Exhibition on view from: June 16 to August 16, 2018
Is the Search for Freedom Different Today Than It Was 50 Years Ago?
The international project In Search of Freedom: 1968-2018 seeks to answer this question by exploring images of student demonstrations across Europe, reflecting the era’s atmosphere and juxtaposing it with contemporary perspectives through a competitive Instagram contest and personal testimonies from participants in student movements. The student protests of 1968, where students in European cities advocated for various political ideas, surprised those who had experienced the hardships and dangers of World War II. This older generation struggled to understand the needs of the new generation and their desire for a different world. Today, amid growing social injustices, the challenges and questions raised in 1968 seem as relevant as ever.
The exhibition is part of the international project In Search of Freedom: 1968-2018, which aims to understand the significance of 1968, both in its historical context and its implications for the present day.
The project focuses on this pivotal moment in our shared history to foster a better understanding of the past and inspire change for the future. By re-examining the messages of 1968, it emphasizes the importance of remembrance and the role of an independent civil society in shaping democracy. Bringing together partners from Poland, Slovenia, and Spain, the project uses intergenerational dialogue and active participation to engage students through five main areas of activity.
During lectures and discussions, students deepened their understanding of the 1968 protests within different national contexts and raised awareness of shared European values. To highlight the local dimension, the three partners are creating memory archives with personal stories from eyewitnesses of 1968. An international Instagram contest involved students worldwide, who, inspired by positive examples of past struggles for freedom, created personal visions of a free and democratic society.
The content gathered during the project’s activities is featured in a published book, integrated into a study workshop module on the civil rights movement, and displayed at an international traveling exhibition in Ljubljana, Warsaw, and Barcelona.
