<p>Juan Gaitán, the curator of the ‘Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art 2014’, recently talked about his research of the contemporary art scene at the Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan. <br /><br /></p>.<p>As part of this, he contextualised the recent history of the Berlin Biennale, its international relevance and the comprehensive impact of the festival on the cultural life of Berlin. <br /><br />He also discussed the processes and the beginning of his research. “The research phase is a nice phase to be in, as one can include everything without constrictions. The ‘biennale’ brought a lot of people into the country,” states Juan.<br /><br />Talking about his topic of research, Juan explains how art is for the public and how he wants to treat Berlin as a subjective microcosm, tracing its globality and mercantile linkages in the late 19th to early 20th centuries, as well as its journey from empire to <br />nation-state. <br /><br />He also discussed the migration of historical forms and circulating figures within the formation of modernity.<br /><br />The 20-minute-long lecture was followed by an open discussion, where Juan was flooded with questions from the participants of the talk. <br /><br />Discussing the concept of art and public, Juan details, “I see art as a space, where everyone is a citizen. It’s more like a Utopian model of a place. Anyone can be a member of the public to criticise and be an artist.” <br /><br />Kerstin Polzin, an audience member, comments about the talk, “It is a great opportunity to have met him, and heard about the special roles of citizens. I’m from Berlin and I see the possibility of new concepts from what Juan talked about here.”<br /><br />“The talk was inspiring and intriguing. It made me wonder about the socio-economic facets of art, and how much goes into the making of a biennale,” adds Tasqeen Macchiwalla, who also attended the programme.<br /><br />“Art is often represented here in a constricted space. The thought of art being touched, felt and experienced, and the concept on the whole, is very enticing,” says an excited Surekha, a visual artist.<br /></p>
<p>Juan Gaitán, the curator of the ‘Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art 2014’, recently talked about his research of the contemporary art scene at the Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan. <br /><br /></p>.<p>As part of this, he contextualised the recent history of the Berlin Biennale, its international relevance and the comprehensive impact of the festival on the cultural life of Berlin. <br /><br />He also discussed the processes and the beginning of his research. “The research phase is a nice phase to be in, as one can include everything without constrictions. The ‘biennale’ brought a lot of people into the country,” states Juan.<br /><br />Talking about his topic of research, Juan explains how art is for the public and how he wants to treat Berlin as a subjective microcosm, tracing its globality and mercantile linkages in the late 19th to early 20th centuries, as well as its journey from empire to <br />nation-state. <br /><br />He also discussed the migration of historical forms and circulating figures within the formation of modernity.<br /><br />The 20-minute-long lecture was followed by an open discussion, where Juan was flooded with questions from the participants of the talk. <br /><br />Discussing the concept of art and public, Juan details, “I see art as a space, where everyone is a citizen. It’s more like a Utopian model of a place. Anyone can be a member of the public to criticise and be an artist.” <br /><br />Kerstin Polzin, an audience member, comments about the talk, “It is a great opportunity to have met him, and heard about the special roles of citizens. I’m from Berlin and I see the possibility of new concepts from what Juan talked about here.”<br /><br />“The talk was inspiring and intriguing. It made me wonder about the socio-economic facets of art, and how much goes into the making of a biennale,” adds Tasqeen Macchiwalla, who also attended the programme.<br /><br />“Art is often represented here in a constricted space. The thought of art being touched, felt and experienced, and the concept on the whole, is very enticing,” says an excited Surekha, a visual artist.<br /></p>
