Event archive
2026
Saturday, October 31, 2026
October 31, 2026,–November 22, 2026,
Location: Tiger Strikes Asteroid
ONLINE
Exhibition "Murmuration"
The exhibition MURMURATION brings together artistic positions from Berlin, Los Angeles and Mexico-City with works by Detlef Baltrock, Gunnhildur Hauksdottir, Sua Kim, Anita Kucharczyk, Frank Maier, Shane Mecklenburger, Marco Rountree, Alma Saladin, Ernesto Solana, Anke Völk, Daniel Wiesenfeld and Clemens Wilhelm.
Wednesday, October 28, 2026
Time:
Location: Villa Aurora
ONLINE
Concert: Remembering The Exiles
A concert evening with music by exiled Austrian composers Hugo Kauder, Erich Zeisl, Ernst Toch and Ernst Krenek performed by musicians of the Colburn School of Music.
Thursday, October 22, 2026
Time:
Location: Villa Aurora
ONLINE
The President's Tailor
Screening and discussion with filmmaker and Villa Aurora Fellow 2006, Rick Minnich.
Friday, October 16, 2026
October 16, 2026–December 31, 2026
Location: Cottbus
ONLINE
Art on Common Ground - Cottbus
Large-format art posters by renowned artists invite people to rediscover art in everyday life—in public spaces throughout Cottbus and at the Brandenburg State Museum of Modern Art from October 31 to December 31, 2026.
Featuring works by Anna Haifisch, Erik Göngrich, and Wiebke Loeper.
Thursday, October 15, 2026
Location: Thomas Mann House
ONLINE
Humanism in the Age of Algorithms: AI, Trust, and Public Storytelling
A Conversation with 2026 Thomas Mann Fellow Miriam Meckel, Doug McLennan, Jodie Hopperton, moderated by Léa Steinacker.
Thursday, October 15, 2026
October 15, 2026–November 15, 2026
Location: Utah State University
ONLINE
Exhibition "Democracy Will Win!" at Utah State University
The traveling exhibition 'Thomas Mann: Democracy Will Win!,' created by the Thomas Mann House, will be shown at the Utah State University in collaboration with the Department of World Languages & Cultures.
Sunday, October 11, 2026
Time:
Location: Los Angeles Public Library (Central Branch)
ONLINE
"The Librarians" – On Censorship and Book Bans
Screening & Conversation at the Los Angeles Central Library with Director Kim A. Snyder, LAPL City Librarian John Szabo, USC librarian Taylor Dwyer & moderated by independent bookshop owner Nikki High.
Saturday, October 10, 2026
Time:
Location: Goethe-Institute (1901 W 7th St Ste A/B, Los Angeles, CA 90057)
ONLINE
Filmmaker Brunch with Florian Baron
Screening and discussion with filmmaker and Villa Aurora Fellow 2024, Florian Baron.
Sunday, September 20, 2026
Time:
Location: OSTEN Festival, Zschornewitz Power Plant
ONLINE
Art on Common Ground - Festival OSTEN Tour
Viktoria Binschtok, Sonya Schönberger & Luise Schröder discuss their works, which were created as part of Art on Common Ground.
Friday, September 18, 2026
Time:
Location: Auditorium, Beethoven Hall Bonn (Wachsbleiche 16, 53111 Bonn)
ONLINE
"At Home Abroad"
Talk with Susanne Beyer, Ciani-Sophia Hoeder and Dr. Kai Hinrich Müller, moderated by Andreas Platthaus
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
Location: Metabolic Studio
ONLINE
After the Fires: Intersectional Approaches to Wildfire Resilience
A workshop with Thomas Mann Fellow Morgane Llanque, Lauren Bon, Edith de Guzman, Ursula Heise, and more guests.
Saturday, September 12, 2026
September 12, 2026–September 27, 2026
Location: Bitterfeld-Wolfen & Zschornewitz Power Plant
ONLINE
Art on Common Ground - Festival OSTEN
Large-format art posters by renowned artists invite people to rediscover art in everyday life—in public spaces throughout Bitterfeld-Wolfen and at the festival grounds at the Zschornewitz Power Plant from September 12 to 27, 2026.
