At the satellite event of Engadin Art Talks at Scala, St. Moritz, Theaster Gates, Maja Hoffmann and Vassilis Oikonomopoulos discussed long-term artistic engagement, the relationship between form and impact, and the role of archives in cultural preservation. Gates reflected on his residency at LUMA Arles, where he transformed his exhibition into a living, evolving space that blurred the lines between artist studio, audience experience, and communal gathering. Instead of a static show, he created a working studio, activating the space through workshops, performances, and collaborations with local artisans. His project included the construction of a Japanese wood-fired kiln, designed to outlive the exhibition and serve regional ceramists for years. The discussion also explored the power of archives, with Gates revealing how his time in Arles led him to uncover a 50,000-piece Afro-Caribbean music collection, which he is now preserving and digitising. He emphasized the spiritual life of objects, the responsibility of caretaking cultural memory, and the need for institutions like LUMA to support sustained artistic interventions beyond short-term exhibitions.
“Governments aren’t investing in culture like they used to. We need private initiatives to take public responsibility for cultural memory.”
— Theaster Gates
