The Space of Negotiation: My Art across Borders
Xiao Lu is a pioneering figure in contemporary Chinese art and one of the earliest artists associated with Chinese feminist practice. Long before she consciously embraced feminism, her body had already become a site of artistic and social intervention. Throughout her career, she has remained committed to translating lived experience into art. In this lecture, she reflects on the changing space available for artistic practice in China and internationally, discussing the opportunities, constraints, and negotiations that have shaped her work across different cultural and institutional contexts.
In cooperation with the Institute for East Asian History at Heidelberg University
Lin Hierse: Das Verschwinden der Welt
„Alles wird sich ändern, mein Kind, nichts bleibt.“
Foto: © Linda Rosa Saal / Piper Verlag
Das große Haus am Fluss verspricht Marta einen Neuanfang. Sie verliebt sich in das alte Gebäude, das Zeuge zahlloser Leben, Träume und Verluste geworden ist. Nur wenige sind noch hier: neben Marta nur Herr Yi, die Dichterin und Lu. Als Marta kurz nach ihrem Einzug erfährt, dass das Haus abgerissen werden soll, will sie kämpfen, findet in den anderen aber keine Verbündeten. Also stemmt sie sich allein gegen das Verschwinden der Geschichten, Erinnerungen und einer ganzen Welt.
Ein berührender Roman über das Aufbrechen und Zurücklassen, über Erinnerung und Verlust. Und eine traumwandelnd kluge Parabel auf das Leben in einer dauerbedrohten Welt.
Lin Hierse ist Schriftstellerin und Journalistin sowie stellvertretende Ressortleiterin der wochentaz. Ihre Texte und Kolumnen erscheinen unter anderem in der taz, der Zeit und in Literaturzeitschriften. Nach ihrem hochgelobten Debüt Wovon wir träumen (Piper 2022) ist Das Verschwinden der Welt (Piper 2024) ihr zweiter Roman. Im Herbst 2026 ist Lin Hierse Max Kade Writer in Residence an der University of Michigan.
Eine Veranstaltung in Kooperation mit feeLit Internationales Literaturfestival Heidelberg.
Prof. Dr. Aleida Assmann: History and Memory – Changing Time Regimes between 1945 and the Present
Keynote Lecture
The lecture will address changing frames of temporality over the last 80 years. In this case Aleida Assmann will draw on her biographical experience and the evidence that she observed, registered and theorized in her own life-span. She will describe how the concept memory first evolved as a partner and then as a rival to the concept of history, and how these dynamics have affected historical work and thinking until today.
Speaker
Prof. Dr. Aleida Assmann is an English scholar, Egyptologist, and literary and cultural studies scholar. She has taught at Yale, Princeton, and Chicago, among other institutions. Together with her husband Jan Assmann, she coined the concept of “cultural memory.” In recognition of their outstanding research and social engagement, Jan and Aleida Assmann were awarded the Peace Prize –Friedenspreis– of the German Book Trade in 2018.
International Graduate Student Conference 2026 – “Memory—Between Experience, Culture and Transculturality”
Memory has become one of the central categories through which the humanities interrogate the past, the self, and the conditions of historical knowledge. Far from being a mere repository of bygone events, memory unfolds at the intersection of experience, narration, embodiment, and cultural transmission. This conference invites graduate students from across the humanities to explore memory as a dynamic and contested field—one in which individual recollection, communicative exchange, and culturally sedimented forms of remembrance are in constant dialogue.
Drawing on theories of cultural memory, this conference encourages reflections on how societies stabilize, ritualize, and transform images of the past through texts, images, practices, and institutions, while also attending to communicative memory as it circulates in everyday interactions and lived social relations. Equally central is the notion of collective memory, which foregrounds the ways in which remembering is never purely private but shaped by social frameworks, power relations, and shared imaginaries. What are the functions of different dimensions of memory, how should its media (such as writing, images, or monuments) be evaluated, and what forms of dealing with stored knowledge exist that attach growing importance not only to history, politics, and science, but also to art? In an increasingly interconnected world, different dimensions of memory further cannot always be adequately understood without addressing questions of transculturality: the movement of memories across borders, languages, and historical contexts, as well as the frictions and creative reconfigurations that arise from such encounters.
This conference particularly welcomes interdisciplinary and comparative approaches that open new perspectives on memory beyond national or disciplinary boundaries.
Conference program and schedule can be found here.
