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Julian Merlo on Culture Strike: Art and Museums in an Age of Protest

15 January, 2024

The Reading Circle at the Kunsthaus Zürich guided us through the highly contested art institution, a “box with only backsides” as it was described in the closing discussion. These “backsides” became even more apparent in our tour, led by (students impersonating) the cleaning team, an invisible workforce, operating out of hidden “backrooms” and closed doors, never to be seen by the visitors. With a team of only seven people, they manage to maintain this immense complex of shining gold-marble walls and brass railings, a seemingly impossible challenge. When a break from the hard work is due, a courtyard about two stories below niveau, with a round opening at the top, reminding of a James Turell, offers space for relaxation at a central green table. A net is tensioned over the opening, preventing things from falling down.

Julian Merlo on Culture Strike: Art and Museums in an Age of Protest

The Reading Circle at the Kunsthaus Zürich guided us through the highly contested art institution, a “box with only backsides” as it was described in the closing discussion. These “backsides” became even more apparent in our tour, led by (students impersonating) the cleaning team, an invisible workforce, operating out of hidden “backrooms” and closed doors, […]