How was CIMAM 2021?

Overview about CIMAM’s 2021 Annual Conference Lodz y Gdansk (5–7 November)

The CIMAM 2021 Annual Conference was held in Lodz and Gdansk, Poland on 5–7 November, hosted by Muzeum Sztuki in Lodz and the NOMUS New Art Museum/ Branch of the National Museum in Gdansk. An optional post-conference tour was organized to Warsaw on 8–9 November.

This year, 150 delegates attended in person and another 100 attended online to CIMAM’s 2021 Annual Conference – a total of 250.

In 2021, 50 professionals residing in 32 different countries were awarded support to attend the Annual Conference through the CIMAM Travel Grant Program – 23 attended onsite and 27 joined virtually.

The three-day program included three keynote speakers, nine perspective presentations, three-panel discussions, a networking session, two workshops as well as organized visits to the art institutions of both cities.

The afternoon program included visits to Muzeum Sztuki (ms1 and ms2), Centralne Muzeum Włókiennictwa, Signum Gallery, Gallery Wschodnia, NOMUS New Art Museum/Branch of the National Museum in Gdansk, European Centre of Solidarity, Green Gate, Laznia Center for Contemporary Art and National Museum in Gdansk.

The Andel's Hotel and the European Centre of Solidarity were the reception hosts.

The Getty Foundation was the main sponsor of the virtual platform, allowing participants the possibility of attending from abroad.

The Spanish Ministry of Culture and Sports was a project supporter contributing to the organization of the Annual Conference.

SAHA Association, Istanbul supported the participation at the Annual Conference of Pelin Tan, a Turkish speaker on Day 3.

Warsaw Post-conference Tour (8–9 November)

The post-conference tour to Warsaw on 8–9 November included visits to Museum of Modern Art, Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art, Museum of Warsaw, BWA Warszawa, Monopol Gallery, Raster Gallery, Foksal Gallery Foundation Exhibitions Bureau, Edward Krasiński’s and Studio Wanda Czełkowska’s Studio, POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, the Starak Family Foundation | Spectra Art Space and Zachęta – National Gallery of Art.

Mr Jerzy Starak and the Museum of Modern Art, Warsaw were the reception hosts.

Keynote speakers included

  • Dipesh Chakrabarty, Lawrence A. Kimpton Distinguished Service Professor of History, The University of Chicago, Chicago
  • T.J. Demos, Patricia and Rowland Rebele Endowed Chair in Art History and Visual Culture, and Director of the Center for Creative Ecologies, UC Santa Cruz; Santa Cruz
  • Maristella Svampa, writer, sociologist, Dina Huapi

Perspective presentations included

  • Alex Baczyński-Jenkins, artist and choreographer, Berlin/Warsaw
  • Binna Choi, Director, Casco Art Institute: Working for the Commons, Amsterdam
  • Jarosław Lubiak, Dr. Art College, Szczecin; Otobong Nkanga, visual artist, Antwerp
  • Oleksiy Radynski, filmmaker and writer, Visual Culture Research Center, Kyiv
  • Joanna Sokołowska, Curator, Muzeum Sztuki, Lodz
  • Pelin Tan, Senior Researcher, Center for Arts, Design and Social Research, Mardin
  • Hilke Wagner, Director Albertinum, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, Dresden.

Panel moderators included

  • Bart de Baere, CIMAM Board Member and Director of M HKA — Museum van Hedendaagse Kunst Antwerpen
  • Malgorzata Ludwisiak, CIMAM Board Member and Chief Curator of the Department of Modern Art at the National Museum in Gdansk
  • Ann-Sofi Noring, CIMAM Board Member and Vice-Chancellor / Chairman, Royal Academy / Swedish Arts Grants Committee, Stockholm

The CIMAM 2021 Contents Committee thought the Annual Conference. It was composed by members of the Board of CIMAM and both hosting museums.

From the CIMAM Board:

  • Malgorzata Ludwisiak (Chair), Chief Curator, Department of Modern Art National Museum in Gdansk.
  • Saskia Bos Independent Curator and Critic, Amsterdam.
  • Victoria Noorthoorn, Director, Museo de Arte Moderno de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires.
  • Agustín Pérez-Rubio, Independent Curator, Madrid.
  • Eugene Tan, Director, National Gallery Singapore, and The Singapore Art Museum, Singapore.

From the hosting museums in Lodz and Gdansk:

  • Daniel Muzyczuk, Head of Modern Art Department, Muzeum Sztuki, Lodz.
  • Jaroslaw Suchan, Director, Muzeum Sztuki in Lodz, Lodz.
  • Aneta Szylak, Head, NOMUS New Art Museum/ Branch of the National Museum, Gdansk.