Our world is driven by speed, pursuit for progress and an attitude to always go a step further. Standstill which is perceived as a step backwards does not really fit in here at first glance. Since it is not about the deliberate deceleration of a dynamic but its interruption. Particularly, an enacted standstill due to the Corona pandemic has brought a hitherto unnoticed subject into the spotlight. However, a standstill – in parts desired, in parts not or even inevitable – happens much more often than we perceive. DIAGONAL 2021 focuses on standstill in art and culture, economy and society, and education and teaching.