Regimes of Representation: Art & Politics Beyond the House of People

Conference at the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Bucharest

January 11, 2007

Featuring Chantal Mouffe (keynote), Nicolas Bourriaud, Jonathan Lahey
Dronsfield, Marcus Steinweg, 4space, Ruxandra Balaci and Meta Haven.

Organized by the Jan van Eyck Academie and Meta Haven: Design Research

information and reservations: http://www.museumofconflict.eu
t +31 (0)64 831 65 43
t +31 (0)62 427 67 97
e officemetahaven.net

Conference outline
On January 11, 2007, a conference will be organized in the former House of
People in Bucharest ­ more precisely, in Romania's national museum of
contemporay art: MNAC. The title of the conference is 'Regimes of
Representation: Art & Politics Beyond the House of People'. The subject of
the conference is the very location where the event is being held. The
former Casa Poporului, now Palatul Parlamentului, and its current
co-function as a museum of contemporary art, will be the point of departure
for a discussion of the relation between politics, imagination and
representation, both in and beyond the post-communist condition.

MNAC is one of various attempts to use contemporary art and creative forces
to transform a former 'totalitarian' symbol into one for democracy, but it
is unique in simultaneously being the seat of government. The central
question for the conference is: can art ever 'take over the central point of
power, being a symbol of openness and Democracy'? Can, consequently,
imagination influence or take over the meaning of a building that is an
essential logo of totalitarian rule? How does Romania's first national
contemporary art institution employ the symbolic to express a constructed
national identity, by using (totalitarian) foundation? Can we speak of a
reverse 'Bilbao Effect?' And how does the institutionalization of
contemporary art reflect the imperative to democratize since the fall of
communism?
This event is generously supported by the Royal Dutch Embassy in
Bucharest.

Conference programme

10.15
Registration

11.15
Welcome ­ Ruxandra Balaci, artistic director MNAC

11.30
Introduction ­ Vinca Kruk

11.45
Keynote lecture ­ Chantal Mouffe

12.45
Lecture ­ Nicolas Bourriaud

13.30
lunch

14.00
Lecture ­ Jonathan Lahey Dronsfield

14.45
Lecture ­ Marcus Steinweg

15.30
Lecture ­ 4Space (Augustin Ioan & Ciprian Mihali)

16.15
break

16.30
Round table discussion with all speakers ­ moderated by Daniel van der
Velden

17.30
Drinks

For more information see: http://www.museumofconflict.eu/symposium.php

Practicalities / Getting there
Admission: free
Language: English

Location: MNAC
Muzeul National de Arta Contemporana
Palace of the Parliament
Izvor St. 2-4, Wing e4
Bucharest, Romania
http://www.mnac.ro/