From May 5th to June 28th, 2015, two young Russian artists were in residence at the Museum of Fine Arts. Together with the visitors, the members of the micro-art group Gorod Ustinov built Micromuseum Ghent. After they left, the installation continued to evolve until it finally closed on September 30th.
Creation through interaction
The duo works with simple and sometimes old materials. They create new forms by observing, feeling and contemplating these materials, a recycling-process through which ideas emerge as works of arts. They work in collaboration with the Museum’s youth workshops participants and with visitors who join the free workshops on Sunday mornings (10 am to 1 pm). The workshops continued over the summer, adding to the exhibit after the artists had left.
The process of (re)creation allows for the reshaping of apparently contradictory materials, such as cloth and weapon casings, into forms of communication. Creation arises from destruction, and the newly created objects connect the makers to the world around them and to each other. In the context of the Museum and the city, young and old alike build a dynamic common ground: micromuseum Ghent.
Protocols for the future
Each of the three projects that were part of 'Manufactories' was translated into a hands-on protocol or guideline. This will allow other organisations to create their own workshops, based on the lessons learned during the two years of experimentation in Belgium, France and Spain.