Inside Out -Critical Discourses Concerning Institutions

The "Inside Out: Critical Discourses Concerning Institutions" project was a long-term, interdisciplinary research and curatorial initiative that was launched in 2014. The project was co-founded and co-curated by Alenka Gregorič, an art historian, curator, and writer, and Suzana Milevska, an art theorist and curator.

The Components of the Inside Out Project

The project consisted of two co-curated exhibitions, a conference, and two publications - a catalogue for the first exhibition and this reader. The exhibitions took place at the City Art Gallery Ljubljana and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Belgrade. The project also involved ongoing collaboration with independent curators, researchers, public institutions, and independent organizations from regions like Central/Eastern Europe and South America.

The Goal of the Inside Out Project

The goal of the Inside Out project was to analyze existing theoretical and critical art practices that focus on critiquing existing models of art institutions, their programs, and the conditions of art production. It aimed to highlight changing relations between the role of art/artists and the role of museums, galleries, and other public/private art institutions in producing, presenting, and collecting contemporary art during periods of socio-political and economic transition.

Challenging the Western-Centric Definition

The project challenged the Western-centric definition of "institutional critique" and looked at how artists in Central/Eastern Europe used distinct methods to question the institutional framework based on their specific sociopolitical and economic contexts. Unlike their Western counterparts, these artists often used the cultural realm as a tool to question broader political and social structures, as the art system was tightly intertwined with political power.

Contributors and Publications of the Inside Out Project

The reader features contributions from theorists, researchers, artists, and curators from diverse disciplinary backgrounds, such as Zdenka Badovinac, Ivana Bago, Angela Dimitrakaki, Vít Havránek, Zoran Erić, Nina Möntmann, Gerald Raunig, Hito Steyerl, and Vladimir Vidmar. It provides a comparative analysis of critical artistic practices and discourses concerning institutions in regions like Austria, the Balkans, and the former Eastern Bloc. The project was supported by the City of Ljubljana and the Erste Foundation and was published by the City Art Gallery Ljubljana.