Twelfth International Conference on The Inclusive Museum

Abstract

ZUMU, is a travelling contemporary art museum that is designed and built in close partnership with host communities.The museum travels to a new city every few months and works closely with local authorities to establish a city-specific contemporary art museum in a previously abandoned building or neglected public space. In each host city, ZUMU has a slightly different look and feel, but each iteration commissions both leading and emerging artists from various artistic disciplines, and engages the community through cultural and educational programming, including interactive workshops for local school groups, children, youth and adults. Rather than “export” art to the periphery, ZUMU works closely with local stakeholders to build a lively urban center where members of the community can come together and have a powerful shared experience. We build an artistic ecosystem and a cultural gateway that local partners will build-upon after ZUMU moves to its next site, planting the seeds for creativity in communities that did not previously have an entry-point into the arts. ZUMU creates fresh ways to broaden access to art, particularly in places where that access is traditionally limited. Together with diverse communities across Israel, we are paving new ways to create dynamic, state-of-the-art exhibitions, activities and educational programs for children, students and youth from vulnerable backgrounds. In each city, ZUMU form a collection of local cultural objects that matches the exhibition’s theme. The objects and cultural references are collected from the local community, and form the museum’s collection.