Lecture: #MeToo – A Transnational Case from China
Edited Truth, Maltranslated Consent and Usurped Discursive Space: A Transnational #MeToo Case from China
Abstract
This talk unpacks a high-profile #MeToo case in which a Chinese female student filed an alleged rape claim against a prominent Chinese business elite in the United States. The case later sparked heated debate on Chinese social media and passionate mobilization among Chinese feminists, thereby linking U.S. legal proceedings with gender politics in China. Of particular interest is the regime of truth production surrounding the case: edited visual evidence, strategic maltranslation, and platformed misogyny shaped public understandings of consent, credibility, and justice, while further shaming the alleged victim. Feminist actors, in turn, contested these dynamics through counter-discourse and what I call “critical feminist solidarity.” Aspects of censorship will also reveal themselves during the course of analysis.
Bio
Qi Chen is a Sinologist whose research focuses on social organizing and “civil society” in contemporary China, with particular expertise in women’s issues and feminism supported by her long-term and immersive fieldwork. Her broader research interests include feminist philosophy, theory, and praxis, as well as the relationship between theory and practice within social movements and the interactions between academia and activism.
In cooperation with the Institute of Sinology and the Centre for Asian and Transcultural Studies (CATS) at Heidelberg University.
Dialogues Across Time and Space – Contemporary Resonances of Kunqu Opera (古今对话： 昆曲的当代回响) – Workshop
p style=”text-align: justify;”>For its two events in Heidelberg, the PKU Kunqu Center ensemble is delighted to present a celebrated selection of classic Kunqu excerpts. Organized in collaboration with the Confucius Institute at Heidelberg University, CATS, and Heidelberg University’s Collaborative Research Centre project series Home(s): Phenomena, Practices, Representations, the performances will be accompanied by a discussion exploring the concept of “home” in its many dimensions – from family and belonging to nation and cultural identity.
The workshop on 23 May, held from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm at the Auditorium of the Centre for Asian and Transultural Studies, will offer the audience a closer encounter with the art of Kunqu through additional performance excerpts and practical demonstrations. Focusing on acting techniques, musical accompaniment, and movement, the workshop will provide insight into the performative traditions of Kunqu opera.
- 清曲（Singing with Dizi）
《牧羊记 望乡》The Shepherd’s Tale – Gazing Toward Home
This soul-stirring dialogue is set in the desolate North. Li Ling 李陵, a Han general who defected to the Xiongnu, encounters his old friend Su Wu苏武, a loyal Han envoy held captive as a shepherd. Together they stand on a ridge, gazing toward their distant homeland in grief.
《浣纱记 寄子》The Hall of Washing Silks-Entrusting the Son
The story is set during the Spring and Autumn era. Foreseeing the imminent downfall of the Kingdom of Wu, the senior minister Wu Zixu伍子胥flees his homeland with his son. In a heartbreaking act of sacrifice to preserve his lineage, he entrusts his child to a dear friend in the Kingdom of Qi.
《浣纱记 打围 【醉太平】》The Hall of Washing Silks- The Royal Hunt [Zui Tai Ping]
This is a song for Kunqu beginners. We encourage all participants to join into the singing.
- 身段（body movement）
A showcase of different role-types’ body movement led by actors of old-male role, young male-scholar role, refined maiden role, and young maiden role. We encourage participants to follow and learn.
Ensemble introduction:
Founded in 2013, the Peking University Kunqu Heritage and Communication Center is dedicated to preserving, studying, and promoting the art of Kunqu opera. Led by Professor Chen Jun from Peking University’s School of Arts, the Center brings together research, education, and performance to introduce Kunqu to new audiences in China and around the world.
Over the years, the Center has organized courses such as The Art of Kunqu, produced performances like The Peony Pavilion, and organized workshops and cultural events in Spain, Switzerland, the UK, Vietnam, and beyond.
Both events take place in cooperation with the Peking University Kunqu Heritage and Communication Center, the Center for Asian and Transcultural Studies (CATS) at Heidelberg University, and Heidelberg University’s Collaborative Research Centre project series Home(s): Phenomena, Practices, Representations.
Dialogues Across Time and Space – Contemporary Resonances of Kunqu Opera (古今对话： 昆曲的当代回响) – Performance and Discussion
For its two events in Heidelberg, the PKU Kunqu Center ensemble is delighted to present a celebrated selection of classic Kunqu excerpts. Organized in collaboration with the Confucius Institute at Heidelberg University, CATS, and Heidelberg University’s Collaborative Research Centre project series Home(s): Phenomena, Practices, Representations, the performances will be accompanied by a discussion exploring the concept of “home” in its many dimensions – from family and belonging to nation and cultural identity.
Taking place at 6:00 pm on 22 May at the Völkerkundemuseum Heidelberg, the evening performance will feature the scenes from the renowned Kunqu plays The Massacre of a Thousand Loyalists, The Palace of Eternal Life, and The Peony Pavillion. The event will also include an academic conversation between Chen Jun, Professor at Peking University, and Barbara Mittler, Professor at Heidelberg University.
