WHO TELLS THE STORY? ART, POWER AND SHARED HISTORIES

2026
EDITION

For centuries, Asia and Europe have shaped one another through trade, colonisation, migration and imagination. Yet many of the narratives that frame these relations still reflect unequal histories and inherited hierarchies. How can cultural practitioners challenge these frameworks today? 

Cultural narratives have shaped how societies understand themselves and others. Museums, archives, visual arts, performing arts and academic institutions have played a decisive role in constructing these stories — defining what is preserved, what is displayed, and what is left unseen. 

Today, questions around colonial collections, restitution, appropriation and representation challenge long-standing structures of authority. Who has the right to interpret history? How are knowledge and cultural memory produced and transmitted— and who benefits from these frameworks? As art, science and public institutions increasingly intersect, new tensions and responsibilities emerge. 

This panel brings together artists and institutional voices to explore how contemporary cultural practice can question representation, rethink collaboration, and reshape histories. From revisiting collections and archives to rethinking collaboration and authorship, the discussion asks: how can we shift from inherited hierarchies toward shared forms of storytelling — and what responsibilities come with the power to narrate? 

Speakers to be announced.

Purchase your full-festival pass (passe-partouts) and day passes here. Individual event tickets available here. Follow our social media channels for updates and more!

Admission: Free

Discover the full AECFest programme.