DISCUSSION: Transformations of the off-space concept

DISCUSSION: Transformations of the off-space concept / Shifts in the role and significance of spaces for artistic and curatorial practices in times of uncertainty

The moderated discussion will present projects by artistic initiatives and collectives, as well as perspectives from the fields of theory, art history, and curatorial practice, focusing on exhibiting, mediating art, and other interdisciplinary activities outside traditional institutions. Its aim is to open a debate on what the term “off-space” means in 2025–2026, what possibilities artistic expression has under conditions of crisis and uncertainty, and what role alternative and community spaces play in contemporary visual culture.

How can the concept of off-space be understood in recent years, when our cultural reality in many ways once again resembles periods of past decades, during which alternative and unofficial spaces represented one of the few possibilities for free artistic expression? How can this concept function within a broader philosophical context—as a deviation from the system, or as a possibility for the existence of other, less hierarchical structures?

Discussants from various areas of the cultural sphere will, on the basis of specific projects, studies, and experiences, focus on the meaning and function of the concept of off-space in relation to the current state and future of culture. At the same time, they will address how this concept is continuously evolving, not only within the field of art.

Questions regarding the relevance of off-space for emerging art will also be raised, as it has always been one of the key actors in a sphere that transcends institutional boundaries. What does it mean when the very place of its operation is located outside centers, or even on the edge of disintegration and destabilization?

Discussing: Karolína Munková, Terezie Nekvindová, Hugo Raýman (Vox Loci), Piotr Sikora
Moderated by: Viktória Pardovičová

Ptoho: Štěpánka Zbytovská