THE LICHTER ANNUAL THEME 2026: ART

„Art is not a luxury, it is a necessity“ Lyonel Feininger

In a time of political, technological, and social upheaval, LICHTER places art as an existential force at the center of its festival program: in the moving images of cinema and far beyond.

Art is not a luxury, nor is it merely a decoration of life. It is a medium in which society and the individual meet — a space for reflection that asks questions and enables new answers. It takes on particular significance in times of profound upheaval, when uncertainty and acceleration shape our experience. But today it is increasingly threatened and contested: the ongoing economic crisis, exacerbated by the shift in government budget priorities — for example, toward massive rearmament — is putting pressure on public and private funding and calling into question the social legitimacy of art. At the same time, political power relations in Europe are shifting rapidly: the rise of extreme right-wing movements is giving rise to a completely different concept of art, linked to the demand that it be made pleasing, functional, or nationally useful — rather than free, critical, and experimental. Added to this is the rapid development of artificial intelligence, which can automate artistic processes and thus fundamentally challenges our understanding of authorship, originality, and creative work. It, too, forces us to renegotiate what art is — and who creates it.

“Art does not reproduce the visible, but makes visible,” noted Paul Klee. It is therefore not merely a mirror, but a tool — a means of opening up spaces for thinking and feeling that lie beyond everyday routines. In the face of global crises and social challenges, it becomes clear how much we need such spaces, not only to survive, but also to understand and shape the world anew. They are a refuge from the daily flood of information and, at the same time, a space where perception deepens and connections become visible. Here, we can explore how society could think, feel, and act differently.

Art allows us to resolve conflicts while still creating connections. It confronts us with the unspeakable and makes it visible, acting as a catalyst for change and a source of hope. In an increasingly secularized world, it takes on tasks that were once reserved for religion — art creates meaning, establishes rituals, and forms communities. The pandemic has not only put this power to the test, but also highlighted how much art acts as a social glue – even without physical proximity.

„Art only becomes interesting when we are faced with something that we cannot immediately explain completely.“ Christoph Schlingensief

The great potential of art lies in its ability to expand our thinking and provide inspiration that has an impact beyond the moment. In a time of technological and ecological upheaval, art becomes a key resource for thinking about and experimenting with the new. Art is therefore not a minor matter, but an existential one. It challenges us not only to endure the present, but to engage with it critically and creatively — and thus gives us the freedom to shape the future differently.

Cinema is art in motion. It is not static like a picture on the wall, but unfolds in the interplay of light, time, and space: in the darkness of the theater, in the whirring of the projector, in the collective gaze. Since the early film theories of the 20th century, cinema has been regarded as an independent art form – as the “seventh art.” But from the very beginning, it was both: a fairground attraction and a total work of art, a mass medium and a radical experiment. No other medium shows reality so directly and reinvents it again and again.

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The 19th LICHTER Filmfest will be a place where art is not only shown, but also conceived as a social force—a forum that explores the artistic possibilities of film and moving images. With its annual theme of “art,” the festival also brings together the leitmotifs of previous years: “change,” “freedom,” “love,” “future,” and “fear.” With over 20 international feature films, the festival will illuminate the annual theme of “art” from different perspectives and present it in a variety of ways.

The 6th Congress Future German Cinema focuses on film as an independent art form and an open field of experimentation. Discussions will explore how artistic practice is changing narratives, enabling new forms of storytelling, and giving cinema renewed relevance in a time of global upheaval.

With the Lichter Art Award, the festival also presents an exhibition featuring outstanding examples of video art —an independent discipline of the visual arts that also opens up new aesthetic horizons as an interface between cinematic and visual practice.