Dreaming and Building our Imaginary Institution

With and at Gessnerallee Zurich and School of Commons

from 14th June to 18th June 2022 with curators:

Curatorial note:

In order for a sustainable artistic ecosystem to function, various stakeholders such as artists, curators, art managers, administrative bodies, foundations, and government agencies must work in coordination. An understanding of individual interests, as well as a trustworthy relationship, are required for this coordination. 

For many years, European art field lacks a well coordinated functionality in building trust with each stakeholder which would last. The issues of transparency among the stakeholders are affecting the entire ecosystem. While art institutions try to adapt to new ways of working in the past few years, there is also a force of young minds which occupy these institutions to make a difference.

Some young enthusiastic curators and directors felt that the position of power in institutions will provide them with an opportunity to change the institutions within. However, bringing a structural change is difficult due to the conventional and rigid approach of administrative bodies. Some facilitators of change quit, some surrender to the conventional approach and some are struggling alone in the system. 

In order to invesitagate how a sustainable and accessbile artistic ecosystem could work, we invite five culture workers to share space together for  five days. They will embark on this exploration with questions such as:

• What do you lack when you are in position of power as a part of an administrative body?

• What are the differences between you and the institution?

• How are the negotiations with the institution limited and what prevents them from materializing?

Together, they will try to build an imaginative institution, question its hiearachies, imagine ideal structures, find its working methodology, challange its relationship to labour and capital resources, etc. On the last day of the residency, they will share their findings publicaly at a symposium.