Cultural programme

The non-academic events are open for conference participants and public. Please note, that some events require registration beforehand, as the number of participants is limited.

The conference presents three different photo exhibitions at the University Main Building launching on Wednesday at 12:00:

In 2018, 50 years has passed since 1968, described as a “crazy year”, as radical political movements, new waves of art & culture, and demonstrations for human rights were sparked all over the world. The ambiance of the 1960s was the result of many important political and cultural changes that had previously been unimaginable. All around the world a younger generation was revolting against the old order.

An exhibition "Anti–Authoritarians - Berlin 1968 / 2018" of photographs by Colin Robins
3rd floor lobby of the Main Building

This photographic project records individuals who had been either directly involved in, or came in the wake of, the 1960’s anti-authoritarian movement as it developed in Berlin. It attempts to acknowledge the breadth of attitudes and experiences that developed within, alongside and after the events of 1968. 

The Anti-Authoritarians  includes people who were either students or who had sympathies with the aims of the student revolt. The majority of these had been studying at the Free University and were members of the Socialist German Student League (SDS). The project also acknowledges individuals who were influenced by Maoist and other radical political thinking current at the time, people from cultural and counter-cultural perspectives (such as Kommune1 and K1 Ost), former dissidents from the DDR and others who were then in exile from repressive regimes elsewhere (for example Greece or Iran).

Colin Robins gave a presentation in Helsinki in September 2018 about his photographs of Anti-Authoritarians. Berlin 1968-2018. See the full presentation at this link, Colin Robins starts at 2min 50 sec: https://bit.ly/2OLeFR1

This project has been made in collaboration with the German Historical Institute in London as well as the Freie Universität Berlin. The photographer: Colin Robins. Curator of this exhibition: Joonas Aitonurmi.

For further information about this project please contact: colin.robins@plymouth.ac.uk

An exhibition "Prague Spring 1968" in cooperation with the Czech embassy in Helsinki:
3rd floor lobby of the Main Building

The ambiance of change in Czechoslovakia led to a period of political liberalization. Writer Pavel Tigrid later described it as an attempt to raise the ceiling on social conditions so that people could walk upright on their two feet as citizens. The general trend of political and social changes was a reformist one, asking for changes to the existing single-party system, it was the breath of freedom, of creative energy, and a glimmer of hope of that it might be possible to reform socialism. After the Prague Spring, the desire to emancipate society could never be reversed, despite the brutal demonstration of power.

An exhibition "Helsinki 1968"
the Book exhibition room (4th floor, Hall 15):

Helsinki had its own 1968 as students occupied the Old Student House (Vanha Ylioppilastalo) on November 25th, demanding administrative and educational changes in University of Helsinki. However, the 1968 events in Helsinki were rather peaceful compared to the other parts of the world. The aim of this part of the exhibition is to show the contrast to the “crazy year 1968”.