Featuring works by Viktoria Binschtok, Sonya Schönberger & Luise Schröder.
Thursday, September 10, 2026
Time:
September 10, 2026
Location: Villa Aurora (520 Paseo Miramar, 90272, LA, CA)
ONLINE
Reading and Discussion with Michael Lentz
Reading and discussion with Michael Lentz, Villa Aurora Fellow 2001, and author of Schattenfroh. A Requiem in conversation with translator Max Lawton.
Sunday, August 30, 2026
Time:
Location: Villa Aurora (520 Paseo Miramar, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272)
ONLINE
Thursday, August 13, 2026
Time:
Location: Thomas Mann House
ONLINE
From Competition to Collaboration: How Can Cities Build Partnerships for the Planetary Age?
With Thomas Mann Fellow Grégoire Roos, Prof. Stephanie Pincetl, Jonathan Blake & Erin Bromaghim, co-Presented with The Berggruen Institute.
Thursday, July 23, 2026
Time:
Location: ASU California Center (1111 South Broadway Los Angeles, CA 90015)
ONLINE
Can the Energy Crisis Finally Unite Us?
With former Florida U.S. Representative Carlos Curbelo, New America Planetary Politics director Heela Rasool-Ayub, climate change journalist Kate Yoder, and Thomas Mann Fellow Uwe Jean Heuser. Co-presented by Zócalo Public Square, in partnership with ASU Global Futures Laboratory and Palisadian-Post.
Thursday, July 16, 2026
Time:
Location: Thomas Mann House (1550 N San Remo Drive, CA 90272)
ONLINE
Breaking the Silence
A Literary and Musical Evening with Ukrainian Author Margaryta Surzhenko, Luis RosaLebron, and Andrew Krastins.
Thursday, July 16, 2026
July 16, 2026–July 17, 2026
Location: Radio LOOKOUT FM
ONLINE
Villa Aurora X Lookout FM Radio - Episode 19 of "if the house could speak"
Episode 19 of if the house could speak - a special broadcast series presented by Villa Aurora & LOOKOUT FM airing every two weeks on KFQM, 101.5 FM in the Pacific Palisades and online.
Thursday, July 9, 2026
Time:
Location: Thomas Mann House (1550 N San Remo Drive, CA 90272)
ONLINE
How Religion Shapes Society
Sociologist Sanyu A. Mojola & Theologian Michael Seewald in Conversation.
Saturday, June 6, 2026
Time:
Location: Thomas Mann House
ONLINE
Villa Aurora. Exile, Art and Freedom in Los Angeles
Book Launch of Villa Aurora. Exile, Art and Freedom in Los Angeles with Donna Rifkind, E. Randol Schoenberg, Birgit Kreipe, Claudia Gordon, Jakob Scherer, and Friedel Schmoranzer.
By Invitation only
Wednesday, June 3, 2026
Time:
Location: MAK Center for Art and Architecture at the Schindler House (835 Kings Rd, West Hollywood, CA 90069)
ONLINE
Book Talk: The Emperor Incognito
Book talk with author Monika Czernin, highly acclaimed author of The Emperor Incognito: Joseph II’s Journey Through Enlightenment in conversation with Claudia Gordon.
Monday, June 1, 2026
June 1, 2026–June 30, 2026
Location: Online/Radio
ONLINE
„Deutschland, höre!“ - Thomas Mann's Radio Addresses
To mark the 150th anniversary of Thomas Mann’s birth, the BBC radio addresses have been newly recorded by actress Sandra Hüller. Voices from politics, scholarship, and culture comment on them and enter into a dialogue with Mann’s texts.
Sunday, May 31, 2026
May 31, 2026–June 13, 2026
Location: YouTube
ONLINE
Saskia Warzecha at the Galka Scheyer House
In honor of Galka Scheyer's birthday, we are publishing the film portrait of writer Saskia Warzecha from her time as a resident in the house of the legendary German-American art collector in the winter of 2025/26.
