Curators, Artists & Mediators

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Alexandra Selivanova is a curator and art historian specializing in early Soviet culture, with a focus on architecture and art from the 1920s and 1930s. Since January 2023, she has been a research fellow at Bauhaus University Weimar, affiliated with the project Madness, Media, Milieus. She curated numerous interdisciplinary exhibitions in Moscow, Yekaterinburg, and Perm, addressing themes such as Soviet art and aviation, psychotechnics, and electrification. Selivanova authored books including Avant-garde and Aviation (2014) and VHUTEMAS. School of the Avant-garde (2020). She founded the Avant-garde Centre in Moscow in 2014, promoting research and exhibitions on Soviet avant-garde.

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Andrei Erofeev (b. 1956, Paris) is a renowned art historian and curator, specializing in postwar and nonconformist art. After studying history at the Moscow State University, he played a pivotal role in establishing the first state collection of contemporary art at the Museum of Decorative and Applied Arts (now Tsaritsyno Museum-Reserve) in 1989. From 2001 to 2008, he headed the Contemporary Art Department at the State Tretyakov Gallery. Since then, Erofeev has worked independently, curating exhibitions, advising collectors, and publishing extensively. He co-chairs AICA and has been honored with the French Order of Arts and Letters.

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Andrei Bogdanov, PhD in History, is the Head of the Exhibition and Excursion Department at the Exhibition Complex of Goznak JSC (The History of Money Museum of GOZNAK). He specializes in organizing and managing exhibitions related to the history of currency circulation and state symbols, while also coordinating excursion programs aimed at promoting the historical and cultural heritage of Goznak. Bogdanov is actively engaged in research, focusing on key aspects of numismatics and the history of Russian monetary systems.

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Angela Lammert is the head of interdisciplinary special projects in the Department of Fine Arts at the Academy of Arts in Berlin and an adjunct professor at the Institute for Art and Image History at Humboldt University in Berlin. She has realized numerous exhibitions and publications on art from the 19th to the 21st century. Her research focuses on the history and theory of modern art, particularly in Germany, France, the USA, and Brazil, as well as the history and theory of photography and sculpture. Lammert operates at the intersection of art and science, promoting interdisciplinary dialogue.

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Anna Pak (Pushakova) is a specialist in Japanese art and culture, with years of experience in curatorial and research work. As the keeper of the Far Eastern painting and graphics collection at The State Museum of Oriental Art in Moscow, she has curated numerous exhibitions both in Russia and abroad. Her notable projects include the large-scale exhibition The Art of Manga in Saint Petersburg, Moscow, and Madrid (COAM). Alongside her curatorial work, Pushakova teaches Japanese art, lectures widely, and has published several articles and books on the subject.

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Annegret Laabs (b. 1967) is a prominent German art historian and director of the Kunstmuseum Magdeburg since 2001. She studied art history, ethnology, and medieval archaeology at the universities of Bamberg and Marburg, earning her doctorate in 1997 with a dissertation on medieval Cistercian imagery. Before her current role, she worked at the State Art Collections in Dresden and curated numerous exhibitions on contemporary art, focusing on 20th and 21st-century movements. Laabs has been influential in promoting artists through solo exhibitions and serves as a lecturer and a board member for several art foundations. In 2024, she was appointed honorary professor of art sciences at the Burg Giebichenstein University.

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Anthony Downey is a Professor of Visual Culture in the Middle East and North Africa at Birmingham City University, focusing on contemporary visual cultures, postcolonial theory, digital methodologies, and AI. He is the Cultural Lead and Co-Investigator on the AHRC-funded project Disability Under Siege, which aims to enhance educational and cultural provision for children with disabilities in Lebanon and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Downey is an editor for several peer-reviewed journals, including Third Text and Journal of Digital War, and is the series editor for Research/Practice.

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Beatrice Hilker is a German curator and art historian. She was a co-curator of the exhibition Raqs Media Collective: Everything Else is Ordinary, which was showcased at the K21 Museum in Düsseldorf. The exhibition, organized in collaboration with Susanne Gaensheimer, focused on the collective’s exploration of themes such as time, space, and history. The K21 exhibition was the first major solo presentation of Raqs Media Collective in Germany, offering deep insights into their multifaceted works and practice.

