Essay for a museum of possibilities— Lara Soares
Abstract
The concept of 'public' is wide; in it fits the singular - the spectator or visitor - but also the plural - audiences, often divided in categories, age, social, artistic, among others. Being 'public' does not presume a single way of participating or being involved as the variations covered by such concept imply multiple possibilities.
Similarly, a museum can also be thought broadly - not only a place that houses works of art, but a place where, depending on the abovementioned audiences, creative processes, pedagogical and scientific practices intersect, fruition and participation, practice and theory, thus creating a hybrid field of investigation.
How can the public create with art relations of approach and distance, of questioning and of reflection before materials produced in the field of mediation/education in museums?
What mediation materials can these be and how can they influence the programming logic of these museums, spaces of art and education?