[artinfo] The Art of Ethics in the Contemporary Art Institution

[e-flux]

"The Art of Ethics in the Contemporary Art Institution"
November 28-29, 2015

<http://overgaden.org/en/begivenhed/overgaden-lectures-the-art-of-ethics-in-the-contemporary-art-institution/>overgaden.org

"The Art of Ethics in the Contemporary Art 
Institution" is part of the conference series 
"Overgaden LECTURES," which was launched in 2013 
to provide an annual opportunity for exploring 
key tendencies in the field of contemporary art 
in depth. This year we are focusing on some of 
the central ethical challenges and dilemmas 
facing the art institution today.

In the early 21st century, a series of marked 
social, political and economic changes have had a 
significant impact on the infrastructure and 
dynamics of the art world. The impact has been 
acutely felt by Western art institutions, which 
are under pressure from significant cutbacks in 
state funding, increased competition, demands to 
increased visitor numbers, new communication and 
public participation initiatives, earmarked 
private funding, and a more prevalent experience 
and project culture. These and other changes have 
brought the issue of the role and activities of 
art institutions today to the fore-including 
their responsibility and obligations as mediator 
between a still broader range of stakeholders and 
funding bodies whose interests rarely coincide. 
In this complex and conflict-ridden arena, it has 
become crucial not only to identify, but also to 
reconsider and reformulate the ethical basis and 
scope of the art institution to retain its 
relevance in the society of the future.

During this two-day conference, we will map out 
some of the most pressing ethical implications 
and challenges facing the work of institutions 
today: Is it possible to balance being both an 
enlightenment project and a business without 
compromising either professional standards or 
financial accountability? How can the integrity 
of art be retained in the face of catering to the 
needs of private sponsors and the public? What is 
the role of communication and PR in this context? 
What constitutes good, respectful communication? 
What effect have these developments had on 
curation and the relationship to artists and 
their interests? Questions like these form the 
core of the conference, at which professionals 
from a range of disciplines from Denmark and 
abroad will offer their views and experiences as 
a basis to discuss what a new, contemporary code 
of ethics for the art institution might look 
like-and how it can be implemented in practice.

The conference series is organised by Overgaden's 
curator Anna Holm and is supported by the Bikuben 
Foundation.

Speakers: Christine Buhl Andersen (Denmark), Dave 
Beech (UK), Alistair Brown (UK), Irene Campolmi 
(Denmark), Signe Meisner Christensen (Denmark), 
Ann Demeester (Belgium), Carsten Juhl (Denmark), 
Sonja Lavaert (Belgium), Elin Lundgren (Sweden), 
Bettina Pehrsson (Sweden), Angelo Romano & Linda 
Jensen (Switzerland), Julia Schäfer (Germany), 
Ben Street (UK), et al.

Overgaden Institute of Contemporary Art
Overgaden Neden Vandet 17
DK-1414 Copenhagen
Denmark