The US celebrates its 250th anniversary this year, offering a moment to reflect on one of the world’s boldest experiments in democracy. The ideas first expressed in 1776—liberty, equality, and government by the people—have inspired many nations, even as they have been challenged over time. Today, as people around the globe show both frustration with democratic systems and a renewed desire to protect them, we face important questions about the future. What can we learn from the country’s past, and how do those lessons connect with experiences globally? Can democracy still meet the needs of the 21st century?
Organized by Villa Albertine, the French Institute for Culture and Education, the Night of Ideas (La nuit des idées) is a dynamic annual event happening in cities around the world aimed at fostering dialogue on urgent global issues. This year’s event at Ohio State brings together scholars, writers, artists, and community members to explore the Enlightenment ideals that shaped democracies in the US and France—such as reason and the rule of law, freedom of expression, progress, and equal access to education and culture—and the current landscape of democracy.
The event connects with two major exhibitions at the Wexner Center for the Arts—Naeem Mohaiemen: Corinthians and Hew Locke: Passages—which examine how history is remembered and how power is represented. Together, the Night of Ideas and these exhibitions invite the public to consider who democracy serves, how it is shaped, and how art can help us understand the challenges we face today.
This event is free and open to the public except for the screening of La Chinoise by Jean-Luc Godard, which is free for Ohio State students.
Hosted by the Centre d’excellence at The Ohio State University in partnership with the Wexner Center for the Arts.