PP120 curatorial assignment
Ā What does a curator do?
Ā I think a curatorās job is to synthesize a collection of work. Curatorship is about more than just arranging work in an aesthetically pleasing way; itās about figuring out how the works speak to each other. I think a curator has two main functions: figuring out how the works function together, and figuring out how people will experience them. Curators need to consider how viewing the work will feel for people. Sometimes this can even entail arranging works in an uncomfortable or aesthetically weird/ difficult way. Curatorship can invite passive/ easy viewing or more challenging engagement. What would it mean if you had to crawl through a tunnel to look at a work? What does it evoke in someone if the painting is hung skew, or upside down? Central to curatorship is figuring out the relationships between works, do they juxtapose? Is there conflict or connection?
I like this point about Sergei Diaghilev not making their own art but making junctions. Especially in our contemporary time of waste and surplus production the idea of being a junction maker rather than a product maker feels really important.
Ā Ā Role as a catalyst not a rival
The competition between artists can be really discouraging. Thereās often this feeling like thereās not enough space to go around. Everyone is afraid of being copied or appearing to imitate other artists. Thereās a lot of pressure to be original and to safeguard the little space you carve out for yourself. I like the idea of having a creative role inside another artistās space without jostling for it or claiming it as your own. It seems like a great way to collaborate with an artist while still giving full space and autonomy to their personal practice.
Ā āArt can appear where we expect it leastā
I find the idea of taking art out of galleries really exciting. The gallery circuit in Cape Town seems very driven by an elite and insular group and can feel really inaccessible to a young artist.
Enwesorās central point is about finding spaces where the curator can āactā. They posit that in order to act you have to have an agenda. I interpret this as an emphasis on spaces where curators can have creative vision that is not determined by show casing work in a sellable or gallery approved way. They say itās impossible to act in a space like an art fair, for example. They observe: āEvery project feels like an interview for a jobā
Kouoh sees curatorship as a space to shape the canon differently; a way to intervene in a racist and euro-centric art history. They look to connect and transform histories and futures. They discuss connecting the Diaspora through curatorship.
They acknowledge that although many artists do not want to be reduced to identity categories, it is necessary to curate intersectional spaces in shows. They draw attention to the fine line between acceptance and assimilation, with the warning that seeking to blend in will never solve underlying issues. They observe that more important than acceptance is recognition and independence, which will never be given and must be taken, actively, even when those in power do not wish to relinquish it.
Njami aims to produce a diverse collection. He sees curatorship as an opportunity to teach people. He links curatorship to political leadership, and the necessity of learning effective direction, management and incorporation of voices and visions.
Ā Njami and Kouoh have some similar ideas about curatorship, but Kouoh seems more rigorous/ radical/ active and Njami slightly more idealistic or passive. Perhaps that is because Njami grew up in a European context and Kouoh in Africa. But both share a collectivist approach to curatorship, privileging diversity in their collections. Contrastingly, Enwesor is more focused on the curator as an individual with a personally driven vision.Ā
āNeutralā arrangement
Ā Placed on the skateboard the objects appear more animated and somehow more connected to each other. They look like theyāre going on a journey together.
Placed in the freezer the objects disrupt the functionality of the space in quite an interesting way. It kind of invites a surprise reaction, or the question of why they are placed there. Ā
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