Founded in 1823, Kunstverein München is an innovative and controversial platform for contemporary art and its discourses.

Kunstvereine were not only places to present contemporary art, but above all for social exchange. In such places,  a critical awareness of “contemporaneity” could develop through active engagement with current art. It is precisely this central idea of a lively social exchange on uncertain cultural terrain that to this day has made the work of Kunstvereine an indispensable force in the network of cultural institutions – even as the political and social framework have changed.

In her lecture Dietrich traces the concept of Kunstvereine in social change to understand the extent of their role as a platform for innovative artistic practices. Dietrich uses the example of the first solo exhibition of Pati Hill, an American artist who pioneered experimentation with new graphic technologies such as photocopying.

Maurin Dietrich is a curator and the director of Kunstverein München. She is also a member of Salta’s council. She previously worked at KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin. While there, Dietrich programmed performances, exhibitions, and publications. She also oversaw schir concepts, a residency program located in Tel Aviv and the 9th Berlin Biennale by DIS Magazine. She is the cofounder of Fragile, an exhibition and residency space in Berlin. She studied art history and comparative literature in Berlin and has taught since 2017 at the Universität der Künste in the Art in Context MA program as well as in the postgraduate program BPA (Berlin Program for Artists). She is a frequent contributor to Mousse Magazine, Cura and other publications.

To participate in the conference it is necessary to register online.

The lecture is in German and translated consecutively into Spanish thanks to the support of the Goethe-Institut.