Bojana Piškur: SOME THOUGHTS ON DECOLONIZING THE ART INSTITUTIONS

Many institutions, including art institutions, have been changing and looking for new ways of researching, collecting, exhibiting, disseminating knowledge and so on. Much has been written about the new prototypes of institutions and the new kinds of institutionality in recent years. New, more open and democratic museum models have been discussed at length, for example: the museum of the commons, the sustainable museum, the decolonized museum, the constituent museum, and the situated museum. But is it really possible to overcome the dichotomy between the inside and the outside of an institution? How should we reflect on the openings that these, often conflictual relations provide? How should we deal with the new forms of political experience especially now in light of the current situation in Palestine, when the majority of art institutions in Europe have remained silent? In the presentation, some of these questions and dilemmas will be opened up and also related to the museological processes that have been taking place in Moderna Galerija, Ljubljana, with an emphasis on research, collections and recent exhibitions.

Bojana Piškur works as curator in Moderna Galerija, Ljubljana. The majority of her work has to do with the Yugoslav and post-Yugoslav contexts and the Non-Aligned Movement, especially in connection with arts and cultures. She is also very interested in the questions on translating and practicing the historical emancipatory ideas in today’s situations.

Recent exhibitions:
https://www.mg-lj.si/…/southern-constellations-series/
https://www.mg-lj.si/…/realize-resist-react…/
https://www.mg-lj.si/…/what-do-crocodiles-dream-about/
http://www.mg-lj.si/…/exhibition-exercises-in-a…/

Bojana Piškur’s similar thoughts are part of the journal of contemporary art, culture and theory “The Large Glass” No. 35/36 from 2023 published by the Museum of Contemporary Art – Skopje.