OFF-Friday BAW 2025 / DISCUSSION

Curating off-space?

The discussion will elaborate on the perspectives of off-space projects operating in the Czech Republic. It will focus on their development, historical and socio-cultural aspects, contribution to the artistic community, and the significance of this phenomenon in various locations. Invited hosts approach the topic from diverse curatorial positions, blending them with other professions in this environment and shaping them under the influence of current social, political, and personal contexts.

We will try to find answers to the following questions: how is the role of off-space galleries changing? What aspects shape their program? Do off-space galleries have the potential to engage audiences in the present, which is in many ways different from their last decade’s boom? Can these venues be considered as full-fledged alternatives to larger institutions, or as a functional platform for the development of curatorial practice? What place do off-space and artist-run perspectives gain in the current situation of cumulative social, cultural and other crises?

Discussion: Barbora Ilič, Alexandr Jančík, Šimon Kadlčák, Lenka Sýkorová**

Introduction: Viktória Pardovičová
Moderator: Silvie Šeborová

OFF-Friday is an event focused on specific galleries with an emphasis on the Brno art scene. The curated program invites both professionals and the general public to celebrate and explore art that is accessible for free and outside the walls of traditional galleries. The event aims to make often community spaces accessible to regular visitors while also leading professional discussions on the topics of off-space galleries on an interdisciplinary scale. It is interested in supporting the alternative art scene in Brno, which builds on the continuous activities of the BAW. The program will also focus on the history of independent and non-established cultural organizations.
Photo: Štěpánka Zbytovská