Bureaucracies of the Flesh

Bureaucracies of the Flesh:
Toward Alternative Imaginaries of Governance

Led by Patricia Sorroche, Head of Exhibitions, Museu Tàpies, Barcelona, Spain, and 2024 CIMAM Travel Grant Beneficiary.

📅 Tuesday, July 22, 2025

Abstract:

The session will focus on analyzing and delving into the current governance models operating in museum institutions, which still respond to capitalist logics, structured under premises inherited from capitalism.

In a context where this model seems exhausted and discourses are shifting toward collectives, the question arises whether a change in the institutional model is possible. Can horizontality, community-based approaches, and adaptability provide a response to the need for transformation in museum structures?

We will explore whether it is feasible to dismantle the hegemonic system and redefine modes of representation and governance to make them more inclusive, participatory, and collaborative, thereby responding to contemporary social demands.

Biography:

Patricia Sorroche Quesada’s (b. 1980) professional and academic career has developed and focused on contemporary art and practice since 2005; she recently joined the Tàpies Museum staff as Head of Exhibitions. Previously, she worked at MACBA, Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona, managing the permanent collection and from 2019 she was curator of the MACBA Collection.