The Department of Experimental Research is involved in various forms of creative research in the field of contemporary art and of new or experimental forms of artistic, exhibition-related, or curating practice. Its task is also to promote a dialogue amongst various creative disciplines, and to contribute through its research to the development of segments of contemporary art that are open to new and unknown areas where art, science, and technology often overlap. 

The Department encourages experimentation as a method of developing various curating procedures, as well as cooperation among curators, theoreticians, and artists on joint projects. This form of activity is realized through various innovative projects, exhibitions, events, publications, and presentations.

The beginnings of this strategy can be traced to the Museum's activity in the 1960s, when it launched several exhibition projects under the title of New Tendencies, as well as in BIT International, a journal that promoted a dialogue between artists and media theoreticians, aestheticians, and scientists. The initiative resulted in a number of exhibitions and publications on new media, cybernetics, and digital art, which were among the first of their kind in the world.

The activity of the Department intensified in 2003 when, in collaboration with a group of independent curators in Studio MSU (project room), it developed the project Pilot04, which featured a rapid succession of daily and weekly artistic events. The diversity of the programme was manifested in a variety of artistic disciplines, procedures, strategies, and forms of presentation, comprising around 40 exhibition programmes, events, performances, lectures, and workshops, with the participation of more than 50 artists.

Contact:

Ana Škegro, senior curator, ana.skegro@msu.hr