ArtReview, in partnership with artgenève, presents two informal panel discussions. Join leading artists, curators and collectors as they address some of the most topical issues in contemporary art. Both talks will be moderated by ArtReview editor J.J. Charlesworth
Thursday 25 January, 17:30–18:30
Galleries for social change
Galleries and museums are often expected to engage with the big social issues of the day – from climate change to equality and diversity. How should institutions use their power to advance agendas that often go beyond art?
Speakers
Karen Boros (The Boros Collection, Berlin)
Michael Birchall (Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst, Zürich)
Renzo Martens (artist, Dutch Pavilion Venice Biennale 2024)
Friday 26 January, 12:30–13:30
Museums and the immersive artwork
With ‘immersive’ exhibitions drawing big crowds around the world, and contemporary artists experimenting with advanced digital technologies, how should public galleries engage with the emergence of the virtual artwork?
Speakers
Hannes Koch (artist and co-founder, Random International)
Nina Roehrs (founder and CEO, Roehrs & Boetsch, Zürich)
About the speakers
Karen Boros is the co-founder of the Boros Collection which she established together with her husband Christian Boros in 2008. Housed in a former WWII bunker in Berlin, the Boros Collection comprises over 900 works dating from 1990 to the present and is operated by the Boros Foundation, which also supports external exhibition projects, productions and artist publications.
Renzo Martens studied political science and art. After making the films Episode I and Episode III: Enjoy Poverty, Martens established the organisation Human Activities and its “reverse gentrification program” on a plantation in the DR Congo. Together with the plantation workers of the Cercle d’Art des Travailleurs de Plantation Congolaise (CATPC), he employs artistic critique to build a new world – not symbolically, but in material terms. Together, they opened a White Cube that is meant to repatriate capital and visibility to communities of plantation workers. CATPC, Renzo Martens, and curator Hicham Khalidi will provide the Dutch entry for the Venice Biennale 2024.
Michael Birchall is Co-Director – Exhibitions at the Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst, where he has lead on exhibitions, commissions and publications. His work involves promoting the connection between international art histories and local communities. Birchall has previously worked in curatorial positions at Tate Liverpool (UK), the Walter Phillips Gallery at the Banff Centre (Canada) and the Künsterlhaus Stuttgart (Germany). He has taught and lectured at institutions including Zurich University of the Arts and at the Liverpool School of Art, where he is a Visiting Fellow. He sits on the board of Zurich Art Weekend and The Bluecoat Centre for the Arts (UK).
Hannes Koch is co-founder (with Florian Ortkras) of Random International, a postdigital art group exploring the impact of technological development on the human condition. Best known for their large-scale interactive installations, the group works across an array of media including sculpture, light, kinetics, video, print, and sound. The group has a studio in London and comprises a global team of complimentary talent.
Nina Roehrs is an expert on art in the digital age who supports players in the cultural sector in their digital programming and projects. After studying business economics in St. Gallen and St. Andrews, she worked for UBS for 14 years before founding Roehrs & Boetsch in 2016. For five years as a gallery and today as a hybrid consultancy, Roehrs & Boetsch is dedicated to examining the influence of digitalization on art and society. This includes developing new forms of exhibiting where conventional methods fail, often involving new technologies such as AR, VR, apps, websites, and blockchain technology.
artgenève takes place from 25–28 January 2024 at Palexpo, Geneva
Opening hours:
Thursday: 12-7pm
Friday and Saturday: 12-8pm
Sunday: 12-7pm
artgenève
Palexpo – Genève
Route François-Peyrot 30
1218 Le Grand-Saconnex