Friday, May 29, 2026
May 29, 2026–June 8, 2026
Location: Halle (Saale)
ONLINE
Art on Common Ground
From May 29 to June 8, 2026, Art on Common Ground transforms the city center of Halle (Saale) into a public gallery. The works will be displayed at diverse locations, forging a connection between art, society, and international perspectives.
With works by: Fern Liberty Kallenbach Campbell, Marc Fromm, Christine Matzke, and Klaus Pockrandt.
Tuesday, May 26, 2026
Time:
Location: Einstein Forum (Am Neuen Markt 7, 14467 Potsdam)
ONLINE
Journalism in Trying Times – A German-American Exchange
Talk with Journalists Susanne Beyer (DER SPIEGEL) and Sandra Kegel (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung), moderated by Deborah Cole (The Guardian).
Thursday, May 21, 2026
May 21, 2026–May 22, 2026
Location: Radio LOOKOUT FM
ONLINE
Villa Aurora X Lookout FM Radio - Episode 18 of "if the house could speak"
Episode 18 of if the house could speak - a special broadcast series presented by Villa Aurora & LOOKOUT FM airing every two weeks on KFQM, 101.5 FM in the Pacific Palisades and online.
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
Time:
Location: DISTANZ Verlag (Hallesches Ufer 78, 10963 Berlin)
ONLINE
Villa Aurora | Exile, Art, and Freedom in Los Angeles
Book Launch of "Villa Aurora. Exile, Art and Freedom in Los Angeles" with Shelly Kupferberg, Steven Lavine, Sharon Dodua Otoo, Claudia Gordon, Jakob Scherer, Markus Klimmer and Sven Lehmann.
Thursday, April 23, 2026
Time:
Location: Los Angeles Public Library (630 W 5th St, Los Angeles, CA 90071)
ONLINE
Book Launch: The California Camera Club - Collective Visions in the Making of the American West
2023 Thomas Mann Fellow Carolin Görgen will discuss her new book about the California Camera Club at the LA Public Library.
Thursday, April 23, 2026
April 23, 2026–April 24, 2026
Location: Radio LOOKOUT FM
ONLINE
Villa Aurora X Lookout FM Radio - Episode 17 of "if the house could speak"
Episode 17 of if the house could speak - a special broadcast series presented by Villa Aurora & LOOKOUT FM airing every two weeks on KFQM, 101.5 FM in the Pacific Palisades and online.
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
Time:
Location: Thomas Mann House (1550 N San Remo Drive, CA 90272)
ONLINE
Transatlantic Feedback: A Listening Session with Thomas Meinecke & Lauren Goshinski
A transatlantic sonic exchange between Thomas Meinecke & Lauren Goshinski.
Wednesday, April 15, 2026
Time:
Location: Kirche St. Antonius (Luegallee 61, 40545 Düsseldorf-Oberkassel)
ONLINE
Ruhe.punkt - Hanno Leichtmann
The Berlin-based composer and sound artist Hanno Leichtmann presents his album Outerlands, created for the Mühleisen organ—an instrument whose integrated percussion elements align seamlessly with his distinctive, rhythm-driven sonic language.
Thursday, April 9, 2026
April 9, 2026–April 10, 2026
Location: Radio LOOKOUT FM
ONLINE
Villa Aurora X Lookout FM Radio - Episode 16 of "if the house could speak"
Episode 16 of if the house could speak - a special broadcast series presented by Villa Aurora & LOOKOUT FM airing every two weeks on KFQM, 101.5 FM in the Pacific Palisades and online.
Thursday, March 26, 2026
Time:
Location: Thomas Mann House (1550 N San Remo Drive, CA 90272)
ONLINE
Émigré vs Exile Modernism and Architecture in L.A.
