From Costume Festivals to Live Interaction: Searching for a Contemporary Strategy in Working with Cultural Diversity. A Garage Journal Discussion

April 25, 4 pm

Historically in Soviet and post-Soviet societies, the public discourse on ethnic and cultural diversity has been limited to spectacular but superficial presentations of traditional motifs: national songs, dishes, and clothing. Discussion of the subject has circled around rare if vibrant concerts and festivals. 

We can still see attempts to maintain this practice unchanged today. At the same time, some institutions working with inclusion and the new ethics are searching for alternative approaches that could allow for a more regular, deep, and engaged discussion. In this context the question of inclusion of representatives of ethnic, cultural, and language communities in cultural and social processes is becoming increasingly important. 

In the museum this should happen at the level of visitors, organizers, and creators, as well as on every other level. But how can it best be organized? How do we decide which long-standing practices and regulations are to be retained? And what could replace them?

Moderator: Alexandra Philippovskaya, Inclusive Programs Coordinator at Garage 

Participants: Artem Sleota, Vlada Baranova, Diana Mubarakshina, Rasul Abdulkhalikov

Free admission. Places are limited. Please keep a safe distance, wear a mask for the duration of the lecture, and stay home if you feel sick.

Please, register in advance. 18+

In 2019, Garage Museum of Contemporary Art launched The Garage Journal: Studies in Art, Museums & Culture, an interdisciplinary publication for empirical, theoretical and speculative research in various genres. The first two issues of GJ explored inclusion, crises, and the emergence of new socialities. The Journal’s discussions on these subjects in St. Petersburg is focused on two of the most delicate and debated issues raised in the publication: art mediation and inclusion in museums. Both subjects belong to the realm of the new ethics and are focused on the search for alternative, more respectful modes of communication that cater for every participant’s interests.