WHAT ART HISTORY? IN MEMORIAM PIOTR PIOTROWSKI

The conference is organized in honor of Piotr Piotrowski (1952–2015) and his in-depth art historical research on (modern) art from Central and Eastern Europe, which he explored and promoted throughout his work as an art historian, professor at the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, and also director of the National Museum in Warsaw. Piotrowski was also a collaborator of Moderna galerija as one of the advisors for the Arteast 2000+ collection, established by the Moderna galerija in 2000. For his scholarly achievements he received the Igor Zabel Award for Culture and Theory in 2010.

The conference is related to two of Piotrowski’s concepts – horizontal and comparative (global) art history and the critical museum. It will be introduced and concluded with two key-note speeches, presented by two important figures in the contemporary art world, Okwui Enwezor, curator of documenta 11 and present director of Haus der Kunst, Munich, and Manuel Borja-Villel, director of Museo Reina Sofia, Madrid.

In searching for what kind of art museum and art history are needed under the challenging contemporary conditions, renowned international curators and art historians will discuss in two panel talks on the first conference day. Participants of the panels are: Edit András, Ekaterina Degot, Charles Esche, Beáta Hock, Tímea Junghaus, Peter Weibel, and WHW.

According to Piotrowski, horizontal art history begins as the deconstruction of vertical art history, that is, the Western-centric and the “universal“. In contrast, horizontal and comparative (global) art history is polyphonic; it supports locally specific art histories and puts them in a global perspective through comparing the specific structures and meanings of art. It investigates interrelations instead of opposition and hierarchy between centers and margins/peripheries, and also among (global) margins/peripheries, but at the same time questions the (historic) notion of the center.

Piotrowski's idea of a critical museum will serve as a starting point to re-think current problems related to museums, and re-consider the topical debates about global histories.

• Welcome by Zdenka Badovinac (MG+MSUM), Urška Jurman (Igor Zabel Association), and Christiane Erharter (ERSTE Foundation)
• Introduction to the conference by Zdenka Badovinac, curator and director, Moderna galerija
• In Memory of Piotr Piotrowski by Magdalena Radomska, assistant professor at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań
• Keynote speech by Okwui Enwezor, director Haus der Kunst Munich, curator of documenta 11
video recording
 

COMPARATIVE, HORIZONTAL, AND GLOBAL ART HISTORY
• Presentation by Edit András, art historian, curator, critic, Budapest and Long Island, NY (1. part)
• Presentation by Edit András, art historian, curator, critic, Budapest and Long Island, NY (2. part)
• Presentation by Tímea Junghaus, art historian and curator, Budapest
• Presentation by Peter Weibel, artist, curator, and director, ZKM Karlsruhe
discussion moderated by Beáta Hock, research associate at the Leipzig Centre for the History and Culture of East Central Europe
video recording
 

THE CRITICAL MUSEUM
• Presentation by Ekaterina Degot, art historian, curator, art writer, and director of the Academy of the World, Cologne
• Presentation by Charles Esche, curator and director, Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven
• Discussion moderated by WHW, curatorial collective, Zagreb
video recording

• Keynote speech by Manuel J. Borja-Villel, curator and director, Museo Reina Sofia, Madrid
• Discussion moderated by WHW, curatorial collective, Zagreb
video recording

The international conference is organized as part of the accompanying programme of the Igor Zabel Award 2016 by the Moderna galerija, Ljubljana, in collaboration with the Igor Zabel Association for Culture and Theory and ERSTE Foundation.

The Igor Zabel Award is organized by ERSTE Foundation and the Igor Zabel Association for Culture and Theory. The fifth edition of the award and its accompanaying programme is organized in collaboration with Moderna galerija