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Born in 1966 in Münster, Carina Plath studied art history, classical archaeology, and Romance philology across various European cities, including Münster and Bologna. She earned her doctorate at the Ruhr University Bochum with a thesis on the concept of open work in the art of Maria Nordman and Southern Californian art from the 1970s. Plath served as the director of the Westfälischen Kunstverein until 2009 and has been the Deputy Director and Curator for Painting and Sculpture at the Sprengel Museum Hannover since 2010. She has curated major projects, including the skulptur projekte münster in 2007, and is committed to enhancing contemporary art experiences through innovative exhibitions and collaborations.

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Christiane Stahl, born in Mannheim in 1963, is a distinguished art historian and curator. After studying Business French and Art History at École du Louvre, she completed her degree at FU Berlin under Prof. Dr. Eberhard König, earning the Erich-Stenger-Preis for her dissertation on photographer Alfred Erhardt. Stahl’s fascination with photography’s interplay between objective and subjective interpretation has shaped her career. She has curated notable exhibitions, including Sehsucht. Das Panorama als Massenunterhaltung des 19. Jahrhunderts at Bundeskunsthalle Bonn and Frontiers of Another Nature at Frankfurter Kunstverein. Since 2002, she has directed the Alfred Ehrhardt Stiftung and teaches photography history and theory at various institutions.

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Claudia Pasquero operates at the intersection of biology, computation, and design as a prominent figure in contemporary architecture. As a Professor of Landscape Architecture at the University of Innsbruck and Co-Director of ecoLogicStudio in London, she leads the Urban Morphogenesis Lab at Bartlett UCL and contributes to IAAC in Barcelona. Notable for curating the Tallinn Architectural Biennale 2017 titled bioTallinn, her work has been exhibited internationally, including venues like the Venice Architectural Biennale and ZKM Karlshruhe. Pasquero’s innovative projects, such as the Solana Open Aviary and the Urban Algae Folly, reflect her commitment to systemic design that integrates ecological principles and architectural practice. She is also co-authoring a book on systemic architecture, further solidifying her influence in the field.

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Clemens von Wedemeyer, born in 1974 in Göttingen, is a prominent German video artist and professor of media art at the Academy of Fine Arts Leipzig. He studied photography and media at the Fachhochschule Bielefeld and the Academy of Fine Arts Leipzig, graduating as Meisterschüler under Astrid Klein. His films and installations have been showcased globally, including dOCUMENTA (13), the 16th Biennale of Sydney, and MoMA PS1. Recent exhibitions include Im Kontext der Sammlung at Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein and BAKHMUT at Albertinum Dresden (2023).

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Daiga Jamonte studied at the Faculty of History and Philosophy at the University of Latvia. Since 2002, she has been a historian at the Latvian Museum of Photography, where she focuses on the history of photography and its cultural impact in Latvia. Her work includes curating exhibitions and conducting research on significant Latvian photographers and photographic practices. Jamonte’s expertise contributes to the preservation and promotion of Latvia’s photographic heritage, making her a key figure in the country’s cultural landscape.

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Daniel Muzyczuk (b. 1980) is a curator and art critic, currently the head of the Modern Art Department at Muzeum Sztuki in Łódź. He has curated notable exhibitions such as Long Gone Susan Philipsz, Gone to Croatan (with Robert Rumas), and MORE IS MORE (with Agnieszka Pindera). He co-curated Sounding the Body Electric and Notes from the Underground (both with David Crowley), as well as the Polish Pavilion at the 55th Venice Biennale (with Agnieszka Pindera). Muzyczuk won the Igor Zabel Competition in 2011 and was a curator at the Centre of Contemporary Art Znaki Czasu (CoCA) in Toruń from 2008 to 2011.

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David Crowley is the Head of the School of Visual Culture and Research at NCAD. Previously, he was a professor at the Royal College of Art, where he led the Critical Writing in Art & Design program. With a background in design history from the University of Brighton and the Royal College of Art, Crowley is a prominent writer, critic, and curator focused on visual culture and graphic design. His exhibitions include Cold War Modern at the V&A and Sounding the Body Electric: Experiments in Art and Music in Eastern Europe 1957–1984 at the Muzeum Sztuki in Łódź.

