If you're afraid, you're right. At least no one can be denied their own fear. But fear has also become a quick formula that conceals very diverse experiences of threat. Perhaps a look at generations of fear can help here. For example, what distinguishes the fears of the post-war generation or the boomers from the fears of the millennials? And what fear afflictions characterise our present? The generations obviously also differ in terms of their fears and at the same time fears are passed on from generation to generation. Heinz Bude takes his 2015 classic "Society of Fear" as the starting point for a discussion about fear between the generations.

The event is part of the extensive programme accompanying the exhibition "DO WORRY BE HAPPY", which can be seen at the Kunsthalle Barmen until 31 August. Curated by Wuppertal art professor Katja Pfeiffer and her team, the group exhibition brings together works by established artists such as Daniel Richter, Toni Schmale and Christiane Möbus as well as works by students from the university of Wuppertal. All of the exhibits revolve around the question of how social fears can be artistically processed and visualised.

The Kunsthalle Barmen, which has been sponsored by the university since its reopening in 2024, is increasingly developing into a place of dialogue between art, science and urban society. The exhibition DO WORRY BE HAPPY not only uses the exhibition space itself, but also the public space - and invites visitors to actively engage with social issues.

Read the press release on the "DO WORRY BE HAPPY" exhibition here