A(rt) New Economy

A(rt) New Economy

Students from the Department of Economics open the plenary session of the Sustainable Economy Summit 2026

On 21 April 2026, students from the Department of Economics at Alanus University of Arts and Social Sciences opened the plenary session of the Sustainable Economy Summit in Berlin with an artistic performance. The work was created as part of the “Major Final Art Project” and explored the question of what role art can play in economic and social transformation processes.

Under the conceptual direction of Ulrike de Ribaupierre, lecturer for artistic processes, and Prof. Kathrin Böhm, Professor of Art in the Corporate Context, the students developed the content and format of the self-organised, collective contribution within eight days, deliberately positioning it at the intersection of economics, society and artistic practice. The performance not only opened the summit plenary session, but was also continued as an open setting throughout large parts of the event. In this way, a space for exchange emerged in which analytical perspectives were complemented by aesthetic forms of experience.

The Sustainable Economy Summit 2026 was held under the motto “Tailwind” and brought together stakeholders from politics, business and civil society in the political centre of Berlin. Dr Katharina Reuter, Chair of the German Association for Sustainable Economy and honorary professor at Alanus University, opened the event and introduced the thematic focal points. Other contributors included Prof. Dr Maja Göpel, Dr Eckart von Hirschhausen and Dr Robert Habeck.

“The involvement of the students makes clear the importance of interdisciplinary approaches in addressing current economic challenges,” says Ulrike de Ribaupierre. “A sustainable economy requires not only professional expertise, but also the ability to develop new perspectives, reflect on social interconnections and contribute creative processes to processes of change.”

The university would like to thank everyone involved for their commitment, as well as the organisers for the invitation and the opportunity to play an active role in shaping the summit.