Biography and Proximity: Artist's Books in the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum's "Between Neighbours" project

Abstract

Entre Vizinhos is an annual project that has been running since 2017 at the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum and is addressed to the senior population of the Avenidas Novas parish. In this context, it offers a cultural program based on the interests and needs of the participants and the care institutions that work with them.

In 2018, the program included the co-creation of an artist's book and the exhibition "24 Estórias Entre Vizinhos" (24 Stories Between Neighbors), which resulted from working with the artist Ana João Romana. The artist's book worked as a way of approaching and reflecting on contemporary art, unlocking the creativity of the participants. The exhibition was presented at the Modern Art Center and in stores and cafés around the institution.

In this article, I intend to think about how a work anchored around the territory of a museum, in which concepts such as neighborhood and biography are worked on, can lead to a reflection on situated knowledge and care practices in museum institutions, placing them at the center of work on participatory projects, exhibition creation and programming.

Through some examples from Entre Vizinhos (Between Neighbors), the text will address ways of relating between museums and communities that contribute to emancipation and create a network of local mutual help, thinking of the museum as a place of care and well-being.

How can the museum's relationship with an elderly and vulnerable population help to incorporate other forms of knowledge and other experiences? How can the museum combat social isolation and promote lifelong learning? Could the artist's book be a way of getting closer to communities and promoting participation?

Keywords: artist’s books; situated museums; participation; active aging