewish Art in Context, as well as Dr. Michaela Conen from the University of the Arts Berlin. DAGESH fosters the visibility of diverse artistic expressions by Jewish artists and has served as a platform and network since its inception, exploring a contemporary, confident, and forward-looking Jewish identity.

The project is funded by the "Action Fund Against Antisemitism" of the Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion, Division of Culture.

Dorothee Richter is an author, art historian, and curator of contemporary art. She is a Professor of Contemporary Curating at the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Reading. She is also the founder and editor of the publication platform OnCurating, based in Zurich, as well as the OnCurating Academy Berlin.

Daniel Laufer is an artist and curator. He teaches artistic-aesthetic practice at Leuphana University Lüneburg and the State Academy of Fine Arts Karlsruhe.

28th  March 2025, 6pm CET

Talk 
Michaela Melián: Red Threads

Radialsystem, Kubus,  

Holzmarktstraße 33, 10243 Berlin

and via Zoom

In “Red Threads” the work on the work complex TANIA is presented. Tania is the fighting name of Tamara Bunke, who was born in 1937 to a German-Jewish family in exile in Chile. The family moved to the GDR and Tamara studied at Humboldt University. In the 1960s, she left for Cuba, where she joined the guerrilla struggle led by Che Guevara in Bolivia and was shot dead in 1967. The major themes of the 20th century come together in her life story: National Socialism/fascism, migration and exile, socialist modernity, emancipation and the post-colonial struggle for liberation. To this day, however, Tamara Bunke's biography can only be pieced together on the basis of many stories and unreliable documents.

Michaela Melián, artist and musician, is known for her multimedia installations, radio plays and sound works. She is co-founder of the band F.S.K. and taught at the Hamburg University of Fine Arts in the Department of Time-Related Media until 2023. She lives in Munich and Marseille.
In recent years, her work has been exhibited at Lenbachhaus Munich, Fundació Juan Miró Barcelona, Kunsthal Rotterdam, Deichtorhallen Hamburg, Staatsgalerie Stuttgart, Kunsthalle Mannheim, Lentos Museum Linz, Cubitt London, Ludlow New York and The War and Women's Human Rights Museum, Seoul, Kindl Berlin, among others. In 2010, she was commissioned by the City of Munich to realize Memory Loops, an acoustic memorial to the victims of National Socialism.

See all workshops here

• Artistic Practice: The Self as a Data Trace. lecturer: Kim Albrecht, 8 March, apply
  here
• Artistic Practice: Inquiring a Digital Self, lecturer: allapopp, 15 March, apply here
• Artistic Practice: Fantasizing through drag, dreaming with deepfakes, lecturer: Orhun Mersin, aka Kekik, 22 March, apply here
• Curating Social Practice: Addressing Postcolonialism in Solo Exhibitions, lecturer Klaudia Ofwona Draber, 5 + 12 April 2025, apply here
• Curating as an Act of Translation, lecturer Emily Butler, 3 + 17 May, apply here

The Institute for New Social Sculpture, in cooperation with the Berlin University of the Arts and the Jewish Student Union of Germany, is founding the Jewish Art School Berlin (JKB). This institution offers Jewish and antisemitism-critical students and young adults an innovative platform for artistic development and critical engagement.

The JKB is led by internationally renowned artists such as Victoria Hanna, David Adika, and Yehudit Sasportas. Through masterclasses and workshops spanning various disciplines—from performing to visual arts—Jewish and antisemitism-critical students and young adults will be supported in their artistic growth. 

The collaboration with the University of the Arts Berlin (UdK Berlin) further supports the project.

The Jewish Art School Berlin (JKB) is now accepting applications for the second semester from Jewish, Israeli, and antisemitism-critical students and young adults up to the age of 39. The masterclasses, workshops, and lectures across various artistic disciplines are led by internationally renowned artists, including David Adika, Yael Ronen, and Ilit Azoulay.

The program focuses on fostering the artistic development of art students, alumni, and individuals interested in the arts. Its goal is to create new networks and provide diverse perspectives on the art and cultural sector. The "artistic safer spaces" established within the Jewish Art School are located at various sites across Berlin. Studios, ateliers, and workspaces are freely available for participants during the program.

At the end of the semester, a public presentation will take place in Berlin. Participation is free of charge.

Find all further information here.

Contact: curator@neue-soziale-plastik.org

INTERDISCIPLINARY WORKSHOP LANA LUX (versatile artist/ writer)

​Creative Clarity: A Workshop Series for Neurodivergent Artists



Join Us for "Creative Clarity: A Workshop Series for Neurodivergent Artists"!
Are you a neurodivergent artist looking to enhance your creativity and overcome challenges? This empowering workshop series, designed by Lana Lux is just for you!
What You'll Gain:

• Journaling Techniques: Unlock self-reflection and creativity.

• Overwhelm Management: Learn practical strategies to find calm.

• Planning Skills: Organize your creative projects effectively.

• Procrastination Solutions: Discover tools to boost your productivity.

• Connect with fellow artists in a supportive environment, share experiences, and develop skills tailored to your unique journey.

The class will be taught in English and German.

MIXED MEDIA
 MASTERCLASS ILIT AZOULAY  (Multimedia Artist)

Art & Belief Systems

This seminar is divided into two parts running for two consecutive years. The first year explores the intersection of art, belief systems, and the transformative power of creative practice. Through research, collaboration, and artistic production, students critically examine how belief systems, shaped by myths, rituals, symbols, and visual narratives, construct identities, ideologies, and cultural memory.

