Curating.info

I'm proud to announce the (semi-recent) launch of my latest curatorial effort.

In-Site Montreal is a collection of site-specific art presented on the portal pages of five wireless internet hotspots in the Ile Sans Fil network. Artists Nicolas Fleming, Maria Legault, and Virginie Laganiere have created art works that can be viewed simply by logging in to the Ile Sans Fil network at the selected hotspots. Though the project is best viewed in-situ, you can also view the works produced by the artists for the hotspot locations at the In-Site Montreal micro-site.

I have produced a curatorial text for the project, which I would be grateful for your feedback on, my cherished readers.

The concluding paragraphs of the essay include the following statements:

The virtual spaces that In-site Montreal inhabit are amorphous areas around several accepted gathering places such as cafes, galleries, markets, and bars. They are perhaps places where as an internet user, you may intend to use the opportunity of connectivity to the network to look outward, to read news of distant places or connect with friends far away through e-mails and online social networking sites. The art practice of telematics in particular addresses the creative possibilities when two parties are connected over distance to communicate. In some way, the pieces presented on the portal pages of Ile Sans Fil's network as part of the In-Site Montreal project present something that is almost anti-telematic, in that the works look inward rather than outward. In the case of this project, a connection to someone across the globe is not sought, it is shunned in favour of a further examination and rumination on the details of the local environment.

I'm interested in this idea of the inverse-telematic, the inward-looking, the intensely-local, especially using a tool such as Wi-Fi that we are so accustomed to associate with an outward-looking, nearly-anonymous roaming of virtual terrain.

Thanks to Year Zero One for producing the project, the Canada Council for the Arts for funding the project, Ile Sans Fil for hosting the project, and Rita Godlevskis for designing the map and visual identity of In-Site Montreal.

The terms "curator" and "curating" are being slung around in a wide variety of contexts these days, mostly to do with the curator-as-filter. It is intriguing to see a term that is usually used in a fine arts context to be used in other contexts (in the three cases I mention below: the Web, interior decorating, and metadata) though it can sometime feel as though the word is being appropriated because there is no other term to describe precisely what is going on.

One of the first items like this that caught my eye was an article by Suw Charman on Strange Attractor that I quite enjoyed.

But we don't need gatekeepers anymore. We don't need people who stand between us and our stuff, deciding what to tell us about and what to ignore. We don't need arbiters of taste. [...] What we need are curators. And we need them badly. [...] Curators already exist. Some are people: Bloggers who sift through tonnes of stuff in order to highlight what they like, and who, if you have the same taste as them, can be invaluable to discovering new things to like. Some are aggregators: Site that gather lots of little bits of stuff and present them in aggregation and help us find the bits that the majority find to be good. Some are algorithms: recommendation systems and search.

As I mention earlier, it seems that we need a new word to accurately describe what is involved in filtering and dissecting content for other users of the internet. Is creating a focused list of links curating? Blogging photos of random things - is that curating? Perhaps it is to an extent, but at this time, the role and host of skills that the word "curator" summons to my mind seems a bit flattened when used to describe the function of someone I would call a "filter" (though that sounds quite impersonal and awful - hence I am proposing that a new word needs to be created) would be.

Next, an article that mildly horrified me for its use of the word curating:

For hourly fees generally ranging from $50 to $250, these microdesigners, known in the trade as rearrangers or accessorizers, will regroup the potted plants in the foyer, style the paperweight collection on the coffee table, create vignettes of country-style baskets atop kitchen cabinets or spruce up the presentation of the family china.

With me so far? People who will re-arrange the potted plants in the foyer are "microdesigners". Probably nice, inoffensive work if you can get it. Later in the article however, the c-word crops up:

For Jennifer Wong, 39, the owner of a consulting firm in Portland, Ore., not having to think about the details is "pure bliss." Ms. Wong, whose home is decorated with mid-century furniture, recently enlisted the services of Martie Accuardi, who calls herself a microdesigner and charges $75 an hour, to curate her mantelpiece. Not only does Ms. Accuardi style her client's existing decor, she augments it with pieces she brings in from her small home store. As part of her service, every few months she swaps out the old accessories and brings in new ones, adding seasonal accents.

I was gobsmacked to see that it was possible to curate a mantelpiece. I wonder in this case, if the word actually came out of Jennifer Wong's mouth and was used by the author of the piece but not directly quoted, or if the author of the piece was using her thesaurus and that is how she came up with the concept of the curated mantelpiece.

Playing devil's advocate with myself for a moment, perhaps there is some simplification going on, but the basic function of a curator is to select and choose work - so selecting and choosing items for inclusion in someone's home could be curation. Or again, is what we are talking about here simply filtering? In the first case, filtering scores of links on the web, in the second case, filtering a host of choices at the home decor shop.

