- Venue
- University for the Creative Arts
- Location
- South East England
The curator exposed
Thanks to twitter.com/art_writing I had the opportunity to attend the Jester-Curator Symposium held at UCA Canterbury on 20.5.11, the result of a collaboration between early career curators Matthew De Pulford, Sian McMillan and Kate Phillimore. According to their website: Matthew’s current curatorial interest is in heterotopias and ‘bad translation’. Sian’s current interest lies in mediation and languages of collaboration and Kate’s current interest is in the carnivalesque.
My own interests as a co-curator and practising artist are to explore current trends and theories being debated in the context of the increase in arts participation and number of arts projects in the Kent area. The symposium organisers have all just completed placements at three key Kent arts venues: Stour Valley Arts, Whitstable Biennale and the Herbert Read Gallery, Canterbury.
My interest in reviewing the symposium comes from an involvement in developing and co-curating an arts project in Kent and a mission to gauge/ engage with: ‘how to create a story , a coherent and thought-provoking engagement in contemporary art practices’.
Yes, the idea of the jester is a good one – it conjures up the idea of juggling and playing with ideas and presenting them in a particular forum but with no particular order and little idea of the final outcome. The symposium reflected this concept by bringing together presentations from leading critics, theorists, artists, curators and writers. There was a sense of theatre particularly when Richard Layzell (Whitstable Biennale 2010) took to the stage and indeed, when Sally O’Reilly (The Other Workspace HRG) spoke with her cardigan wrapped around her head. Generally though, the symposium respected its university location: an academic behind the lectern reading from a manuscript, directing their research ideas and thoughts to a student/specialist audience. Opportunities for dialogue were between audience and presenter, and despite the way the stage had been set, there was little time dedicated to a panel discussion.
As a co-curator for the project art in romney marsh – a visual arts exhibition locating site specific work in the medieval churches in East Kent – I was on the lookout for ideas addressing the issues of curating away from the gallery, thinking ‘outside of that box’ and facing the unique debates that may or may not arise: who is your audience, where are we located, are we creating our own expected or unexpected and restrictive parameters?
The symposium has come at an exciting time in the renewed belief in art participation, a focus on the arts and regeneration and significant developments such as TC Margate. The support of CD:EK (Curatorial Development East Kent) Stour Valley Arts, Whitstable Biennale and the Herbert Read Gallery, Canterbury was evident in the professional organisation of the symposium and the size of the audience. It is an important signal that opportunities for discussion and debate are available at our local universities and that they occur regularly and are valued by students and local communities.
As a member of the audience and active participant in arts initiatives in the Kent area, the high point of the symposium was the presentation by Pablo León de la Barra .
Pablo León de la Barra describes himself as a cultural agent, independent curator, exhibition organiser, amateur researcher, public editor, occasional writer, museum-art fairs-collections adviser, retired architect, ‘facilitador de fantasias’ and aesthetic dilettante.
Aha The Jester/Curator Exposed!
I share his enthusiasm and determination to show work outside of the gallery space. I particularly salute his ability to commission ‘migrating artists’ and his mission to invite proposals from gender aware international avant-garde female, lesbian, transgender, transsexual and transvestite contemporary artists. Pablo admitted that he had been requested by the organisers to illustrate and present his work at the white cubicle, a series of shows by international artists exhibiting in the space of a public toilet in a Hackney pub. Past exhibitors have included Wolfgang Tillmans, Carl Hopgood, Deborah Castillo (pictured above right)
The ability to curate where and when it is possible to show work, must surely be amongst the most exciting curatorial challenges in these homogeneous times? How do we reach new audiences? Other than to, adapt and take the work to them? How to overcome issues of cuts to funding and lack of sponsorship than to create ‘alternative’ and exciting opportunities for young artists, migratory artists? How do curators keep the debates, theories and dialogues fresh, real, contemporary and dynamic? By developing open forums through opportunities for debate/discussion, shared experience, education and new technologies?…….
And on that note I will upload my review to Reviews
http://www.sheadebnamassociates.com/cd_ek_artistic…
http://www.trifariousprojects.com
http://www.artinromneymarsh.org.uk