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Dmitry Gutov (b. 1960) is a prominent Russian artist and art theorist based in Moscow. He works across various media, including drawing, painting, sculpture, installation, photography, and video. A graduate of the Saint Petersburg Institute for Painting, Sculpture and Architecture of the Russian Academy of Arts (1992), Gutov emerged in the early 1990s Moscow art scene. His work often explores Marxist aesthetics, referencing Soviet art from the 1920s to the 1960s. He has participated in significant international events, including the Venice Biennale and Documenta, and has held solo exhibitions in major venues such as the Moscow Museum of Modern Art and Pushkin State Museum.

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Dmitry Vilensky, born in 1964 in St. Petersburg, is an influential artist, educator, and cultural environmentalist whose work emphasizes collective practices. As a founding member of Chto Delat (What is to be done?), he serves as its editor and facilitates the School of Engaged Art, fostering a dialogue between art and social engagement. His diverse oeuvre includes architectural constructions, educational seminars, and photographic works, which reflect his commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration. Vilensky is also an active contributor to art publications and lectures at various international art academies, furthering the discourse on art’s role in societal transformation.

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Dorothee Albrecht explores social, political, and artistic spaces, opened up by the radical global transformations of recent times. With different artistic formats, especially video platforms and spatial installations, arranged as continuing changing and broadening, she tries to make the complexity of these new potentialities graspable. Questioning conventional frameworks and hierarchies she is especially interested in relations between different cultural perspectives and their mutual dependencies.

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Scholar and Researcher in Eastern European Studies.

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Born in 1971 in Cambridge, Felix Krämer is a German-British art historian and curator, currently serving as Director General and Artistic Director of the Museum Kunstpalast in Düsseldorf since 2017. He also oversees the NRW-Forum Düsseldorf, known for exhibitions in photography and digital culture. Krämer holds a PhD in art history from the University of Hamburg and has curated major exhibitions worldwide, including in London, Paris, and Tokyo. In 2013, he was awarded the Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres for his contributions to the arts.

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Born in 1964, Florian Peters-Messer is a German real estate entrepreneur and art collector who began acquiring contemporary works in the mid-1990s. His collection, now comprising over 450 pieces, focuses on sociopolitical, psychological, and sociological themes, with notable works by artists such as Thomas Hirschhorn, Sophie Calle, and David Wojnarowicz. Peters-Messer’s collection debuted in 2018 at the Weserburg Museum in Bremen and has since been exhibited in prominent venues across Germany. He also curates exhibitions and contributes to discussions on queer art, right-wing radicalization, and art’s role in societal critique.

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Haim Sokol is a Russian-Israeli artist currently based in Israel, specializing in installations, sculpture, video, and performance art. Born in 1973 in Archangelsk, Russia, his work delves into themes of alienation, isolation, and the breakdown of relationships in contemporary society. Sokol employs archives and personal documents to reflect on 20th-century history through individual narratives, grappling with concepts of historical memory within today’s sociopolitical climate. A graduate of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and the Moscow Institute of Contemporary Art, Sokol has exhibited in prestigious venues such as the Tretyakov State Gallery and the Moscow Museum of Modern Art. His international participation includes the 2nd Kyiv Biennial and the 1st Indian Biennale in Kochi-Muziris. Recognized for his contributions, he is a nominee for the Innovation Prize and the Kandinsky Prize, and received the Special Stella Art Foundation Prize in 2009. Additionally, he teaches at the Rodchenko School of Photography and Multimedia in Moscow.

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Hanna-Liis Kont is a freelance curator and art historian located in southern Estonia. She has organized numerous exhibitions featuring both Estonian and international artists and is currently spearheading the Creative Connections initiative, which focuses on art and anti-bullying within the framework of Tartu 2024, the European Capital of Culture programme. Additionally, Kont is working towards a PhD at the Estonian Academy of Arts, where her research examines recent curatorial practices in the Baltic region, particularly their impact on community involvement and social well-being. Her endeavors highlight art’s potential to create inclusive communities.

