Stretching thresholds, holding streams
Jeanne van Heeswijk, Sophie Mak-Schram, and collaborators

For the first time, the Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst has commissioned an artist working in the field of socially engaged art. Socially engaged art includes artistic practices where artists work with different groups of people as collaborators and develop a project together.

Stretching thresholds, holding streams is a project initiated by artist Jeanne van Heeswijk and developed with Sophie Mak-Schram and collaborators. A growing constellation of invested people from the surroundings of the Museum are being invited to think in and with the museum's thresholds. Together – as makers, artists, activists, neighbours, and associations – they are working on a project that takes its starting point inside the museum and flows in and out of it, over a period of several months. Therefore, a central aspect of the project is the notion of a «stream».

It symbolizes the flow of ideas, stories, influences, and ethics that move within, through and around the museum – connecting it to people, places and ways of knowing outside of it. Vitally, streams also denote both directions of movement and refer to how people enter and bring into the museum as much as vice versa. Just as streams shift the positions of rocks and leave a trace, the project tries to make the museum porous to the local context and alter existing circumstances in mutually beneficial ways.

The set of streams will emerge both inside and outside of the museum, taking shape as different sites of learning, activities and encounters. In doing this, the streams invite and share thinking about the different thresholds that exist (spatial, institutional, social) at the Museum and how these can become possible.

Jeanne, Sophie and the collaborators ask the question: what is already streaming out of the museum despite or because of its mechanisms of maintenance, care, preservation, learning, and exhibiting formats? The project allows for co-making as a form of learning to take place in the museum and out of the museum.

Stretching thresholds, holding streams, at its core, will connect with various people and groups in Zurich who will co-make a series of streams and activate existing ones. Within the museum, there will be things to see, places to sit comfortably, ideas to question, and different encounters to learn through and with. From September 28, 2024 onwards, streams will weave into and out of the museum at different paces: with changing physical layouts and activities that visitors can engage and reflect on as these streams unfold.

Stretching thresholds, holding streams tries to unravel the thresholds of the museum.

An exhibition alongside streams by and with Jeanne van Heeswijk; Sophie Mak-Schram; Lina Zeller; Sara Frikech; Les Complices; Marieta Chemeli Kiptalam and Cihan Inan; Kenza Benabderrazik and the SAE Greenhouse Lab; Aurore Gayet and Zentralwäscherei; Carla Peca, Etienne Ost and Vicky Baderna, active at Feministisches Streikhaus Zürich; Walesca Frank, Laura Rivas Kaufmann, Joslyne Ohoka and Black Stammtisch; Chantelle Lue and the School of Commons; Welcome to School (Lila Klasse and Munira Nour, Safaa Nour and Sabine Hagmann); Stiftung St. Jakob, Flechterei; Mario Espinoza; Khanya; Natalja Burkhardt and Radio LoRa; Autonome Schule Zürich

Curated by Tasnim Baghdadi and Michael Birchall

Curatorial assistant: Linda Addae

Awareness

An awareness expert will be on site at some public streams and will also accompany the exhibition as a contact person. If your boundaries have been violated and/or you are affected by racism, discrimination, ableism or sexualized violence, you can reach out to Edwin Ramirez. But also if you observe something or if you are interested in the topic of awareness, want to inform yourself and enter into a dialogue, Edwin is there for you: Contact Edwin at any time on site or via e-mail at: edwin_arsenio@hotmail.com and add “Migros Museum Awareness” as the subject.


Dates with Awareness presence:

• Thursday, October 31, 6-7.30 pm: Developing Awareness concepts for the museum with Zentralwäscherei
• Saturday, 9. November, 4-6pm: Black Stammtisch @ Migros Museum
• Friday, December 6, 4-6 pm: Black Stammtisch @ Migros Museum Saturday,
• January 11, 4-6 pm: Black Stammtisch @ Migros Museum

Edwin Ramirez (they/them or none) is an Afro-Dominican, non-binary, crip performance artist and cultural worker based in Zurich. They are mostly known for co-founding the queer-crip theatre project Criptonite, developing shows and workshops on different aspects of disability using drag, pop culture and aesthetics of access, alongside Nina Mühlemann. They consult and adjudicate in various areas of the Swiss cultural scene, such as a board member of ArtFAQ or as a jury member of the Migros Story Lab. Accessiblity, Collective Responisbility and Care as part of the artistic practice are all topics they are incredibly passionate about.