Performance Art Outshines Lectures at CIMAM's 57th Annual Conference in Turin

The inaugural 57th CIMAM Annual Conference took place in Turin, attracting 300 museum experts from more than 90 nations. The event commenced with a captivating performance by Alessandro Sciarroni, 'Don’t Be Frightened of Turning the Page' (2017), featuring Marco Bertani spinning for 40 minutes. Curator Chus Martínez employed flock imagery to portray CIMAM as a collective entity thriving on relationships and adaptability. Political scientist Francoise Vergès examined the interplay between breathing and power dynamics. On the following day, keynote speaker Elizabeth A. Povinelli explored themes of counterflow and Indigenous resistance, while Abdullah Miniawy's 'Peacock Dreams' (2025) with Jules Boittin and Robinson Khoury offered a Sufi-inspired musical experience. Economist Mariana Mazzucato championed public funding for the arts, and Diana Anselmo's sign language piece 'Pas Moi' (2025) with Daniel Bongioanni and Antonio Dominelli emphasized translation as a relational practice, underscoring the effectiveness of performances over traditional lectures in transcending language barriers.