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Hans D. Christ, co-director of the Württembergischer Kunstverein Stuttgart since 2005, has made significant contributions to curatorial practice, focusing on collaborative, transcultural, and transdisciplinary approaches. In 1996, he co-founded the Hartware Medienkunstverein in Dortmund, where he curated major exhibitions with global impact. His projects include solo exhibitions of Stan Douglas, Ines Doujak, and Alexander Kluge, as well as notable group shows like Die Bestie ist der Souverän (2015). Christ’s work explores political, historical, and conceptual dimensions of contemporary art, with a strong international presence.

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Heba Y. Amin is an Egyptian artist whose work explores the intersections of politics, technology, and architecture. Through extensive research, she critiques techno-utopian concepts and the political power embedded in landscapes. Amin is the Visual Arts Curator for Mizna and co-founder of the Black Athena Collective. She gained attention for subversive graffiti on the Homeland set. Currently, she teaches digital and time-based art at ABK Stuttgart and lectures at Bard College Berlin.

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Irina Shcherbakova is a Germanist and historian focused on oral history, totalitarianism, and the politics of remembrance in Russia. In the late 1970s, she began recording interviews with victims of Stalinism and studied KGB archives from 1991. Shcherbakova has contributed to journals like Sowjetliteratur and Nezavisimaya gazeta and held fellowships at the Wissenschaftskolleg in Berlin and the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna. She worked with the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Memorial organization until its ban in 2022 and managed the student competition Man in History. Russia in the 20th Century. A board member of the Buchenwald Memorial, she has received several awards, including the German Federal Cross of Merit and the Marion Dönhoff Prize for International Understanding and Reconciliation in 2022. Since 2010, she has been an Honorary Member of the ZfL.

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Iris Dressler, born in 1966 in Neuss, Germany, studied art history, philosophy, and literature at Marburg and Bochum. In 1996, she co-founded the Hartware MedienKunstverein in Dortmund, directing it until 2004. Concurrently, she served as a curator for media art at the Museum am Ostwall from 2002 to 2004. Since 2005, she has co-directed the Württembergischer Kunstverein Stuttgart with Hans D. Christ, focusing on collaborative and transcultural curatorial practices. Dressler’s notable exhibitions include Subversive Practices (2009) and 50 Years after 50 Years of the Bauhaus (2018). She also regularly teaches at the Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Stuttgart.

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Jean-Pascal Flavien, born in 1971 in Le Mans, France, is an artist whose work merges architecture, sculpture, and performance. He studied Fine Arts in Rennes, Italy, and at UCLA, Los Angeles. Residing in Berlin, Flavien creates precise yet poetic works, including altered domestic objects and architectural models that explore how design shapes human experience. His unique approach challenges perceptions of space, encouraging audiences to reconsider their surroundings through both visual and experiential lenses.

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Jeebesh Bagchi is a co-founder of Raqs Media Collective, along with Monica Narula and Shuddhabrata Sengupta. Founded in 1992, Raqs engages in multifaceted creative roles as artists, curators, and cultural provocateurs. They co-founded the Sarai Initiative in 2000 at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies in Delhi, which focuses on media and urbanism. The collective’s work spans installations, video, and photography, addressing themes of time, history, and urban spaces. Their works have been widely exhibited, including at Documenta, the Venice and São Paulo Biennales, and solo shows in major global museums.

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Katrin Nenasheva (b. 1994, Krasnodar) is a Moscow-based actionist, psychoactivist, and artist known for her work in the “third-wave actionism” in Russia. Her practice focuses on exploring the lives of isolated communities, using performance art to engage people from diverse social backgrounds. Nenasheva’s performances, often long-term actions in urban environments, include Don’t Be Afraid (2015), The Punishment (2016), and Between Here and There (2018). She has exhibited at venues like the Moscow Museum of Modern Art and initiated anti-war exhibitions across Russia and neighboring countries.

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Leonid Tishkov, born in 1953 in the Urals, is an artist whose poetic and metaphysical work spans installations, sculpture, video, photography, and books. He began in the 1980s with cartoon-like pieces that featured ironic black humor and political commentary, later transitioning to large-scale installations that immerse viewers in absurdist scenarios. His exploration of memory is evident in works reflecting on his homeland and late mother, using folk art and found materials. Since 2000, Tishkov has focused on a romantic tradition, particularly in the Private Moon project, featuring a crescent moon light object exhibited internationally.

