Conference and Events

Cultural Forum Series

Art, Science and Business – An interdisciplinary dialogue

Date: October 12, 2010

Time: 5 pm - 6:30 pm

Location: University of Ottawa, Desmarais Building, 12th floor, Room 110

One of Europe’s greatest artistic institutions, the Akademie Schloss Solitude in Stuttgart is a public foundation that seeks to promote and fund young artists through international residence fellowships and by organizing public performances, readings, concerts and exhibitions by its residents. Since 1990, the Akademie has hosted more than 900 creators from all artistic disciplines (visual arts, literature, music, video/new media, performing arts, design and architecture) from over 90 different countries. Since 2002, the Akademie has also welcomed residents from the fields of science, humanities and economics to participate in thematic programs which focus on current issues and call for an interdisciplinary approach. Some of the topics covered during the past few years include: “Fetish and Consumption”, “Dealing with Fear” and currently, “Design of the (In-) Human”. This presentation will provide an overview of the Akademie’s various projects so that the audience can grasp both the strategic issues and difficulties it faces in creating an interdisciplinary dialogue.

Speaker: Jean-Baptiste Joly, director, Akademie Schloss Solitude

Born in Paris, France, Jean-Baptiste Joly is the chairman of the Board of the Foundation Akademie Schloss Solitude and founding director and artistic director of the Akademie. After studying German literature and language in Paris and Berlin, Joly worked as a teacher in France. In 1983, he was appointed director of the French Cultural Institute in Stuttgart, a position he held until joining the Akademie in 1989. Joly is an honorary professor at the Kunsthochschule Weißensee, College of Art and Design in Berlin. He is also actively involved as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Schader Foundation, member of the Board of Trustees of the Kunstmuseum Stuttgart, member of the Advisory Board of Transcultural Exchange in Boston and member of the French-German Council for Culture.