Culture Caleidoscoop

Museums: Safeguarding Our Memories in Perpetuity

2023-06-15T15:25:33+02:00

The complexity of Hong Kong’s socio-political situation reveals the complexity of the role that museums are playing in representing collective memories and collective solidarity. The displays and collections of the institutions reflect the power dynamics amongst curators, funders, and audiences. In this contribution, I use one of the newest museums in Hong Kong, M Plus Museum (M+), as a case study to explore the concept of solidarity and how it is related to the collective memories represented by museums. I first focus on the special project, the Hong Kong Visual Culture collection, and its inaugural exhibition to examine whether it can produce a sense of collective solidarity as a sentiment. Then, based on the interconnection between collective memories, collective solidarity, and museum displays, I investigate the dilemma that M+ faces in relation to the political standpoint of its funders and audiences.

Solidarity and volunteering in cultural heritage

2023-05-26T17:57:30+02:00

The following contribution reflects upon the understanding of the act of solidarity in relation to heritage volunteering projects and emerging professionals. I will mostly draw upon my own experience as a volunteer in various projects, but I will also present some of the testimonies, experiences, and thoughts on the topic from other volunteer colleagues that participated in the projects with me in the projects of European Solidarity Corps and Servizio Civile Universale.

Building intercultural communities through solidarity

2023-06-09T14:27:44+02:00

At a time when neoliberal capitalism is responsible for intensifed exploitation, dispossession, repression, and contempt towards the peoples of the Global South, the expressions of struggle and resistance that emerge from Indigenous peoples have become a reference point for various social groups who share the goal of building a world in which many worlds ft. Within this context, some of us in organised civil society are experimenting with ways to support these emancipatory processes while at the same time seeking to learn how to reimagine our own urban realities and create our own vision of autonomy. With this photo essay, the Centre for Research into Community Communication (CICC by its Spanish initials) aims to share its experiences with readers. CICC is a Mexican non-proft organisation made up of individuals of Indigenous and mestizo backgrounds, who have chosen to practie solidarity in an activist way. Throughout our journey we have found in art and culture a light that, even in the most challenging of moments, illuminates the possibility of another world.

This is a translation of ‘Construyendo comunidades interculturales desde la solidaridad’, DOI: 10.57031/culcal.v2i1.18152

Construyendo comunidades interculturales desde la solidaridad

2023-11-11T10:44:34+01:00

En un tiempo donde el capitalismo neoliberal ha intensificado la explotación, el despojo, la represión y el desprecio hacia los pueblos del sur global, las expresiones de lucha y resistencia que emana de los pueblos indígenas se convierte en una referencia para grupos sociales multidiversos que compartimos el objetivo de construir un mundo donde quepan muchos mundos. En este contexto, desde la sociedad civil organizada, experimentamos formas de acompañar estos procesos emancipatorios, buscando aprender para imaginar sobre nuestros territorios urbanos, formas y modos propios de autonomía. Con este foto ensayo, queremos compartir la experiencia del CICC, una organización sin fines de lucro integrada por hombres y mujeres, indígenas y mestizos, que hemos elegido ejercer la solidaridad de forma militante, y que en nuestro andar hemos encontrado en el arte y la cultura, una luz que en los momentos más difíciles, muestra la posibilidad de otro mundo.

This article is translated into English, ‘Building Intercultural Communities Through Solidarity: A Mexican Case Study’, DOI: 10.57031/culcal.v2i1.14616

Navigating identities and building support community through art

2023-05-26T18:11:24+02:00

In this paper, I embark on a personal journey as an African woman and migrant researcher residing in Brussels, delving into the intersection of identity, academia, and solidarity. Beyond traditional academic confines, I navigate intricate power dynamics and uncover the significance of community and art. I acknowledge the challenges African researchers face in global academia, emphasising the need for solidarity and support within the academic community. Reflecting on my experiences as a researcher affiliated with an engineering institution, I discuss the reluctance in the engineering community to embrace decolonial methodologies and the tension between traditional academic expectations and unconventional approaches. Additionally, I delve into my identity as an African woman and migrant, highlighting challenges faced both in Tunisia and Brussels. This paper underscores the vital role of art and creative expression in fostering solidarity amongst marginalised communities and concludes by emphasising the importance of working from the margins to challenge power imbalances in academia and society.

You need our eyes to see us

2023-08-08T13:12:57+02:00

Solidarity is a multifaceted concept often influenced by personal narratives and cultural
contexts. In some cases, it can be distorted by superficial displays, as seen in ‘solidarity-washing’
prevalent in various sectors. Breaking free from this cycle necessitates a fresh perspective. Museums
and children offer a unique avenue. A pilot initiative, conducted by the Museum of Communication
of Bern in collaboration with Cultural Inquiry, reveals that the minds of children, and in particular those
from migrant backgrounds, can offer genuine insights into authentic solidarity. Through the innovative
‘Children’s Board’ methodology, children’s unfiltered thoughts and actions illuminate a path toward a
sincerity-based, children-centric approach to solidarity, emphasizing radical vulnerability and genuine
care.

Solidaire: Practising solidarity

2023-11-23T14:43:40+01:00

Solidarity is enacted in various ways in the arts, cultural, and heritage sectors, and the concept continues to evolve. Solidaire as a verb implies an ongoing relationship, action, or practice. This editorial takes the form of a conversation between the guest editors and reflects on the theme of solidarity and how each of the first wave of contributions published have approached the theme in unique ways. While the contributions explore solidarity within different areas of the world, different types of organisation and on a more human level (concerned with people/individuals) as well as organisational and institutional level, together they make the frictions between practices of solidarity visible and several common themes have emerged.