Symposium: Reimagining Museums

In the framework of A Model, an exhibition that reflects on the role of the museum at the beginning of the twenty-first century, Mudam Luxembourg – Musée d’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean organises the symposium Reimagining Museums.

On June 8 and 9,  2024, Mudam will open its doors to lectures, workshops and convivial moments, inviting audiences, artists and museum professionals to engage and contribute to a collective dialogue on the very idea of the museum and how institutions could or should evolve in the future.

Programme

Saturday, June 8
11am–12:30pm: Introduction
With Bettina Steinbrügge (director of Mudam Luxembourg), Benjamin Weil (director of CAM – Centro de Arte Moderna Gulbenkian), Agustín Pérez Rubio (curator of the Spanish Pavilion at the 60th Venice Biennale)

2–3:30pm: Panel 1​ Museums as laboratories 
With Clémentine Deliss (curator and cultural historian, author of Skin in the Game), Chloé Quenum (artist and participant of the Benin Pavilion at the 60th Venice Biennale) and Hendrik Folkerts (curator of international contemporary art and head of exhibitions at Moderna Museet)

This panel will explore the diverse forms and functions of museums in today’s society. From serving as bastions of critical thinking to dynamic content producers, museums play a multifaceted role in shaping our understanding of the world. How are these institutions evolving beyond mere repositories of collections, and become educational tools and dynamic social spaces, fostering dialogue, empathy, and social engagement? How do museums engage with their communities, challenge perspectives, offer knowledge and address pressing social issues in their programming? And how do artists contribute to these changes?

3:45–5:15pm: Panel 2​ Museums in times of shifting narratives 
With Fatoş Üstek (curator and author of The Art Institution of Tomorrow), Kasia Redzisz (artistic director of KANAL – Centre Pompidou) and Nataša Petrešin-Bachelez (Arts and Culture programme manager at the Cité internationale des arts)

What narratives are woven within museum walls? From historical reinterpretations to contemporary reckonings, contemporary museums try to diversify their voices and perspectives and challenge conventional narratives. What new narratives are at play? In a world in constant flux and evolving perspectives, museums serve as dynamic storytellers, decentralising the gaze and inviting us to discover new ways of seeing.

6–7pm: Performance banquet with Luiza Prado
7–8pm: Live performance by Ebrima Mass
8–10pm: DJ set by Amuleto Manuela

Sunday, June 9
11am–12pm: Mudam on the Hot Seat!
Join Mudam’s director and her team for an open mic session at Oscar Murillo’s arena. Bring your topics of interest, ask any question, share your ideas and participate in redefining the museum experience.

2–3:30pm: Panel 3​ Museums as ecosystems 
With Giulia Bellinetti (curator and coordinator of the Nature Research department at Future Everything), Guillaume Désanges (president of the Palais de Tokyo and author of Petit Traité de permaculture institutionnelle) and Niekolaas Johannes Lekkerkerk (director of RADIUS)

As ecosystems thrive on interdependence and diversity, museums too are deeply entwined with their surrounding communities, territories and socio-political contexts. In this panel we explore the symbiotic relationship between museums and their ecosystems, examining how they adapt to and shape the cultural, economic and environmental landscapes around them. 

3:45–4:15pm: Reading The Imaginary Museum
By Ben Eastham
Ben Eastham is editor-in-chief of e-flux Criticism and writer of the acclaimed The Imaginary Museum: A Personal Tour of Contemporary Art featuring ghosts, nudity and disagreements.

Introducing his latest book, the author does not expect us to like the artworks in his imaginary museum but offers tools to formulate and express our opinion. He argues: “In talking about art, we learn to talk about ourselves and the world in which we live.”

Entrance: free
Language: English
Complete programme: mudam.com

Reimagining Museums is organised by António Mendes, head of publics of Mudam Luxembourg and Bettina Steinbrügge, director of Mudam Luxembourg

Reimagining Museums is organised with the support of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.