Programming contemporary and experimental art in libraries

from Zagreb City Libraries

This event will take place on 19 November 2026 13:00

Watch the video

Programming contemporary and experimental art in libraries
from Zagreb City Libraries

This event will take place on 19 November 2026 13:00

Register here

How can public libraries become spaces for professional contemporary art, artistic experimentation and critical dialogue? What does this transformation mean for the roles of librarians? And do you need curatorial experience to programme art in your library?

In this webinar we'll explore how public libraries can become interdisciplinary, cultural environments that provide spaces for contemporary art experimentation and the production of new artworks. By providing free and continuous access to contemporary art, libraries support cultural participation and community engagement, reinforcing their role as spaces for shared experience.

Librarian and art historian Sunčica Ostoić will draw on the fifty-year history of the VN Gallery within Zagreb City Libraries in Croatia as a case study. She will discuss how their library reading room has become an established venue for contemporary art, exhibitions, performances, multimedia installations and participatory artistic projects.

Join us to learn about developing contemporary art programmes within libraries, including:

  • curatorial expertise
  • professional standards for presenting contemporary art
  • collaboration between librarians, curators and artists
  • opportunities for professional development
  • attracting new library audiences through visual and live art practices
  • benefits of creating unexpected encounters that offer new sensory experiences and foster critical dialogue

This webinar is open to librarians, curators, cultural professionals and anyone interested in the evolving role of public libraries as spaces for contemporary culture and artistic experimentation.

Photo credits: Nina Kurtela, Laundromat, VN Gallery Zagreb City Libraries 2010

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