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A Berlin-based curator and creative director, Linda Peitz has been a prominent figure in the art world since founding CCCCCOMA e.V. in 2020. This curatorial collective explores the intersections of communication, art, and curatorial practices. Peitz is also a curator and exhibition manager at Gallery Ebensperger in Berlin and Austria, where she develops exhibition concepts and manages artist relations. Her international experience includes a curatorial residency at ARAC in Bucharest (2022-2023). Known for her innovative approach, Peitz often engages with contemporary themes, including textile art and political expression.

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Marco Poletto, co-founder and director of ecoLogicStudio, is an architect, educator, and innovator specializing in bio-digital design. With a PhD from RMIT University, his research focuses on integrating non-human systems like algae into urban environments, fostering ecological intelligence in cities. Poletto has taught at prestigious institutions, including the Architectural Association in London and the IAAC in Barcelona. His work has been exhibited globally, from Venice Biennale to EXPO 2017, and he co-authored Systemic Architecture (Routledge, 2012). He also leads the design venture PhotoSynthetica, addressing climate change through architecture.

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María García Ruiz (b. 1981, Valdepeñas) is a visual artist and independent researcher whose work investigates the physical and symbolic production of territory through hybrid narratives of image, writing, and action. She holds a degree in Architecture and a Master’s in Research in Art and Design, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Philosophy at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, focusing on the architectures of moving bodies. A resident artist at Hangar (2022-2024), she has curated exhibitions such as The City in Dispute (2023) and Machines for Living (2017-2018). Her works have been showcased in notable venues, including Secession in Vienna and the Kunstverein in Stuttgart.

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Maria Kotova is a doctoral candidate in Philological Sciences and a senior researcher at the State Museum of M.A. Bulgakov, where she also serves as the head of the research department. Actively engaged in the study of 20th-century Russian literature, she has authored numerous articles and co-authored several monographs. Kotova has curated many exhibitions at the Bulgakov Museum, including One-Story America: Based on Real Events at the Moscow Museum of Modern Art (2016).

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Maya Schweizer, born in 1976 in Paris, is a Berlin-based artist whose multidisciplinary works explore memory, identity, and the socio-political dimensions of urban spaces. Utilizing mediums such as photography, video, and installation, her art uncovers the layers of history embedded in public spaces. Schweizer studied in Aix-en-Provence, Leipzig, and Berlin, where she was a master student of Lothar Baumgarten. Her works have been exhibited globally, including solo shows at the Kunsthalle Baden-Baden and the Museum Villa Stuck, and she has won awards like the HAP Grieshaber Prize and Dagesh Art Prize.

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Born in 1977 in Karl-Marx-Stadt (now Chemnitz), he moved to Leipzig in 1996 to study German philology and art pedagogy. However, in 2003, he shifted his focus from teaching to the art world, joining HALLE 14, where he manages press and public relations, supports exhibition realizations, and contributed to the center’s establishment. Since 2008, he has been serving as the artistic director of D21 Kunstraum Leipzig, playing a vital role in fostering contemporary art and culture in the region through innovative programming and community engagement.

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Michael Buhrs, born in 1971, is an art historian and has been the director of the Museum Villa Stuck in Munich since 2007. Under his leadership, Villa Stuck has become a renowned venue for international exhibitions that bridge art around 1900 with modern and contemporary works. Buhrs is known for creating immersive cultural experiences, such as the exhibition Der Stachel des Skorpions, inspired by Luis Buñuel’s L’Âge d’or, which offered visitors a behind-the-scenes look at curatorial processes. He actively fosters connections within Munich’s art scene, advocating for dynamic engagement with diverse artistic voices.

