Contemporary Expressions #4

The fourth edition of Contemporary Expressions #4 the museum’s artist residency and site-specific commission programme brings together five international artists – Gala Porras-Kim, Elif Uras, Dayanita Singh, Sissel Tolaas and Driant Zeneli – whose practices engage with the museum’s collection and spaces, exploring new ways of interpreting cultural heritage through contemporary artistic perspectives.

Through installations, ceramics, photography, video, scientific research and olfactory investigations, the artists examine how museum collections are preserved, displayed and communicated. Their interventions establish new relationships with the objects on view, encouraging visitors to reconsider their historical, religious, ritual and funerary significance in relation to contemporary concerns. Rather than treating the collection as a static record of the past, the project reactivates its objects through new narratives and critical interpretations.

The exhibition also extends into Palazzo Mazzonis, transforming the museum’s architecture into a space for artistic experimentation and exchange. Bringing together different sensibilities and approaches, Contemporary Expressions #4 explores the potential of contemporary art to reshape the museum experience and open up new perspectives on the cultural connections and histories that link Eurasian traditions. From 1 November, all the works can be visited with a ticket to the museum’s permanent collection.