Time: Tuesday April 5, 19:30 – 22:00 hrs.
Location: Piet Zwart Institute, Karel Doormanhof 45, Rotterdam
Admission: free

Master Education in Arts – Research Lecture

Starting 2016 the Master Education in Arts will regularly invite tutorial staff to present their on-going research and practice. Kate Brehme is course tutor of the module Making Things Public, which revolves around recent developments in museum education, public pedagogy and contemporary community art. Presenting the results of her first year of doctoral research into the Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art and its role in urban development, her lecture thematizes the concept of “Making Things Public” through the angle of art in public space.

Biennales across the globe are often charged with the task of responding to a city’s changing urban situation. Unlike most west-European biennales, The Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art distinguishes itself as a fascinating case study for investigating the relationship between architecture, contemporary art and the identity of the city. Throughout its history, the Berlin Biennale has used non-traditional venues such as abandoned offices, apartments, schools, city streets, and even cemeteries for its exhibitions. The temporary use of these urban spaces has become a significant part of the Biennale’s production process and its very identity. Yet, these spaces are often referred to by Biennale curators as both a blessing and a curse due to their historically and politically charged nature. Juxtaposing the cyclical and ephemeral nature of the Biennale with the fluctuating urban landscape of the city, allows for a more in depth study of why and how over time, certain spaces in the city are deemed desirable as exhibition venues and how architecture serves as a form of spectacle.

Bio:
Kate Brehme is an Australian independent curator and a Doctoral Fellow at the Center for Metropolitan Studies at Berlin’s Technical University where she is researching Berlin Biennale and its role in urban development. Kate has worked in Australia, Scotland and Germany on a variety of projects, exhibitions and events and since 2008 runs Contemporary Art Exchange, a curatorial platform for international projects, exhibitions and events providing professional development opportunities for emerging and young artists. Her project and research themes include place and cultural identity, labour and work, globalisation, disability and socially engaged practices. Kate is also a lecturer for the Piet Zwart Institute’s Masters in Arts Education.