Being merciful – what role does this term play in our society today? Or does it no longer play a role at all? In four short essays, Dimitré Dinev investigates this subject. He tells of personal experiences, of beggar-children who were hauled off to the West to serve Capitalism, of a country where people speak of security instead of freedom… Dimitré Dinev illustrates a society that cannot be merciful and confronts it with a person who is willing to take on responsibility. He pointedly beds this responsibility in parable-like stories, questions and striking subjects. “Barmherzigkeit” is the first of the series “Unruhe bewahren”, which was developed in cooperation with the Akademie Graz.

Discussions about the threat of privacy from phone hacking scandals and computer-aided searches are commonplace. Anna Kim draws a line from the development of the historic repeal of privacy in interrogation to the current use of digital technologies for government encroachment. In interrogation, the individual was always subdued for the arbitrary good of the public. Anna Kim tells the outrageous interrogation techniques and strategies from ancient history leading up to the dictatorships of modern times, where it was perfected through excessive tailing and show trials. The result is an unusual genealogy of surveillance as a publicly sanctioned violence.

Creativity has never been as topical as it is today. It is no longer the privilege of few, but is rather considered a basic human skill. If you want to be up to date, you better choose something like poetry or expressive dance, painting or spinning the decks. The pressure to be creative overwhelms a lot of people and produces more stress than release. As a result, many seek new ways to be creative and inspiration is in high demand. Consumer products advertise with mentally stimulating qualities, while the wellness industry thrives on the promise of uncovering hidden creativity deep within. And art is no longer expected to produce great masterpieces, but is rather called upon to create creative atmospheres. Creativity as a problem – Wolfgang Ullrich's unexpected ideas shed new light on the subject.