“What do an empty bullet casing and the contemporary art museum have in common?” asks Berlin-based artist Hito Steyerl in her provocative video lecture Is a Museum a Battlefield?, which opens on Friday 4 July at the Adam Art Gallery.

Hito Steyerl is one of contemporary art’s most stimulating figures, known for writings and videos that pose challenging questions about the state of our world in the digital age, under the conditions of global capitalism.

Is a Museum a Battlefield? was presented at the 13th Istanbul Biennial in 2013, soon after rioters protesting the erosion of public space staged major demonstrations in the city, events that deeply affected this headline art event.

“Steyerl’s approach to this highly politicised context makes intriguing viewing for audiences interested in questioning the social and political responsibilities of artists,” says Adam Art Gallery Director, Christina Barton.

The video installation will be launched at 5.30pm on Friday 4 July with a special screening followed by a discussion led by Christina Barton, together with art critic and commentator, Martin Patrick and Letting Space Director, Sophie Jerram.

This is the second of three one-work installations brought together as RELOAD | Kirk Gallery Series 2014. It was preceded by Shannon Te Ao’s two-channel video projection Follow the Party of the Whale, and will be followed in August by a specially commissioned installation featuring the video Collector’s Edition Glitch by Auckland-based artist, Eddie Clemens.

What: Hito Steyerl, Is a Museum a Battlefield?   RELOAD | Kirk Gallery Series 2014

Where: Adam Art Gallery, Victoria University of Wellington Gate 3, Kelburn Parade

When: Special screening and discussion: 5.30pm Friday 4 July  All welcome, no RSVP required

Exhibition: 4 July–10 August    Tuesday–Sunday, 11am–5pm (closed on Monday) Free entry