Towards A Civic Museum, Tania Bruguera

What does it mean for a museum to arrive in a place shaped by layered histories? How might an institution listen before it speaks?

Developed through conversations between artist Tania Bruguera and young people from east London, this work takes the form of a statement of shared principles. Stained glass — traditionally associated with permanence and authority — is reframed as a fragile and transparent medium, reminding us that institutions are shaped by trust and collective responsibility. 

The composition draws on Walthamstow-born artist William Morris’s designs, reimagined through the lens of the many cultural traditions that reflect east London’s global population. The names of all participants appear on the glass as seeds, marking the possibility of common ground nurtured over time. 
 
Created with the V&A East Youth Collective and realised by Richard Paton at Rainbow Glass Studio.

Read more about Towards a Civic Museum here: Towards a Civic Museum • V&A Blog

Text on the stained glass:

We want V&A East to be more than a destination. We want a civic museum.
Where transparency, advocacy, generosity, equity, accountability, sustainability and collaboration are not empty slogans, but the way we exist within the institution.
A civic museum does not only resemble the community, but belongs to the community.
It does not speak in the name of others. It gives the floor to those who live outside its walls.
A civic museum recognises local knowledge as expertise and gives credit for its use.
A civic museum is interested not only in our production of knowledge, but provides meaningful opportunities to drive and care about our conditions of life.
A civic museum resists urban displacement and alienation.
A civic museum prioritises people over investments.
In a civic museum, each member of the community is accepted in all their complex uniqueness and intersectional identities, never forced into a generic group.
A civic museum designs its programmes with the community instead of for the community.
A civic museum re-examines itself, questions its own goals and remains accountable over time.
A civic museum is not here to save anyone, but it is a place where everyone feels safe.
This is the museum we are ready to build together, because the true legacy of V&A East will be the impact it has on the local community.