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Monica Narula is an artist and co-founder of Raqs Media Collective, established in 1992 alongside Jeebesh Bagchi and Shuddhabrata Sengupta. With a background in English Literature and filmmaking, Narula has contributed to Raqs’ expansive, interdisciplinary practice that spans installation, film, sculpture, and curatorial projects. Raqs Media Collective is known for its “kinetic contemplation,” engaging with themes of time, history, and urbanism. Their work has been featured internationally, including at Documenta and the Venice Biennale. They also co-founded Sarai at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, shaping contemporary Indian culture.

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Nadezhda Stepanova, former artistic director of the Institute of Russian Realist Art (IRRI) from 2011 to 2019, now leads the Aven Foundation in Latvia. At IRRI, she curated major exhibitions, solidifying the museum’s reputation as one of Russia’s finest private institutions before its closure in 2019.

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Nadezhda Plungian is an art historian with a Candidate of Art History degree, specializing in Soviet and contemporary art. From 2009 to 2019, she was a senior researcher at the State Institute for Art Studies in Moscow and served as the editor of the Art section on Colta.ru from 2017 to 2021. A member of the New Moscow association since 2017, she was the lead curator for the exhibition Modernism Without Manifestos at the Moscow Museum of Modern Art and curated Wandering Stars: Soviet Jewry in Prewar Art in 2021. Plungian has co-curated several notable exhibitions, including Surrealism in the Land of the Bolsheviks (2017) and VKhUTEMAS 100. The School of the Avant-Garde (2020) at the Museum of Moscow. Since 2019, she has taught at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow, where she continues to live and work.
Plungian’s Telegram channel: https://t.me/privateXXI

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Natalia Grinina is a research associate at the Institute for Slavic and Hungarian Studies at Humboldt University in Berlin. She completed her Bachelor’s degree at the Peter Szondi Institute for General and Comparative Literature Studies at Freie Universität Berlin and obtained her Master’s degree in “Cultures and Literatures of Central and Eastern Europe” at Humboldt University in 2020. Her research interests include literature and space (architecture) as well as the cultural history of melancholy in literature, poetry, and postcolonial theory. In her dissertation, she focuses on the island topos and island motifs in Russian literature from the 19th to the 21st century.

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Researcher at The State Museum of Religion History, Saint Petersburg.

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Paula Schwerdtfeger, art historian and curator, completed her doctorate in 2020 at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. After her traineeship at the Sprengel Museum Hannover, she began working as a freelance art historian. Her research focuses on modern art, the medium of exhibitions, and the art world during National Socialism. She is particularly known for her analysis of Nazi art exhibitions in her book Space – Time – Order. Since 2015, she has been managing the estate of her great-grandfather, Bauhaus student Kurt Schwerdtfeger.

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Pedro G. Romero (b. 1964, Aracena, Huelva) is a multifaceted researcher, curator, and artist whose work has explored the intersections of flamenco, art history, and cultural studies since 1985. He is known for projects like Archivo F. X. and Máquina P.H., which contribute to the Independent Platform for Modern and Contemporary Flamenco Studies. His significant exhibitions include forma-de-vida for the Bergen Assembly and Máquinas de Vivir. Romero’s multidisciplinary practice addresses themes of identity, history, and urban space, making him a vital figure in contemporary cultural discourse.

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Polina Kolozaridi is a social researcher from Tomsk, Siberia, currently based in Moscow. With a PhD in sociology, she focuses on the implications of the internet and digital technologies in society and culture. As the coordinator of the Club for Internet and Society Enthusiasts, she brings together researchers — both academic and non-academic — to explore how we understand, feel, anticipate, and imagine technology. At the National Research University Higher School of Economics, her work intersects social anthropology and philosophy, with interests in internet history and related ideas. Kolozaridi also engages with contemporary art and experimental pedagogical methods, aiming to foster clearer understanding and critical discourse around digital technologies and their societal impacts.

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René Grohnert, born in 1956 in Berlin, is the director of the Deutsches Plakat Museum at Museum Folkwang in Essen. He began his journey into museology in 1981 at the University of Leipzig. His early career included a position at the Museum für Deutsche Geschichte in Berlin, where he was mentored by Hellmut Rademacher, who introduced him to the intricacies of poster art. Grohnert later pursued a degree in art history while focusing on posters. He co-founded PlakatKonzepte in Hannover with Jörg Weigelt and published the Plakat-Journal until 1998. Since 2005, he has been at the helm of the Deutsches Plakat Museum, continuing to champion the significance of posters in art and culture.

