In line with the theme of Icon26: Practice, People, and Purpose, this will be an interdisciplinary panel discussion with a Q&A element. The event will be held in Edinburgh at The Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, National Galleries of Scotland.
Access to art is increasingly recognised as a core responsibility of cultural institutions. Recent high-profile debates around accessibility in contemporary art have drawn attention to the ways in which some works, displays, and environments exclude disabled audiences. These discussions have raised important questions for institutions responsible for collecting, conserving, and presenting contemporary art, particularly in relation to installations, reconstructed environments, interactive works, and performance-based practices. In some cases, works have been adapted, reconfigured, or withdrawn from display, prompting wider debate about what meaningful access can and should look like in different contexts.
How do efforts to improve access affect exhibitability or encourage interventive treatments, consequently affecting collecting, conservation and curation? How might they shape the future collecting and stewardship of contemporary art? And how can institutions balance their obligations to disabled audiences with their responsibilities to artists and artworks?
The Icon Contemporary Art Group will bring together curators, conservators, writers, artists and collection visitors from across the spectrum of ability, to discuss their thoughts and experiences regarding the wider subject of accessibility and effect. The event will explore the urgency of access, the possibilities and limits of different approaches, and the institutional responsibilities involved in collecting, presenting, and preserving contemporary art.
Attend this event, and many more, free with an Icon 26 ticket.
