This panel draws from the knowledge of experts on Beuys’ life and work.By January Nelson Updated January 27, 2022 Beuys tackled topics that are still relevant today: the relationship between humans and their natural and social environment, the vulnerability of ecosystems, and the responsibility of each individual towards nature and society. He aimed to make art that was not only accessible beyond the walls of the museum, but that actively influenced society, politics and environmental politics. Considered one of the most influential, and at times controversial, artists of the late 20th century, Beuys built a strong relationship with Basel and the Art Basel fair from the moment he came to town in 1969. Moderator: Margarida Mendes, curator, Lisbon What happens when these ecological concerns turn into subject matter for artistic and cultural practices, as has been increasingly the case over the last decade? How does this cultural production move, who gets to see it, who benefits from it? Does this generate visibility and engagement for the concerns that it claims to represent, or do we run a risk of it becoming part of greenwashing, and another trend that will eventually fade away?įernando García-Dory, artist, Madrid Antje Majewski, artist, Berlin Elizabeth Povinelli, Franz Boas Professor of Anthropology and Gender Studies, Columbia University, New York, and Karrabing Film Collective member Conversations with anthropologists and philosophers of science inform recent cultural production in new and productive ways. They have also become a relevant topic of investigation for artists, as we move away from anthropocentric concerns, and address worlds that go beyond the human. The images associated with climate catastrophe, ecological collapse and pandemic aftermath have become a beacon that informs the way in which we move through the world. Moderator: Jane Morris, Editor-at-large, The Art Newspaper and Cultureshock, London Storm Janse van Rensburg, Senior Curator and Head of Curatorial Affairs, Zeitz MOCAA, Cape Town Susanne Pfeffer, Director, MMK Museum für Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt The year of 2020 has been pivotal - Covid-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement not only crystallized the need to address these questions more urgently, but have left museum directors faced with fresh challenges and in uncharted territory. How will they address the more immediate pressures and what is their vision for the future? Are they adequately equipped to respond and adapt to a changing landscape, and are they ready to grasp unique opportunities to create a new kind of institution? In partnership with E.A.T./Engadin Art Talks.Ĭhris Dercon, President, Réunion des musées nationaux-Grand Palais, Paris Long-debated subjects such as broadening the canon, decolonisation, diversifying the collection and the representation of minorities have in recent years been joined by the big questions of our time: the impact of new technology and digitisation, the need for greater inclusivity, dealing with funding uncertainties and responding to calls for greater restitution efforts. The question of the reappraisal and reinvention of museums has never been more relevant.