In the first year, students of all fields of study of huminites and art will build a multidisciplinary archive, employing innovative methods of data collection, including oral histories, archival research, and spiritual practices. This phase fosters collaborative exploration and challenges conventional academic boundaries, encouraging participants to uncover untold stories and rethink dominant perspectives.

After finishing the first part the participating artists will be invited to continue in the second year a smaller group to focus on transforming research into art, culminating in an exhibition that embodies the seminar's themes. Students will develop individual and collective works, supported through mentorship and a hands-on approach to artistic practice.

By engaging with diverse viewpoints and fostering dialogue, the seminar empowers students to use art as a tool for connection, empathy, and reimagining belief systems.

The class will be taught in English and German.
 

FILM
MASTERCLASS NIR EVRON (Filmmaker/ Artist)



Truth (and Other Stories)

This seminar is open to students and emerging artists working in fine art, photography, and media art who have a strong interest in the relationship between history, memory, and moving images. While no prior filmmaking experience is required, participants should be familiar with visual media and conceptual research. Applicants should submit a brief statement outlining their interests and experience, along with examples of previous work if available. The course encourages both the development of new projects and the expansion of existing ideas, guiding participants through archival research, theoretical inquiry, and hands-on visual experimentation. Through lectures, screenings, discussions, and personal mentoring, students will engage critically with contemporary artistic strategies, culminating in a final project that integrates these themes into their practice.


The class will be taught in English.



PAINTING MASTERCLASS JOSSEF KRISPEL (Painter and Head of the Department of Fine Arts at Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem)

Hunting Images

The idea of pursuing and hunting images as a principle for the artistic painting action. How does painting respond to applications, networks and features that reality is embedded in? What is the role of painting in relation to the truth? Do they carry any duty or morality of the subjects depicted? Since the dawn of time painters have been motivated by inventing images in relation to reality. When it comes to figuration of images, a complete set of questions is considered in the act of painting. In this intense workshop we will examine the interrelationship between capturing representations versus questions of studio-action and pictorial solutions.



The class will be taught in English.



SCULPTURE 
MASTERCLASS  HILLA TOONY NAVOK (Sculptor, Prof. in sculpture at Bezalel and Shenkar College)

Art seeking shelter

When and where do we feel protected, and when do we feel exposed?
How quickly do we transition from one state to the other?
Our sense of safety and vulnerability as human beings and artists in our everyday surroundings will be key points in the workshop. Through a series of sculptural actions in city public spaces such as -  the campus, the way home, the shopping mall, ect. we will explore sculpture that emerges from the connection between the environment and our immediate bodily sensations.
Participants will experiment with temporary installations in urban spaces, engaging in discussions and presentations in the studio and in a long-term personal project.

The class will be taught in English.

DIRECTING/ WRITING
 MASTERCLASS YAEL RONEN (writer/ theatre director)

Turning Biography into Group Art

Masterclass on devised theater, where personal stories become the foundation of collective artistic creation. This workshop is designed for actors, writers, directors, and creatives who seek to explore the intersection of personal narrative, group dynamics, and artistic expression. The workshop will begin with a short dive into group therapy methods, guiding participants through introspection and creative exercises that lay the foundation for a shared artistic process.

The class will be taught in English.



PHOTOGRAPHY/ VIDEO
 MASTERCLASS DAVID ADIKA  (Photographer and Head of the Photography Department at Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design Jerusalem)

Identities & Human Rights



This workshop will explore the intricate relationship between photography, identity, and human rights. Participants will engage in critical discussions on photography’s role in representing reality and shaping diverse identities while reflecting on the intersections of these identities with human rights and equality. We will examine contemporary photography projects that challenge and expand traditional views of reality through a pluralistic lens, recognizing equality and human rights as fundamental values and guiding principles. By exploring various identity expressions across different spheres of life, we will focus on “the missing image”— a visual representation that reveals what is often overlooked or unseen. Participants will be encouraged to develop a personal project that captures reality through the lens of one or more identity perspectives. Throughout the workshop, we will embark on both individual and collective visual journeys, including city walks to visit photography exhibitions. We aim to create shared, empowering experiences that foster a deeper understanding of how photography can reflect and amplify diverse identities.


The class will be taught in English.

PERFORMANCE WORKSHOP ALONA RODEH (Multimedia and visual artist)

​Performance without Performers

This workshop invites students to explore Performance without Performers, a form of work where time, movement, light, and sound take center stage at the expense of the human body. Inspired by Object-Oriented Ontology*, participants will experiment with creating performative environments devoid of human stage presence over time, using technology, spatial design, and objects as their primary tools. Concurrently, the workshop will examine automated performances in our surroundings, addressing their environmental, social, and political dimensions. *Object-Oriented Ontology (OOO) is a 21st-century philosophical school rejecting the supremacy of human existence over that of non-human entities.

The class will be taught in English.

ACTING WORKSHOP YOUSEF SWEID (Actor)



On-Camera Acting



This intensive workshop consists of 6 sessions, approximately 3 hours each, designed to develop your on-camera acting skills through various methods and practical experiences.
Key Focus Areas: 


• Personal Brand Development: Discovering your unique qualities, understanding your casting type, and learning how to expand your range.


• Audition Technique: Mastering the crucial first impression and audition room presence.
 

• Emotional Connection: Developing authentic intimacy in scenes, building genuine chemistry with scene partners, and creating real love connections.


• Performance Techniques: Understanding tension and suspense, developing character physicality, and adding emotional depth and color to your performances
 

• Professional Development: Learning effective communication with scene partners and directors, plus practical guidance on building a sustainable acting career.

Each session includes hands-on practice with dialogues and monologues, all captured on video. This allows participants to review their work, observe their progress, and learn from their fellow actors throughout the workshop process.


The class will be taught in English.