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Sabine Schmid, Dr. phil., is a German art historian and curator based in Munich. She works at the Museum Villa Stuck and teaches at the Academy of Fine Arts Leipzig. Schmid’s research focuses on post-1945 German-German and contemporary photography, exploring themes such as the visual legacy of the GDR. She also investigates the book as an artistic and curatorial medium, both theoretically and as a practicing editor. Schmid studied art history, literature, and theatre in Munich and Paris, and cultures of the curatorial in Leipzig.

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Sergey Zykov is an artist, musician, and curator dedicated to contemporary music and youth engagement. As a participant and program curator for the Kymatic contemporary music ensemble and a specialist in educational programs for the V-A-C Foundation, he focuses on making curatorial projects accessible to children and teenagers. Previously, Zykov curated the music direction at the Multimedia Art Museum (MAMM) and the musical block at the ZIL Cultural Centre. A graduate of the Moscow Architectural Institute, he also studied t at the BAZA Institute of Contemporary Art, where he explored innovative intersections of art and music.

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Sergiy Bratkov (born 1960) is known for his provocative photographs that offer a stark critique of society beneath their vibrant surfaces. Emerging from Kharkiv, Ukraine, he became a key figure in the Kharkiv School of Photography and the Gosprom group in the 1980s. His work spans photography, painting, and installations, often using elements of folk kitsch to create melancholic collages. After emigrating to Berlin in 2022 due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Bratkov’s recent exhibition, My Brother’s Cats, features new images and videos reflecting on war and social conditions. His approach blends documentary and abstraction, processing trauma while maintaining a critical lens on contemporary life.

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Shuddhabrata Sengupta is an artist, writer, and curator, co-founding the Raqs Media Collective in New Delhi with Monica Narula and Jeebesh Bagchi in 1992. Raqs engages in diverse creative practices, including installations, video, photography, and curating, with works exhibited internationally at Documenta, Venice, Istanbul, and São Paulo Biennales, and in museums across New York, Brussels, and Shanghai. They co-founded the Sarai Initiative at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies in 2000, fostering research on media and urbanism. Sengupta has been a Keith Haring Fellow at Bard College, and Raqs won the Multitude Art Prize in 2013.

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Stefanie Odenthal is a foundation manager and curator at the Alfred Ehrhard Foundation. She is also a member of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Photographie (DGPh).

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Susanne Gaensheimer, born 1967 in Munich, is a prominent German art historian and curator. She studied art history in Munich and Hamburg and completed the Independent Study Programme at the Whitney Museum in New York. Gaensheimer earned her PhD in 1997 with a dissertation on Bruce Nauman. She served as director of the Westfälischer Kunstverein and later curated the International Contemporary Art collection at Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus. In 2009, she became director of the Museum für Moderne Kunst (MMK) in Frankfurt, where she oversaw the establishment of MMK 2. Since September 2017, she has directed the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen in Düsseldorf.

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Born in 1957 in Berlin, Thomas Flierl studied philosophy and aesthetics at the Humboldt University and completed his doctorate in 1985. Following roles in the Ministry of Culture and as a head of the Berlin Prenzlauer Berg cultural office, he served as Berlin’s Senator for Science, Research, and Culture from 2002 to 2006. A specialist in 20th-century architecture and urban planning, his research spans the Soviet Union and post-socialist memory cultures. From 2007 to 2023, he chaired the Hermann-Henselmann-Stiftung and continues to lead the Max-Lingner-Stiftung while contributing to academic research at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar.

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Tobias Zielony is a German photographer and filmmaker recognized for his evocative portrayals of young people on society’s fringes. For over 20 years, he has documented suburban environments across Canada, England, Ukraine, Israel, and Japan, highlighting communities overlooked by modernity. His work captures both melancholy and human tenderness, allowing these groups to narrate their stories. Zielony’s series Citizen co-represented Germany at the 2015 Venice Biennale, and he has been a professor in Hamburg since 2022.

