Friday Tour | Mihaela Mihai

This week political theorist Mihaela Mihai will be entering in to a dialogue with Angelica Mesiti’s In the Round to reflect on the nature of democracy. What is the essence of democracy? What are the conditions for democracy to flourish?  And who are ‘the people’ whose voices democratic institutions are supposed to represent? Moving across the exhibition, this tour will use Citizens Band to address these questions, by considering the supposed challenges that migration and cultural diversity pose to national unity and values. Then, against the backdrop of ASSEMBLY, it will ask us to consider whether – taking Mesiti’s lead – we can expand our imagination as to who belongs and who doesn’t in the halls of democratic power. In response to these two works, Mihai will make a plea for a more expansive vision of citizenship and democratic engagement. Offering a political perspective throughout, this provocative tour will complement Mesiti’s experimental approach to community and communication by inviting a timely reflection on how democracy thrives because of – and not despite – cultural and political pluralism.