De Balie Podcast

What role does art play in times of war? Is it a tool of resistance, a witness to destruction, or a space for imagining the future? War transforms the conditions of making, sharing, and experiencing art. It forces new responsibilities onto artists but also opens unexpected freedoms. In the midst of destruction, creative work becomes a form of survival, memory, and resistance.Throughout history, war has shaped and been shaped by art. In moments of violence and turmoil, artists confront devastation, mourn loss, challenge dominant narratives, and preserve fragments of threatened cultures. Their work raises urgent questions – can art intervene in the course of war? Does it document reality or create its own truths? And how does conflict alter the very language and purpose of artistic creation?This conversation will bring together artists from different cultural backgrounds sharing their experiences and perspectives.About the speakersTetyana Ogarkova (1979) is a Ukrainian writer, journalist, and essayist whos