XVIII. Building an Art Audience
16 Febbraio 2012
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After having discussed so many themes related to the contemporary art system, such as the relation between exhibition spaces and contexts; the roles of the curator, or the importance of publications, now is the moment to reflect about yet another key element of the contemporary art institution, which concerns reception, its core conceptions and strategies of engagement with the public.
One of the priorities of any cultural institution is that of attending to its public vocation, and thus to consider the relation to the wide and multiple variety of audiences. To animate this discussion we will examine two specific cases: the Kunsthalle Fridericianum, in Kassel (the city that every seven years also hosts Documenta), and the Camden Arts Centre, in London, because the intense activity, richness of approaches, and diversity of proposals of these two institutions have turned them into two exemplar cases of relation with the audiences.
By managing to develop strategies that push further the dialogues and reflections on art and culture; by generating communities interaction and by reaching varied audiences, both the Camden Arts Centre and the Fridericianum offer us an exemplar background to discuss about these topics, and to find answers such questions as: is there only one audience in contemporary art? Or are there many, and diverse publics? Is the audience that influences the choice of the program and initiatives or, instead, are those that capture diverse audiences and attract new visitors? How did the art audiences changed during the last years? How do audiences vary in different contexts? What initiatives can art institutions do in order to solidify the relation with its audiences?
Photo: Mario Zgoll
Rein Wolfs
Since January 2008 Rein Wolfs is the Artistic Director of the Kunsthalle Fridericianum.
From 2002 until 2007 he was the Director of Exhibitions of the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam.
In 2003 he curated the Dutch pavilion at the Venice Biennial.
From 1996 until 2001 he was the first director of the Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst in Zurich.
Among his most important exhibitions were shows with Douglas Gordon, Maurizio Cattelan, Angela Bulloch and Cady Noland at Migros Museum and retrospective exhibitions with Bas Jan Ader and Rirkrit Tiravanija as well as larger surveys with Urs Fischer and Erik van Lieshout at Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen.
At Kunsthalle Fridericianum he curated major exhibitions with Christoph Büchel, Pawel Althamer, Teresa Margolles, Thomas Zipp, Meschac Gaba, Monica Bonvicini and Danh Vo and shows with Klara Lidén, Latifa Echakhch, Cyprien Gaillard, Nina Canell and Navid Nuur among others.
For 2012 he is preparing an exhibition, entitled 'The New Public', for Museion in Bolzano. He is currently teaching at the School of Art and Design Kassel, Free University Berlin, Zurich University of the Arts and Philips-University Marburg.
Photo: Jovita Valaityte
Jenni Lomax
Jenni Lomax has been the director of the Camden Arts Centre, London, since 1990 where she has established an international programme of exhibitions, residencies, education projects and public events. She led the organisation through a major building refurbishment scheme which was completed in early 2004. She was awarded the Chevalier dans l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2007, and received an OBE for her services to the Visual Arts in 2009.
Before Camden Arts Centre, Jenni developed and headed up the Community Education and Public Programmes at the Whitechapel Art Gallery throughout the 1980’s. Throughout her career she has been involved in an advisory capacity with many arts, education and charitable organisations and has been a member of selection and judging panels for numerous awards and exhibitions including The Turner Prize, Arts Foundation Award and the Jerwood Drawing Prize. She maintains a close relationship to Art education through her role as External Examiner and occasional Lecturer at a number of University Fine Art Courses.
