Many creators are asking themselves: who am I in a world of global change? They reflect on locality and globalization, on national identity. Today, art is a complex, multi-layered dialogue between tradition and global culture. We are accustomed to speaking of a dialogue of cultures and national identity, but what do these mean in contemporary reality? What if globalization has given rise to new trends where the national element disappears, disguises itself, or, on the contrary, becomes more pronounced?

Has art become richer by losing its “passport”? Or have we simply learned to imitate internationalism, while genuine cultural difference has not gone anywhere, it has merely moved into the subtext?

During our roundtable, we will attempt to answer these questions honestly:

– Does “Russian art,” “French theatre,” or “American music” exist today or are these merely convenient labels for curators and festivals?
– Can a composer, artist, writer, or director working in an international environment preserve a “cultural code” and does he or she even need to?
– How do quotations, traditions, and national context function in theatre, music, and visual art today? Are they a tribute to the past, or a marketing tool?
– Does the viewer/listener need to perceive “nationality”? Does this enrich or impoverish the experience?

Leading musicologists, art historians, and theatre scholars will take part in the discussion in Alexandrinsky Theatre.