On October 21, 2023, we attended the Inside Art conference at Art Market Budapest, where Prof. Dr. Thomas Girst, Global Head of Cultural Engagement at the BMW Group, gave a presentation on the sustainability of culture. Following the presentation "The Power of the Detour", artists, cultural leaders and representatives of the for-profit sector discussed current issues of sustainable culture. At the heart of the discussion was the question, attributed to Winston Churchill, "but then why fight?". During the Second World War, the British Parliament reportedly wanted to temporarily stop funding the arts because of the cost of the war. Urban legend has it that this was Churchill's response to the question quoted above.
Sustainability has become a pervasive concept in our everyday lives, a factor in our decisions. There is little question about the importance of energy, nature, our wider environment, or indeed the struggle for sustainability of development, growth and so many other factors. But who, in the meantime, is concerned with the sustainability of our culture, of old and new cultural values, their creators and their audiences?" asked the organisers of the Inside Art conference. We were delighted to be part of this collective reflection, as SIXAGON is committed to playing an active role in the fight for cultural sustainability.