Volker M. Welter & Alex Ross in Conversation
Tuesday, March 17, 2026
Time:
Location: Belly Room at the The Comedy Store (8433 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069)
ONLINE
Oliver Polak & Friends: One Night Only
A Comedy Show with Thomas Mann Fellow Oliver Polak & Friends at the iconic Comedy Store! Featuring internationally renowned comedians Sarah Silverman & Nikki Glaser.
Thursday, February 26, 2026
February 26, 2026
Location: Radio LOOKOUT FM
ONLINE
Villa Aurora X Lookout FM Radio - Episode 15 of "if the house could speak"
Episode 15 of if the house could speak - a special broadcast series presented by Villa Aurora & LOOKOUT FM airing every two weeks on KFQM, 101.5 FM in the Pacific Palisades and online.
Sunday, February 22, 2026
February 22, 2026–February 28, 2026
Location: Thomas Mann House (1550 N San Remo Drive, CA 90272)
ONLINE
"Sliced Realities"- Solo exhibition by Ukrainian artist Zhanna Kadyrova
In collaboration with Kyiv to LA, the Thomas Mann House presents a solo exhibition by Ukrainian artist Zhanna Kadyrova in February 2026.
Tuesday, February 17, 2026
Time:
Location: Thomas Mann House (1550 N San Remo Drive, CA 90272)
ONLINE
The Truth of Populism: Facts, Fiction, and Truisms in Contemporary Politics
A Conversation with Adrian Daub und Nils Kumkar.
Thursday, February 12, 2026
Time:
Location: Thomas Mann House (1550 N San Remo Drive, CA 90272)
ONLINE
Freud and the History of Psychoanalysis: Beyond the Biographical Illusion
A Lecture by Andreas Mayer
Thursday, February 12, 2026
February 12, 2026–February 13, 2026
Location: Radio LOOKOUT FM
ONLINE
Villa Aurora X Lookout FM Radio - Episode 14 of "if the house could speak"
Episode 14 of if the house could speak - a special broadcast series presented by Villa Aurora & LOOKOUT FM airing every two weeks on KFQM, 101.5 FM in the Pacific Palisades and online.
Monday, February 9, 2026
February 9, 2026–March 9, 2026
Location: University of Nevada
ONLINE
Exhibition "Democracy Will Win!" at University of Nevada
The traveling pop-up exhibition 'Thomas Mann: Democracy Will Win!,' created by the Thomas Mann House, will be shown at the University of Nevada in collaboration with the Department of World Languages and Cultures.
Thursday, January 29, 2026
January 29, 2026–January 30, 2026
Location: Radio LOOKOUT FM
ONLINE
Villa Aurora X Lookout FM Radio - Episode 13 of "if the house could speak"
Episode 13 of if the house could speak - a special broadcast series presented by Villa Aurora & LOOKOUT FM airing every two weeks on KFQM, 101.5 FM in the Pacific Palisades and online.
Saturday, January 17, 2026
Time:
Location: Akademiegebäude am Gendarmenmarkt, Salon Sophie Charlotte (Markgrafenstraße 38, 10117 Berlin)
ONLINE
Can We Still Be Saved? On Conflicts and How to Address Them More Objectively
Talk with Sandra Kegel and Patrick Cramer, moderated by Shelly Kupferberg
Thursday, January 15, 2026
Time:
Location: Thomas Mann House (1550 N San Remo Drive, CA 90272)
ONLINE
One Year after the Fires: Remembering, Rebuilding, Healing
An afternoon community gathering of remembrance, community, and hope.
Sunday, January 11, 2026
Time:
Location: Los Angeles Public Library (630 W 5th St, Los Angeles, CA 90071)
ONLINE
In Search of a Common Cause
A Conversation with Krista Tippett and Navid Kermani.
Sunday, January 11, 2026
January 11, 2026–February 12, 2026
ONLINE
Navid Kermani: In Search of a Common Cause. Conversations Across the U.S.
A conversation series with Navid Kermani that explores how we can build and maintain solidarity in a polarized world marked by war, displacement, and political division. Organized by the Goethe-Institut in North America and the Thomas Mann House Los Angeles.