Support Manuel Borja-Villel, Director of Museo Reina Sofía, and the team at the Museum in their opposition to the attempted censorship of a work of art in the exhibition "Really Useful Knowledge".

The Issue

CIMAM wishes to express its support to Manuel Borja-Villel, Director of Museo Reina Sofía (MNCARS), Madrid, and the entire team at the Museum in their opposition to the attempted censorship of a work of art presented within the exhibition Really Useful Knowledge.

Religious groups are pressuring the Spanish Ministry of Culture to censure this exhibition. CIMAM is against such pressures on any cultural institution dedicated to promoting the principles of artistic expression and freedom.

The exhibition endeavors to position the notion of critical pedagogy as a crucial element in collective struggles, and explore the tension between individual and social emancipation through education with examples that are both historical and current, and their relation to organizational forms capable of leading unified resistance to the reproduction of capital.

The programming of art institutions is done for the construction of a civil and public space of debate and of a critical discussion around the experiences we share. Art institutions are for freedom, respect and debate; never for repression, violence nor censorship.

CIMAM wishes to encourage debate and civilized exchange of ideas and wants to express the deep concern for the turn of the actions against the freedom of artistic expressions and of the values of dialogue defended by the Museo Reina Sofía (MNCARS). 

CIMAM has initiated a petition addressed to the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports, to support Manuel Borja-Villel, director of Museo Reina Sofía (MNCARS) and the entire team involved in this exhibition.

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CIMAM International Committee of ICOM for Museums and Collections of Modern ArtPetition StarterCIMAM, is an international forum of professional character for the discussion of theoretical, ethical and practical issues concerning the collection and exhibition of modern and contemporary art. CIMAM is essentially composed of the directors and curators of modern and contemporary art museums and collections but also integrates independent professionals. CIMAM's major objective is to develop cooperation and knowledge by identifying and responding to the needs and issues faced by modern and contemporary art institutions and the profession. CIMAM has generated reference professional codes such as the General Principles on Conditions of Deaccession from Modern and Contemporary Museum Collections, adopted in November 2009, and has promoted the Contemporary Art Museums Watch advocacy program concentrating on the different critical situations of contemporary art museums and collections in regions affected by world economical and political crises.
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This petition had 2,564 supporters

The Issue

CIMAM wishes to express its support to Manuel Borja-Villel, Director of Museo Reina Sofía (MNCARS), Madrid, and the entire team at the Museum in their opposition to the attempted censorship of a work of art presented within the exhibition Really Useful Knowledge.

Religious groups are pressuring the Spanish Ministry of Culture to censure this exhibition. CIMAM is against such pressures on any cultural institution dedicated to promoting the principles of artistic expression and freedom.

The exhibition endeavors to position the notion of critical pedagogy as a crucial element in collective struggles, and explore the tension between individual and social emancipation through education with examples that are both historical and current, and their relation to organizational forms capable of leading unified resistance to the reproduction of capital.

The programming of art institutions is done for the construction of a civil and public space of debate and of a critical discussion around the experiences we share. Art institutions are for freedom, respect and debate; never for repression, violence nor censorship.

CIMAM wishes to encourage debate and civilized exchange of ideas and wants to express the deep concern for the turn of the actions against the freedom of artistic expressions and of the values of dialogue defended by the Museo Reina Sofía (MNCARS). 

CIMAM has initiated a petition addressed to the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports, to support Manuel Borja-Villel, director of Museo Reina Sofía (MNCARS) and the entire team involved in this exhibition.

avatar of the starter
CIMAM International Committee of ICOM for Museums and Collections of Modern ArtPetition StarterCIMAM, is an international forum of professional character for the discussion of theoretical, ethical and practical issues concerning the collection and exhibition of modern and contemporary art. CIMAM is essentially composed of the directors and curators of modern and contemporary art museums and collections but also integrates independent professionals. CIMAM's major objective is to develop cooperation and knowledge by identifying and responding to the needs and issues faced by modern and contemporary art institutions and the profession. CIMAM has generated reference professional codes such as the General Principles on Conditions of Deaccession from Modern and Contemporary Museum Collections, adopted in November 2009, and has promoted the Contemporary Art Museums Watch advocacy program concentrating on the different critical situations of contemporary art museums and collections in regions affected by world economical and political crises.
Media inquiries

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This petition had 2,564 supporters

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The Decision Makers

Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports
Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports
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Petition created on October 31, 2014