- 《千忠戮 惨睹》The Massacre of a Thousand Loyalists — A Tragic Sight [performance time:20min]
Following a bloody coup, the dethroned Emperor Jianwen (Ming Dynasty) wanders the outskirts of his former kingdom in the guise of a monk. As he flees, he witnesses the horrific execution of his most loyal officials and their families.
- 《长生殿弹词》The Palace of Eternal Youth–The Ballad [performance time: 20min]
Set after the An-Shi Rebellion, the displaced court musician Li Guinian flees to the Jiangnan region, where he now makes a meagre living playing the pipa and singing in the streets. Now a wandering artist, he performs the once-glorious tales of the palace for commoners.
- 《牡丹亭惊梦》The Peony Pavilion-Interrupted Dream [performance time: 25min]
The “Peony Pavilion” is a signature masterpiece of Kunqu and the most frequently performed piece overseas. The dream encounter between Du Liniang and Liu Mengmei celebrates a love that transcends both life and death.
Ensemble introduction:
Founded in 2013, the Peking University Kunqu Heritage and Communication Center is dedicated to preserving, studying, and promoting the art of Kunqu opera. Led by Professor Chen Jun from Peking University’s School of Arts, the Center brings together research, education, and performance to introduce Kunqu to new audiences in China and around the world.
Over the years, the Center has organized courses such as The Art of Kunqu, produced performances like The Peony Pavilion, and organized workshops and cultural events in Spain, Switzerland, the UK, Vietnam, and beyond.
Both events take place in cooperation with the Peking University Kunqu Heritage and Communication Center, the Center for Asian and Transcultural Studies (CATS) at Heidelberg University, and Heidelberg University’s Collaborative Research Centre project series Home(s): Phenomena, Practices, Representations.
Is Homosexuality Depathologized in China?
International media and scholarly discussions of gay rights in China often cite the 2001 “removal” of homosexuality from the Chinese Classification of MentalDisorders Version 3 (CCMD-3) as a major milestone. Chinese government officials, state media, and social media influencers have also held up this “removal” to showcase China’s progress on LGBTQ rights, and even to deny the existence of the discredited practice of “conversion therapy” in China. Yet, in the decades since 2001, many healthcare providers, educational textbooks, and official actors in China have treated homosexuality as a mental disorder. What explains this inconsistency?
As we mark the 25th anniversary of CCMD-3’s publication, this talk argues that CCMD-3 did not remove homosexuality as a diagnosis but merely reframed it in an equivocal—even self-contradictory—way. The result has been a decades-long confusion of interpretations among clinical practitioners, educators, officials, and society at large, with real-life impacts for LGBTQ people. Contrary to the popular “removal” narrative, the depathologization of homosexuality in China was not completed in 2001 but remains an ongoing process today. And it is a process that will only be completed once emerging new standards are fully adopted and implemented.
Darius Longarino is a Research Scholar in Law and Senior Fellow at Yale Law School’s Paul Tsai China Center, where he focuses on LGBTQ rights and gender equality in China.
In cooperation with the Center for Asian and Transcultural Studies (CATS).
Internationale Wochen gegen Rassismus: Rassismus verstehen – Solidarität stärken
Heidelberg stellt im März wieder das Miteinander in den Mittelpunkt. Unter dem Motto „100 Prozent Menschenwürde. Zusammen gegen Rassismus und Rechtsextremismus“ finden vom 11. bis 29. März 2026 die „Internationalen Wochen gegen Rassismus” statt. Mehr als 60 Initiativen, Vereine, Institutionen und engagierte Gruppen beteiligen sich in diesem Jahr an dem vielfältigen Programm. Koordiniert werden die Aktionswochen vom Interkulturellen Zentrum Heidelberg.
Rassismus verstehen – Solidarität stärken
Vertreter:innen verschiedener Communities berichten von ihren persönlichen Erfahrungen mit Rassismus und Diskriminierung in unserer Gesellschaft. Sie zeigen, wie unterschiedlich – und zugleich ähnlich – rassistische Erfahrungen sein können. In der moderierten Podiumsdiskussion werden Formen von Alltagsrassismus sichtbar gemacht und die dahinterliegenden strukturellen Mechanismen thematisiert. Im Anschluss ist das Publikum eingeladen, Fragen zu stellen und gemeinsam ins Gespräch zu kommen.
Moderation: Sophie Kara
Sprecher:innen: Wynonna Nixel, Katya Lwanga, Francesco Arman
Gefördert durch: Amadeu Antonio Stiftung