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Valentina Likhacheva is an art historian and an Exhibition Department Specialist at the Multimedia Art Museum (MAMM) in Moscow, where she focuses on the history of Soviet photography. She is also the mother of Yelizaveta Likacheva, who has been the director of the Pushkin Museum in Moscow since 2023.

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Valérie Favre, born in 1959 in Evilard, Switzerland, is a Berlin-based artist and professor of painting at the Universität der Künste since 2006. Initially pursuing a career in theater and film, Favre transitioned to painting in the 1990s, becoming a prominent figure in the French and later the Berlin art scenes. Her work, exhibited at major institutions such as Centre Pompidou Paris, K21 Düsseldorf, Kunstmuseum Lucerne, and Sprengel Museum Hannover, explores themes of myth, tragedy, and human existence. Favre is best known for her series Suicide (2003–2013) and Théâtres (2007–), as well as her recurring character, Lapine Univers.

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Viktor Zhigota is an art historian and philosopher, currently leading the Autonomous Scientific Group at the International Centre of the Roerichs (ICR). As a prominent representative of the ICR, Zhigota is deeply involved in philosophical and artistic research, contributing to the study and promotion of the Roerichs’ legacy and related cultural initiatives.

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Victoria Lomasko (b. 1978) is a Russian artist who lived in Moscow until March 2022. A graduate of Moscow State University of Printing Arts, her graphic illustration practice encompasses novels, journalism, comics, paintings, and murals. Notably, her graphic novel Other Russias won the Pushkin House Prize in 2018 and was recognized by The Guardian as one of the best books for understanding contemporary Russia. Lomasko’s work, characterized by a blend of direct reportage and magical realism, reflects the voices of marginalized communities. She has exhibited globally, including recent solo shows at the Santa Giulia Museum in Italy (2022) and Edel Assanti in London (2023). Her work has appeared in Art in America, GQ, and The New Yorker, and is included in notable public collections, such as the Reina Sofia in Madrid and the National Centre for Contemporary Arts in Moscow. Now based in Berlin, Lomasko continues to explore themes of resistance and social justice through her art.

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Viktor Misiano (born 1957 in Moscow) is a prominent Russian art curator, theorist, and critic, recognized for his influential role in shaping contemporary art discourse in Russia and internationally. He was curator at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts (1980–1990) and later directed the Center for Contemporary Art (CAC) in Moscow (1992–1997). Misiano curated several major international exhibitions, including the Russian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale (1995, 2003), and was part of the curatorial team for Manifesta 1 (1996). He founded Moscow Art Magazine (1993) and Manifesta Journal (2003), serving as editor-in-chief.

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Vitaly Patsyukov (April 2, 1939 – October 25, 2021) was a Soviet and Russian art historian, curator, and theorist. A corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Arts since 2012, his research focused on visual art in dialogue with other artistic forms, scientific disciplines, and social practices. 2002-2021 Patsyukov has served as a curator at the National Centre for Contemporary Arts (NCCA), heading the experimental programs department. Patsyukov’s work emphasizes the influence of the classical avant-garde on contemporary avant-garde movements. Patsyukov was particularly interested in the relationship between the classical avant-garde and contemporary artistic strategies. He was a key figure in curating and promoting non-conformist Russian art, contributing significantly to the discourse on modern and contemporary art in Russia.

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Since 2009, Wolfgang Thöner has been leading the collection department at the Bauhaus Dessau Foundation, where he focuses on the history and reception of the Bauhaus, particularly in East Germany from 1945 to 1990. His research encompasses architecture, functionalism, visual arts, and cultural history. In addition to his academic pursuits, he has curated numerous exhibitions on Bauhaus history, architecture, and contemporary artists.

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Zachary King completed his PhD at the University of Chicago in 2022, where his research focused on how Marcel Proust, John Dos Passos, and James Joyce were received in Soviet Russia. He now works as a freelance translator, specializing in translations from Russian, German, and Polish into English. His portfolio includes The Charisma of World Revolution by Gleb Albert (Brill), contributions to The Complete Works of Rosa Luxemburg (Verso), and The Steps of Nemesis: A Dramatic Chronicle in Six Scenes from Party Life in the USSR (1936-1938) by Nikolai Evreinov (University of Chicago Press).