Introductory session. A series of online seminars: Time for Cultural Mediation?
Resource: GARAGEMCA
This video is part of a series of online seminars developed in connection with the Russian edition of Time for Cultural Mediation by Carmen Mörsch and colleagues. The series brings together educators, curators, and researchers from Switzerland and Russia to reflect on key questions of cultural mediation and to exchange perspectives on its meanings, goals, and possibilities.
Focusing on the evolving understanding of “art mediation” in the Russian context, the seminar addresses how this relatively recent concept has been adopted and interpreted across institutions and practices. While widely used in major cultural events and organizations, the term remains fluid and contested. This session creates space for critical dialogue and shared reflection on its definitions and implications.
In this introductory session, curators Alina Belishkina, Daria Malikova, and Marina Romanova present the concept of the seminar series, outline its main themes, and introduce the invited speakers. They also reflect on the significance of publishing the Russian edition of Time for Cultural Mediation and its relevance today.
The discussion is joined by Carmen Mörsch, co-author of the publication, and Anastasia Mityushina, Public Program curator at Garage Museum. Together, they revisit the concept of cultural mediation ten years after the book’s original release, offering insights into how the field has developed and continues to transform.
This resource is particularly relevant for cultural mediators, educators, and researchers interested in critical perspectives and international dialogue on cultural mediation practices.

MeWell Talks Episode #3 | Slowing Down, Sensing and Meaning-Making with Karen Vanhercke
In this episode of MeWell Talks, cultural mediator Karen Vanhercke introduces the practice of art-based dialogue as a method for deepening perception, expanding awareness, and reconnecting with our senses.
Framed as both a dialogue method and a form of liberation from habitual ways of seeing, this session invites participants to slow down and engage with art beyond quick judgment and surface interpretation.
At the core of this approach are three interconnected dimensions:
- Embodiment – experiencing art through the body
- Time – allowing perception to unfold gradually
- Language – sharing and shaping meaning through dialogue
Through a guided collective viewing of a sculpture, participants move between observation and perception, exploring associations, sensations, and interpretations. The process demonstrates how meaning is not fixed, but emerges through shared attention, presence, and dialogue.
🔹 In this video, you will explore:
- How slowing down transforms the way we experience art
- The relationship between observation and perception
- How embodied attention deepens engagement
- The role of dialogue in meaning-making
- How art-based dialogue supports awareness, agency, and reflection
- Why there is no single “correct” interpretation
This episode also highlights how art can become a space for both wellbeing and disruption—where participants can feel, reflect, question, and connect in a safe and open environment.
🙏 Special thanks to all contributors and participants involved in the session.




















