Albright Stage | When Conflicts Seek to Conquer Minds: Art in the Age of Propaganda

Wars are not only fought over territories, but also over human minds and the imagination. Narratives, emotions and identities are targeted with weapons such as propaganda, information manipulation and algorithmic interference. If culture defines normality, what do freedom and cultural resilience mean for democracies when truth becomes elusive, digital algorithms shape human behaviour and trust in institutions is continuously undermined? Democracy depends on the ability to negotiate shared values and narratives, empathize with others, imagine the future, and actively shape reality rather than simply consume it. Art and culture sustain these abilities. If wars are fought over minds, is the soft power of art a cultural luxury? Framing Remarks by Sally Painter, Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer Blue Star Strategies.