The Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden are holding a symposium on the topic: “The Role of Encyclopedic Museums in Complex Political Times (in Europe)”
31 August 2017The Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden are holding a symposium on the topic: “The Role of Encyclopedic Museums in Complex Political Times (in Europe)”
from Wednesday 13 to Friday 15 September 2017 in the Kunsthalle im Lipsiusbau
Epochal events such as Brexit and the threat of emerging nationalism in European countries have shaken the art world and spurred it into action. Not only are Europe’s identity and the democratic values it is based on increasingly at risk, but also freedom of thought and artistic expression. Museums and cultural institutions are thus reflecting more and more on their social role and ethical mission in this context.
The three-day international symposium “The Role of Encyclopedic Museums in Complex Political Times (in Europe)” from 13 to 15 September 2017 addresses the question of how public museums and institutions can and must react to the current polarisation of society.
The Chair of Symposium is Matthew Teitelbaum, Director, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
The symposium is aimed at a specialist audience and is open to the public, admission free. Visitors are more than welcome and have until Monday 4 September 2017 to register at anmeldung@skd.museum.
The events will be broadcast via livestream on: www.youtube.com/user/skdmuseen
Twitter: www.twitter.com/skdmuseum, #SKDsymposium
The conference will be held in English, with simultaneous interpretation into German being offered.
Marion Ackermann, Director General of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden says:
“The symposium is an important building block in the current museum debate. What can and must museums do in this day and age, which is characterised by hyper-globalisation and the visibility of transcultural processes? After the many profound socio-political and economic events in recent years, many colleagues are experiencing a sort of crisis. Joined by internationally selected museum directors, experts and artists, we want to discuss the social role and responsibility of museums. The discourse is intended to be explicitly open and self-critical, addressing a broad international audience.”
Media representatives are invited to obtain accreditation at presse@skd.museum.
The detailed programme is attached as a PDF.
The symposium is organized by the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden and made possible with support of the Federal Office of the Federal Republic of Germany.
The symposium is being held to coincide with the “Jerusalem Arts Festival” and the “London Arts Festival”.
