I is for Institute Conversation

The ICA Philadelphia recently published a long-form conversation with 221A’s Co-Founder and Executive Director, Brian McBay, and Head of Strategy, Jesse McKee, with ICA curators Alex Klein, Tausif Noor and Jessica Bao, as part of their multi-year project I is for Institute. Featuring over 40 interviews with institutional leaders and programmers, this project asks questions like: Has the definition of an institute been stable throughout history, or has it taken on different meanings and inflections over time? What does the notion of an “institute” conjure for a public? And, how might we question the parameters of an “institute of contemporary art” as a way to rethink how we approach our own institutional identity? During this time of reconsideration and reorientation, this archive is a vital resource for all of us to rethink the essentials and potentials of our work in the art and design realms.