Join the Goethe-Institut London and AICA-UK for the Goethe Annual Lecture 2026, celebrating the remarkable career of Henry Meyric Hughes

The Goethe Annual Lecture invites acclaimed speakers to share their perspectives on the themes that we explore through our cultural work, and on the most pressing issues that society are facing in the United Kingdom, Germany and worldwide.

Taking place on the occasion of Henry’s contribution to Manifesta 16 Ruhr (co-curated with Michael Kurtz), the evening will reflect on a career that has connected art criticism, curating and cultural institution-building across the UK, Germany and Europe. From his early work at the British Council in West Berlin to his directorship of the Hayward Gallery in London, his leadership of AICA-UK and AICA International, his work with the Council of Europe, and his central role in the founding and development of Manifesta, he has played an instrumental role in shaping the networks through which contemporary art has been discussed, exhibited and exchanged internationally.

The event will begin with a personal reflection from Henry on his career and commitment to international cultural dialogue, followed by a roundtable discussion with colleagues who have worked alongside him, including Michael Kurtz, member of the artistic team of Manifesta 16 Ruhr, Bernhard Schulz, writer and critic, and chaired by Sarah Wilson, Professor of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Courtauld.

The discussion will consider Henry’s contribution to both AICA-UK and AICA International, including his work to broaden the organisation’s international reach; his central role in the creation and development of Manifesta and his sustained engagement with German cultural life and institutions.

Looking beyond these achievements, the conversation will also ask what can be learned from these histories of international collaboration at a moment when the future of European cultural exchange is again an urgent question. The evening will therefore be both a celebration and a forward-looking conversation: honouring Henry’s remarkable contribution while opening possibilities for cultural cooperation across borders in the years ahead.

The lecture will be followed by a drinks reception in the Goethe-Institut Library.

If you cannot attend on 12 November, we'll make video documentation of the event available on our YouTube channel asap. Sign up to have this video drop into your inbox by selecting the free 'Video documentation notification' ticket type.

Speakers

Henry Meyric Hughes

Henry Meyric Hughes is a curator, writer and leading figure in international art criticism, and Honorary President of the International Association of Art Critics (AICA). A longstanding honorary member of AICA-UK, he has also served as President of AICA International, contributing to the organisation’s work in fostering dialogue and exchange among art critics internationally. He was Director of the Hayward Gallery, London, from 1992 - 1996, having previously served as Director of Visual Arts at the British Council, when he performed the role of cultural attaché in West Berlin, Lima, Paris and Milan and oversaw a number of presentations of British art at major international exhibitions, including the Venice Biennale and Bienal de São Paulo. His curatorial projects include The Spirit of Romanticism in German Art, 1790 - 1990; Art and Power: Europe under the Dictators 1930 - 1945and Blast to Freeze: British Art in the 20th Century. A co-founder of Manifesta, the European Biennial of Contemporary Art, he served as its first Board President from 1996 to 2007. Throughout his career, he has championed international cultural exchange and strengthened connections between art, criticism and European cultural life. Henry was appointed Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government and awarded the Cross of Merit (Bundesverdienstkreuz) by the President of the German Federal Republic.

Michael Kurtz

Michael Kurtz is a critic and curator based in London. He writes regularly for Art Monthly and e-flux, and he won the International Award for Art Criticism in 2023. His recent curatorial projects are Manifesta 16 Ruhr in Germany and Picasso-Bacon at the Albertina Museum in Vienna, closing on 31 January 2027.

Bernhard Schulz

Bernhard Schulz is an art and architecture critic, writer and curator based in Berlin. He worked as a cultural journalist for Der Tagesspiegel from 1987 to 2019, having previously contributed to publications including Die Zeit and Handelsblatt. His writing covers art, architecture, urban planning and cultural politics, and he has lectured at Berlin universities on cultural management, cultural history and the economics of culture. He served as Vice-President of the German section of AICA from 2008 - 2016 and has been a member of AICA International’s board since 2023.

Sarah Wilson

Sarah Wilson is Professor of the History of Modern and Contemporary Art at The Courtauld, University of London.

Description supplied by the event organiser.