First Guest Lecture Series by the Department Expanded Museum Studies

Transformation Transformation Transformation? 7 Critical Perspectives on Museums

Nikita Dhawan © TU Dresden

14. October 2025

The lecture series by the department Expanded Museum Studies will shed light on the institution museum from seven spheres of activity. Nikita Dhawan will give the first lecture, titled Can art be critical?

Since their creation, museums and their institutional structures have been in a constant state of change. As social institutions, they are also affected by political reforms, technical innovations, economic changes and the climate crisis. Their significance and function are repeatedly and somewhat slowly readjusted in relation to these transformation processes. Currently, the focus is on dealing with colonial heritage, putting diversity, digitization, and sustainability into practice – and on rethinking organizations accordingly.

Save the Dates: Thursdays, 6 p.m.

16.10.2025 – Nikita Dhawan: Can art be critical? (engl.)
23.10.2025– Beatrice Leanza: Institutional practice and transformation as method (engl.)
30.10.2025– Eric Golo Stone (engl.)
13.11.2025– Tahani Nadim (engl.)
20.11.2025– Annet Dekker (engl.)
27.11.2025– Tasos Zembylas (ger.)
04.12.2025– Mi You (online/engl.)

Location: University of Applied Arts Vienna, Oskar-Kokoschka-Platz 2, Lecture Hall 1, 1010 Vienna

Courses Online (Base)