Decentering the Institution. Challenges, Mistakes & ResponsibilitiesDecentering the Institution. Challenges, Mistakes & Responsibilities

The concepts of diversity and inclusiveness have come to the fore in recent years, yet we have seen little or no structural change in the staffing of cultural institutions. We do, however, see an increasing number of cultural institutions attempting to attract new target groups (IE young audiences with migrant backgrounds) by means of countless, but always only temporary, innovations. What are the implications of this? Whose lived experiences are put in the spotlight, and who benefits from them?

This evening will focus on the responsibility of institutions towards the environment in which they find themselves, the mistakes made in staging exhibitions that fall outside their sphere of influence, and the power they exercise in the city. How can cultural institutions create space for lived experiences that are under-represented in their bubbles without exploiting, abusing, or otherwise ignoring them?

As part of its long-term partnership with Het Nieuwe Instituut, the Rotterdam-based collective Concrete Blossom has developed an on-site programme of events and activities to complement the exhibition The Hoodie, co-organised with the team behind Thursday Night Live! Based on the central question of who and what makes the hoodie cool, The Hoodie Unravelled deconstructs this fascinating item of clothing in a variety of ways. The multi-location on-site-programme in Rotterdam consists of a series of (closed) workshops, public lectures, several special editions of Thursday Night Live! and other events such as mini exhibitions and a film evening.