The exhibition phase of Imaginary Accord ends with a two-day symposium on Friday and Saturday, 10 and 11 July, departing from the same question as our year-long lecture series, What Can Art Institutions Do?

The event will commence with New Delhi-based artists Raqs Media Collective’s performative works Time Symposium on Friday at 7pm, and concludes with the world premiere of Memorophilia  on Saturday at 7pm.

A keynote lecture by Pittsburgh, New York, and Sydney-based art historian and writer Terry Smith that reflects on Australian and international independent art spaces in 1975 and today will begin Saturday’s activities and be followed by a response from Melbourne-based art historian and writer Helen Hughes.

Panel discussions addressing the role and function of the art institution, through case-studies of art institutions and institutions by artists, and reflections on publics and publicness in relation to art will extend the conversation. Leading artists, writers, and curators such as Peter Anderson; Sean Dockray; Callum Morton; Monica Narula; Maud Page; Nikos Papastergiadis; Courtney Pedersen; Ann Stephen, will contribute.