Is the journey of formation dead?

Talk: Lilibeth Cuenca Rasmussen & Anders Fogh Jensen, moderated by Moussa Mchangama. **

Travel has for centuries been associated with cognition, formation and vision. From the classic European journeys of formation to the modern sabbatical, the idea has stood strong: that we become wiser, better and more whole by breaking up, seeing new things and being challenged. Especially for the nobility and for the artists, journeys into the world have formed the basis for knowledge and inspiration. In the encounter with the “stranger” artistic direction was shaped and new motifs were found.

But today one could be tempted to ask whether the journey of formation even shows the way?longer, or whether it has lost its meaning in an era where airfares are cheap and where the world has gone global. Do we need to travel to find ourselves? And what has happened to artists' educational journeys, at a time when cultural appropriation and identity politics are up for debate?

In this talk, artist Lilibeth Cuenca Rasmussen and philosopher Anders Fogh Jensen examine from their perspectives what the journey of formation means in 2026 — and what we may have lost, gained or rediscovered.
As a video and performance artist as well as a guest lecturer at the Academy of Fine Arts, Lilibeth Cuenca Rasmussen has actively used her Filipino background and travel in her art; while Anders Fogh Jensen, in addition to his work as a philosopher, lecturer and writer, works in arranging and directing educational trips. The conversation will be expertly moderated by Moussa Mchangama, co-founder & senior adviser at In futurum. He strives for greater diversity and inclusion.

The conversation also links to the David Collection's two special exhibitions, both of which revolve around the images, myths and self-narratives of the journey. From romanticized notions of the past to the challenges of the present, a complex picture emerges: Perhaps the journey of formation is not dead — but changed? Perhaps it has changed shape from geographical movement to social or cultural mobility? Or perhaps it lives on in new variations, where the journey is no longer a privilege for the few but an expectation for the many?