The digital performative symposium UNEXPECTED LESSONS #3 took a critical, decolonizing look at the ambivalent world of ideas of German Romantik, which as an artistic and political movement still has a great influence on notions of national/European identity and belonging.

Through talks, lectures, artistic interventions, film and music, the program addressed the question of how colonial and Romantic ideas are interrelated. We penetrated to the roots of today's Europe as a cultural space, look at enlightenment and anti-enlightenment, the history of Sinti and Roma, between romanization and othering, ask in which relationship colonialism and romanticism stand and talk about romantic love and power.

Tímea Junghaus’ (art historian & director European Institute for Arts and Culture) keynote entitled The Ultimate Romantics — How Roma Influenced National Characters explores how Roma culture and identity have influenced the development of national characters, the idea of the artist, and the avant-garde.