40th Anniversary Symposium

In view of the forty-year history of the Austrian Ludwig Foundation and its task of promoting and purchasing works of art for Austria’s state galleries, the symposium Aesthetics, Ethics, Identity – Museum of the 21st Century, to be held at mumok in Vienna on November 19 and 20, 2021 is dedicated to examining current and future perspectives of museum collections. Considering the growing awareness — on an aesthetic as well as an institutional level — of the need to pursue a more inclusive approach to collection practices, i.e. one that takes into account socio-cultural diversity, the lectures and discussions will address important key words that are marked by controversy, such as transculturalism, diversity, and cultural heritage and their complicated relationship to processes of globalization. The foundation is delighted to announce the participation of artists Tania Bruguera and Florian Pumhösl as well as museum directors and curators Brigitte Franzen, Ana Gonçalves Magalhães, Max Hollein, Christian Kravagna, Mahret Ifeoma Kupka, Matthias Michalka, Susanne Titz, and Luisa Ziaja, all of whom have been fundamental in advancing a historically critical re-conceptualization of collection agendas over recent years.

The livestream for day 1 of the symposium (November 19, 2021):

Program

Friday, November 19, 2021
6 pm–8.30 pm

The livestream for day 2 of the symposium (November 20, 2021):

Welcome
Karola Kraus, General Director, mumok, Vienna
Gottfried Toman, Chairman of the Management Board, Austrian Ludwig Foundation for Art and Science, Vienna
Theresia Niedermüller, Representative of the Austrian Federal Ministry for Arts, Culture, Civil Service and Sport, Division Arts and Culture

Opening Remarks
Carla Cugini, Acting Chairwoman of the Management Board, Peter and Irene Ludwig Foundation, Aachen

Introduction
Brigitte Franzen, Director, Senckenberg Museum Frankfurt; former Chairwoman, Peter and Irene Ludwig Foundation, Aachen – 30 min.

Keynote
Max Hollein, Director, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; former Board Member, Austrian Ludwig Foundation for Art and Science, Vienna – 45 min.

Saturday, November 20, 2021
1 pm– 5 pm

Welcome / Introduction
Sabeth Buchmann, 2nd Managing Director, Austrian Ludwig Foundation for Art and Science, Vienna; Professor for Modern and Post-Modern Art History, Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna – 30 min.

Diversity in Museums of Modern and Contemporary Art
1.30 pm–3 pm

Ana Gonçalves Magalhães
Professor for Art History and Director,  Museum of Contemporary Art of the University of São Paulo – lecture, 20 min.

Mahret Ifeoma Kupka
Curator for Fashion, Body and Performance, Museum Angewandte Kunst, Frankfurt – lecture, 20 min.  

Christian Kravagna
Professor for Postcolonial Studies, Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna – lecture, 20 min.

Panel discussion with all participants – 30 min.
moderated by Luisa Ziaja, Curator for Contemporary Art, Belvedere 21, Vienna

Break, 3 pm–3:30 pm

Artistic Interventions in Collections
3:30 pm–5 pm

Florian Pumhösl
artist, Vienna – carte blanche, 20 min.

Susanne Titz
Director, Städtisches Museum Abteiberg, Mönchengladbach – lecture, 20 min.

Tania Bruguera
artist and activist, Havanna – carte blanche, 20 min.

Panel discussion with all participants – 30 min.
moderated by Matthias Michalka, Curator, mumok, Vienna

Closing Words
Theresia Niedermüller, Chairwoman of the Board of Trustees, Austrian Ludwig Foundation for Art and Science, Vienna

Program subject to change

Österreichische Ludwig-Stiftung

Freier Eintritt