Museums confederations gather to raise awareness for a public dialogue

ISTANBUL

Salt from Turkey is among ‘L’Internationale confederation museum directors’ association.

A group of museum directors from six major European museums, titled “L’Internationale confederation museum directors,” have issued a statement calling for a dialogue in Turkey amid the recent unrest.

A written statement issued by the confederation states: “As public cultural institutions dedicated to the sharing and support of a wide range of ideas and information, we deplore the violent suppression of legitimate public protest in Turkey. We call upon the Turkish government to refrain from any further incitement and to cease its defamation of cultural actors and unproven accusations against so-called ‘foreign agents.’ We call upon the government to announce immediate plans to open dialogue with a broad range of civil society actors.”

The statement added that current government policies harmed cultural diversity. “The actions of the Turkish government over the past months in the field of culture have reduced artistic diversity and capacity. The space where social, political and cultural differences can be explored and peacefully exchanged with full respect for antagonistic opinions has been dangerously reduced in the name of narrow political orthodoxy. The suppression of independent voices within the widely respected and celebrated Turkish cultural field, through public condemnation and legal threats, direct interference in artistic programming or through the closure of key public institutions under the guise of redevelopment, is unacceptable,” it said.

“The government seriously risks damaging the diverse and successful artistic activities built up over the past ten years and more in Turkey. We therefore call upon the government to support the principle of artistic liberty and the independence of cultural institutions and to seek to open up new forums for dialogue and the rebuilding of trust,” the statement added. The partners of the European museum confederation L’Internationale are Moderna Galerija (Slovenia), Museo nacional centro de arte Reina Sofía (Spain); Museu d’art Contemporani de Barcelona (Spain); Museum van Hedendaagse Kunst Antwerpen (Belgium); SALT (Turkey) and Van Abbemuseum (Netherlands). L’Internationale proposes a space for art within a non-hierarchical and decentralized internationalism, based on the value of difference and horizontal exchange among a constellation of cultural agents, locally rooted and globally connected.