Art Galleries and Difficult Knowledge: Developing Safer Spaces for Engagement View Digital Media

Innovation Showcase
Natasha S. Reid  

Using an exhibition focused on sexual violence as a case study, this presentation explores how contemporary art galleries and museums can become safer spaces for addressing difficult knowledge through situating these educational locations as third or interstitial spaces. The presenter explores why contemporary art galleries and museums are ideal sites for addressing difficult social issues, including their public pedagogical roles, the history of museums being reflective of society, the power of contemporary art to engage publics with current issues, and the engagement possibilities associated with contemporary approaches to museum education. The curatorial process involved in the development of this exhibition, which was the result of an innovative partnership with a local university’s research project on sexual violence on campuses, offers a rich example of how a gallery worked toward becoming a safer site for engaging with difficult knowledge. This includes the partnership process, which blurred boundaries between the university and the wider community; the exhibition content, which used metaphors to bridge traditionally accessible content with difficult content; and public engagement efforts, which focused on participatory methods that blurred the lines between artists and publics. An emphasis on diverse and intersecting voices rested at the centre of these practices. The lasting impact the exhibition had on this gallery, including DEI-focused programming, training, and policies, will be examined. Ending with a look at practical considerations for art museums, this presentation will benefit museum and gallery educators, university educators, and curators interested in exploring difficult knowledge with diverse publics.