HERITAGE SYMPOSIUM MANIFESTA 9

foto/photo: Johnny Harsch, Fotoarchief Stad Genk.

HERITAGE SYMPOSIUM MANIFESTA 9.

The Future under Construction.

Mexican curator Cuauhtémoc Medina developed the concept for the Manifesta 9 exhibition ‘The Deep of the Modern’. During his prospective study through the Limburg Mine region he was impressed and surprised by the remains of a large-scale and radical industrial past. The inhabitants of the region are accustomed to seeing the slag heaps, shafts and industrial complexes within the landscape, and experience its presence as part of their daily lives. But still, they are not aware of the specific meaning of these monuments. This also holds true for the visitors who, just like the curator, are struck by the richness of this material and immaterial heritage. Medina therefore posed the important question on the future of the region’s heritage and on how the different agents involved are planning to safeguard it but also give (new) meaning to it for coming generations.

That’s why Manifesta 9, the Heritage unit Mijn-Erfgoed and the Province of Limburg combined their efforts to launch some new initiatives concerning this extraordinary heritage – an international symposium at C-mine, Genk on September 13 and 14 2012, being one of these. At the symposium a ‘Manifesto for the Mine region’ will be presented. The participants are asked to reflect on this issue in which current heritage policy is evaluated and specific steps for the future are formulated. Furthermore the role of the region’s past for the future of the inhabitants as well as for the visitors is formulated. A first version of this manifesto has already been prepared during two workshops. The symposium thus offers a unique platform for comparing and evaluating the vision of the local actors with the experience and expertise of (inter)national speakers, and to intensify the dialogue between the public, the agents and the policy-makers.

An overview of the invited speakers communicates that the symposium addresses representatives of all the different sectors that are (in)directly linked with heritage (tourism, economy, the social sector, art, landscape,…). For example, Keith Falconer (English Heritage, UK), Cathérine Bertram (Mission Bassin Minier, FR) and Bettina Steindl (RUHR.2010, G) but also Nico Nelissen (Em. Professor Radboud University, NL) and An van Dienderen (Postdoctoral researcher K.A.S.K., University Ghent, B) will present new perspectives on the possibilities of (im)material heritage for the future of the Mine region.

The complete programme is available here.

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