Collecting as Practice

Delfina Foundation announces its new thematic programme, Collecting as Practice. Through residencies, new commissions, and events, the programme poses urgent questions to both artists and collectors around the philosophy, psychology and politics of collecting. While a number of programmes have recently interrogated issues around collecting practices, Delfina Foundation is the first programme to formally host artists and collectors in residence together to explore shared approaches and concerns, and the potential for such practices in the broadest sense. 

Directed by Aaron Cezar, Collecting as Practice underpins a year of Delfina Foundation’s programme with artists, collectors and institutions, who are conceptually and practically expanding the notion of collecting in terms of aesthetics, ethics, conservation, preservation, education and value.

A public programme, curated by Rose Lejeune, develops the theme through a series of discussions exploring radical modes of collecting, and collections as sites with the potential for active and critical engagement in the development of cultural identity, revisionist histories and new narratives. As such, the programme moves beyond focusing on the accumulation of individual art works to unpack how artists and collectors alike are redefining the critical discourses of collecting in a global context.

Additional events and outcomes related to the residencies will be staged at Autograph ABP, Delfina Foundation, and the Victoria & Albert Museum, among others over the next year.

Artists-in-residence
Mark Dion (US), Deyson Gilbert (Brazil), Geumhyung Jeong (South Korea), Joshua Lue Chee Kong (Trinidad and Tobago), Wok the Rock (Indonesia), Avani Tanya (India), Oriol Vilanova (Spain/Belgium)

Curators-in-residence
Özge Ersoy (Turkey), Nida Ghouse (India)

Collectors-in-residence
Pedro Barbosa (Brazil), Dorith Galuz (France), Sean Lu (China), Luba Michailova (Ukraine), Daisuke Miyatsu (Japan)

And more participants will be announced throughout the year.

Events at Delfina Foundation

“Sharing Collections”
April 24, 7pm
Exploring the relationships that are formed between collectors and artists, Pedro Barbosa and Deyson Gilbert discuss their long-term collaboration exploring ephemera—posters, artists’ books and vinyl albums—produced by conceptual artists in the 1960s and ’70s that form a substantial part of the Moraes-Barbosa Collection.

Open House
May 20–21, times vary
Conceptualised by students of Curating Contemporary Art at the Royal College of Art, this weekend of events brings together former resident artists of Delfina Foundation as a temporary collection.

“The Social Value of Private Initiatives and Museums”
June 5, 7pm
In conversation with resident collectors Sean Lu (Sifang Art Museum, China) and Luba Michailova (IZOLYATSIA, Ukraine), this discussion explores how private initiatives can bring transnational critical thinking and pedagogy to local contexts in meaningful ways.

“Who Really Owns It? Thinking Through Ownership of Contemporary Art and Cultural Heritage”
June 20, 7pm
Taking its departure point from research conducted by resident curator Özge Ersoy, this discussion highlights key artistic, archaeological and architectural practices that address radical notions of social ownership and communal knowledge of artworks and cultural artefacts. 

“Re-Collections”
22 June, 19:00
This evening features current resident artists of Delfina Foundation presenting a range of critical and experimental ideas on the notion of collecting. It marks the end of Delfina Foundation’s spring programme of residencies.

Talks moderated by Rose Lejeune. More speakers to be announced.

Art fairs:
Extending critical discourse from the programme for diverse audiences, Collecting as Practice will host a series of talks in collaboration with international art fairs:

Art Brussels, April 22, 4pm
“Collecting, Intimacy and the Domestic”
with Pedro Barbosa, Aaron Cezar, Dorith Galuz, and Alain Servais, moderated by Rose Lejeune

artmonte-carlo, April 29, 3pm
“Private Collection / Public Audiences”
with Pedro Barbosa, Aaron Cezar, and Luba Michailova, moderated by Rose Lejeune

Partners
Autograph ABP
Brooks International Fellowship Programme with Tate
Charles Wallace India Trust
Coleção Moraes-Barbosa
Danish Arts Council
Here, There & Everywhere
IndoArtNow
Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation
Mohamed and Mahera Abu Ghazaleh Foundation
Korean Cultural Centre UK
Royal College of Art
SAHA Association
SAM Fund for Arts & Culture
SongEun Art & Cultural Foundation
Trans Atlantic Artist’s Residency Exchange
VARI (V&A Research Institute) and its project Opening the Cabinet of Curiosities
Victoria & Albert Museum
9915

and Delfina’s family of individual supporters