With the global rise of a politics of shock driven by authoritarian regimes that subvert the rule of law and civil liberties, what paths to resistance, sanctuary, and change can cultural institutions offer? In this book, more than twenty leading curators and thinkers about contemporary art present powerful case studies, historical analyses, and theoretical perspectives that address the dynamics of activism, protest, and advocacy.

The alchemy of things is at the core of Antje Majewski’s multimedia project, which aims at rethinking the representation and meaning of objects in the form of a highly personal and quasi-surreal collection. Based on the investigation of various museums and collections Majewski presents a utopian and subversive take on how to make objects talk.