Survival strategy or conviction? Models of cooperation and networks in the institutional art field

06.05.2011

*with Katia Baudin (Acting Director of the Museum Ludwig and Representative for the Comité van Roosendaal), Sandra Patron (Director of the Parc Saint Léger) and Vít Havránek (Director tranzit.cz), Moderation: René Zechlin (Director of Kunstverein Hannover and vice chairman of ADKV)*

For a number of years institutions of contemporary art have been increasingly emphasizing network initiatives and cooperative projects. How should one view these developments? Are these largely marketing efforts of local institutions trying to respond to the challenges of a global art system? Are they result of a desire to combine material and financial resources and thus limit costs and risks? Or are they largely the result of a wish to question traditional curatorial approaches and break new ground in producing exhibitions?
Between June 2010 and April 2011 the project Thermostat brought together 24 Kunstvereine and centres d’art in Germany and France. On the basis of this project, Katia Baudin (Acting Director of the Museum Ludwig and Representative of the Comité van Roosendaal), Sandra Patron (Director of the Parc Saint Léger centre d’art contemporain in Pougues-les-Eaux and participant in the Thermostat project) as well as Vít Havránek (Director of tranzit.cz, tranzit.org) discuss the advantages and pitfalls of current cooperative models. The discussion will be moderated by René Zechlin (Director of Kunstverein Hannover and vice chairman of ADKV).

Panel discussion in English