End of Multiculturalism – Myth and Reality
Curatorship and Community Engagement at the Crossroads The past decade has witnessed radical polarisation of opinions and public policy in the domain of multiculturalism. Radicalisation of Islam and the counter radicalisation strategies of governments, especially in the west, have informed the post 9/11 global uncertainty. While Theo Van Gogh’s murder has swung the Dutch and their neighbours into a conservative frame of mind in dealing with multiculturalism, German and British heads of governments are mooting the end of ‘state sponsored multiculturalism’.

Integration is the buzz word, a platform that the immigrants have always wished for as opposed to simplistic assimilation to the establishment set of values. While the past hegemonic discourse was about the essentialist other, recent calls for a national code are posing the threat of self-essentialisation by the establishment. Amareswar Galla’s talk addresses the transformations of curatorship and community engagement in this complex environment. Critical reflections from select countries, the Netherlands and Australia included, and the dilemma for museums in complex societies in the face of a leadership crisis will be addressed. The works of select artists will be used to illustrate the talk. The Curatorial Lecture Series presents lectures on contemporary curatorial practice. It is organized by the Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery in collaboration with the Department of Art History, Visual Art and Theory, the Museum of Anthropology, and the Department of Anthropology, with the support of the Audain Endowment for Curatorial Studies; and the Faculty of Arts at The University of British Columbia.