Paper short abstract

This talk will portray the problems, shortcomings and inner-contradictions that artistic interventions in ethnographic museums face, and a new model to meet these challenges, proposed by the TRACES research project - the Creative Co-Production.

Paper long abstract

In recent years, we are witnessing an interesting phenomenon: more and more institutions of cultural heritage that hold contentious collections such as museums of anthropology or history; public and private archives; or education institutions, invite artists for short residencies, to explore their collections, meet the curators and create new artworks based on their impressions. This new museological trend, by now a prevalent modus operandi, is often referred to as an "intervention".

As an artist, I have experienced both being invited by, and have myself initiated creative engagements with such institutions.

A critical analysis of such engagements portrays a series of shortcomings, challenges and inner-contradictions, inherent and almost unavoidable in the usual settings of such hosted residencies and artistic interventions.

Based on my experiences and the above mentioned critical analysis, in 2015 I have proposed a new model for such engagements that can offer more significant and sustainable outcomes. With a team of researchers and cultural workers we have developed this model into the research project 'TRACES - Transmitting Cultural Heritages with the Arts, From Intervention to Co-production'. The new model is called 'CCP' - Creative Co-Production. TRACES, funded by the EU Horizon2020 program, is in its third year.

In my talk, I will portray the problems of the prevalent 'interventions' mode; present the experiences that encouraged the creation of the 'CCP' model; and provide an account 'from the field', looking at the five TRACES CCPs, focusing not only on this model's benefits, but also its shortcomings and future challenges.