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Join a community of scholars, writers, and artists to explore the origins and current state of democracy during the 2026 Night of Ideas.The US celebrates its 250th anniversary this year, offering a moment to reflect on one of the world’s boldest experiments in democracy. The ideas first expressed in 1776—liberty, equality, and government by the people—have inspired many nations, even as they have been challenged over time. Today, as people around the globe show both frustration with democratic systems and a renewed desire to protect them, we face important questions about the future. What can we learn from the country’s past, and how do those lessons connect with experiences globally? Can democracy still meet the needs of the 21st century?
Organized by Villa Albertine, the French Institute for Culture and Education, the Night of Ideas (La nuit des idées) is a dynamic annual event happening in cities around the world aimed at fostering dialogue on urgent global issues. This year’s event at Ohio State brings together scholars, writers, artists, and community members to explore the Enlightenment ideals that shaped democracies in the US and France—such as reason and the rule of law, freedom of expression, progress, and equal access to education and culture—and the current landscape of democracy.
The event connects with two major exhibitions at the Wexner Center for the Arts—Naeem Mohaiemen: Corinthians and Hew Locke: Passages—which examine how history is remembered and how power is represented. Together, the Night of Ideas and these exhibitions invite the public to consider who democracy serves, how it is shaped, and how art can help us understand the challenges we face today.
See the full schedule and learn more at https://wexarts.org/talks-more/night-ideas
Program Schedule
—2:30–9 PM
—Doors open at 2 PM
La Chinoise (Jean-Luc Godard, 1967)
Film/Video Theater | 2:30 PM
—Separate ticket required
—Enjoy a special francophone edition of our series 101 Films You Need to See Before Graduation featuring Godard’s La Chinoise. A colorful and under-seen staple of the French New Wave, this pop-art masterpiece both channels and parodies the revolutionary energies of 1960s Paris.
Wex Community Studio
Heirloom Café | 4–7 PM
—Drop in to make wearable garlands and crowns made from crepe-paper flowers, collage with magazine cutouts, or create a painting.
Flash Talk Presentations
Film/Video Theater | 5 PM
—Introduced by Maurice Stevens, Professor in the Department of Comparative Studies; Associate Dean for Engagement, College of Arts and Sciences; and Faculty Director of the STEAM Factory. Featuring Ohio State faculty Elizabeth Andrews Bond, Pranav Jani, Margaret Ellen Newell, Christopher McKnight Nichols, Sahar Tarighi, and Winston Thompson. A short, moderated conversation follows the presentations.
Jazz Lounge
Gallery Reading Room | 6 PM
—Join Ohio State School of Music students and area coordinator for Jazz Studies Mike Smith for an evening of music from Miles Davis and his Parisian connections.
Reception
Lower Lobby | 6 PM
—Enjoy light bites from La Chatelaine French Bakery & Bistro and a cash bar while you continue the conversation and socialize with the community. Check in with volunteers from Ohio State’s Department of French and Italian to practice your French speaking throughout the evening.
Remarks and Keynote Presentation
Out of the Ashes: Building a New American Democracy
Film/Video Theater | 7 PM
—At a moment when democratic institutions are failing at home and under strain worldwide, Hasan Kwame Jeffries’ keynote confronts the collapse of American democracy as both a warning and an opening. Drawing on three pivotal moments in US history—the revolution, the Reconstruction era, and the civil rights era—Jeffries shows that democracy has only moved forward when those most excluded from power forced the nation to change. Accordingly, he calls on those who believe in freedom to seize this moment to boldly imagine and build a more resilient, inclusive democracy equal to the crises of our time.
Reception
Lower Lobby | 8:30 PM
—Enjoy sweet bites from La Chatelaine French Bakery & Bistro and a cash bar and expand on the evening’s conversations.
Galleries open until 9 PM
—Explore the work of Naeem Mohaiemen, Ximena Garrido-Lecca, and Hew Locke with Wex educators.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Wexner Center for the Arts, 1871 N High St,Columbus, Ohio, United States
Tickets
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.
