Transfigurations: Curatorial and Artistic Research in an Age of Migrations

The Research Project MeLa* - European Museums in an age of migrations was a four year multidisciplinary and collaborative Research Project involving nine European Partners, which was funded in 2011 within the 7th Framework Programme of the European Commission. This volume marked an important research milestone in the investigation led by the Royal College of Art about the relevance and strategic value of the Curatorial and Artistic Research in this “age of migrations”. The book explored how globalisation, digital media and changing patterns of migration affect our understanding and experience of the contemporary work of art, how artists are engaging with curators to think about the condition of the contemporary through their work, its display and collection, and how curators are working with new forms of artistic production, display, collection and archive. In particular, these issues were investigated through the outcomes of five collaborative projects – by artists Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Leo Asemota, Kader Attia, Camille Henrot and Quinsy Gario – which were staged at MACBA (Museum of Contemporary Art of Barcelona) in June 2014. Paul Goodwin co-edited this book, contributed two case study chapters documenting projects with artists Kader Attia and Leo Asemota and conducted (with Victoria Walsh) transcribed interviews with artists Kader Attia, Leo Asemota, Lawrence Abu-Hamdan and curator Melanie Bouteloup