FARO x MoMu Study Day: Museums in Times of Crisis and Conflict

This October, the study day Museums in Times of Crisis and Conflic tfocuses on the social role of museums. Expect inspiring case studies, knowledge exchange, reflection and debate on the key issues shaping the museum sector today. The study day is co-organised by MoMu and FARO and is linked to the recent exhibition Embroidering Palestine.

FARO is the support centre for the cultural heritage sector in Flanders and Brussels. By bringing together expertise, connecting heritage professionals and placing current heritage issues on the agenda, FARO fosters knowledge sharing, professional development and collaboration. Through training, advice, research and initiatives such as Heritage Day and the Heritage App, FARO contributes to a strong and future-oriented cultural heritage sector.

Rachel Dedman is the guest curator of Embroidering Palestine. An internationally recognised expert on Palestinian embroidery and Middle Eastern fashion, she is currently Curator of Contemporary Art from the Middle East at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Dedman has previously curated acclaimed exhibitions on Palestinian textile arts and brings her deep expertise and insight to this project, illuminating the rich stories stitched into tatreez.

Sachli Gholamalizad is a Belgian-Iranian theater and film artist. Her acclaimed trilogy A Reason to Talk, (Not) My Paradise, and Let Us Believe in the Beginning of the Cold Season toured internationally. She previously curated the museum takeover Where We Are at MoMu and develops sound work with Iranian poetry alongside her theater, film, and television projects.

Marah Haj Hussein is a Palestinian dancer, actress and maker based in Antwerp. Combining dance and theatre, her work explores language, the body and colonial power structures. She is the creator of Language: no broblem and In relation to whom? مرتاحة؟. Language: no broblem received both the Roel Verniers Prize and the Sector Award for Most Acclaimed Performance by an Artist Under 35.

Pierre-Antoine Vettorello is an Afropean artist and researcher based at the Antwerp Research Institute for the Arts and the University of Antwerp. His artistic practice and doctoral research Black Yarns explore decoloniality within fashion, focusing on the histories of Black African women in Paris and the role of clothing as a form of expression and resistance. He also develops research and curatorial projects around diaspora, museum collections and colonial legacies.