Finally, curation comes up on Anil Dash's blog when he loses the metadata associated with his iTunes song library. For him the information that surrounds each song is nearly as important as the song itself, because without that context, he notes that they are no longer his songs. He goes on to say: "Art without curation or creation without witness leaves a work mute."

To that sentiment, it is easy for me to rustle up an "Amen".

“In theory now you could curate a whole Venice Biennale using only the Internet,” said Francesco Bonami, senior curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago.

This quote comes from a larger article that recently appeared in the New York Times. The article takes a solid look at how pressures to find the "next big thing" leads curators to rack up the frequent flier miles scouring the globe for a fresh face to slot into their next show.

Francesco Bonami is also the focus of the latest Bad at Sports podcast. In the podcast, Bonami covers a lot of ground:

Francesco gives his frank and funny perspective on everything from why Australian art is bad, compares Kentuckians to Europeans, and talks about the role of the curator as artist.

I haven't listened to the podcast yet, but already it sounds as though I would like his style. And judging by his own reflections on the Venice Biennale show he curated in 2003 (“I really got slaughtered [...] When you show the real chaos, people cannot take it"), he fits the profile of a risk-taker that holds no regrets - exactly the sort of person that I believe the contemporary art world needs much, much more of.

There is an article on the "DiY curating" scene in Seattle by Regina Hackett in a recent issue of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

The article is fairly long and profiles a number of opportunistic young curators, who have harnessed unique venues to host their shows - ranging from the back of a truck, a local café, and a virtual island in the virtual world Second Life.

Seattle currently boasts a wealth of excellent young curators. While a few have found jobs at major arts institutions, there aren't nearly enough of these jobs to go around in a field that's booming in major urban centers everywhere.

That means curators of Van Nostrand's generation, even with solid academic records (she has a master's degree in contemporary art history from Richmond American University in London), have to make their own opportunities.

I would say this is probably a given for just about any urban center. The demand for professional positions in the creative industries will always outstrip the number of posts available. By highlighting the unusual and innovative practices of these young curators working on the fringes, the author of this article accentuates the fact that though these curators may not have top posts in museums or galleries, the exhibitions they are developing are professional grade.

"What it means to be a curator is more agile and open than it used to be," he [Fionn Meade] said. "Curatorial thinking crosses disciplines. The field benefits from what people from a range of backgrounds can contribute."

The very definition of "curator" is certainly more open than it used to be. At any rate, it will be interesting to follow the careers of these young curators and the artists they are selecting for their exhibitions. These qualities of openness and agility that they are demonstrating now will certainly be assets to them throughout their careers.

Two articles came out over the weekend featuring two curators: Fumio Nanjo and Douglas Fogle. Nanjo is the curator of the Singapore Biennale that opened today. Fogle is the curator of the 2008 Carnegie International. Both articles had the curators speaking about the influence of the city on the shows they curated (or in Fogle's case, the show he is still developing).

Fumio Nanjo says, in the interview portion of the article:

"In the beginning, we were talking about the location of Singapore, so we thought maybe (we should) refer to content. Then we visited many places in the city, 60 different locations, to look at the space for art. Then we visited many temples, shrines, churches. We thought this is quite interesting, the first time (in Singapore) art is being placed in religious sites."

Towards the end of the article on Douglas Fogle, he has this to say:

"We're not just transporting this show in from Mars. I'm hoping it will connect with Pittsburgh. It's such a wonderful city, with such a great history, and such a great history of the International." [...] "it's about doing a really interesting show."

It's excellent to hear curators of high-profile exhibitions like these discussing the impact that host cities will have on their shows. Biennales don't happen in bubbles, and it will be interesting to see how their awareness of their respective locales manifests in the final exhibitions. I wish I could be in Singapore right now to see some of the examples that Fumio spoke of.

Article on Fumio Nanjo in The Star (Malaysia).

Article on Douglas Fogle in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Perhaps it is every curator's nightmare - the gallery closes your show less than 24 hours after it opens.

The Gene Culture exhibition at Egg Space Gallery in Liverpool opened on August 9. The show is part of a broader research project by curator Gaynor Evelyn Sweeney, analysing perceptions of genetics in postmodern society. The Gene Culture exhibition contained a range of work in a variety of media, from photographs to animal parts. The show was closed down because of apparent concerns over a vegetarian restaurant being in the same building as the gallery (in case the animal parts escape?), and a skirmish over a performance at the opening event.

Ms Sweeney, a performance artist and graduate of Liverpool John Moores University, said she was disappointed with the decision.

"We had selected 10 international artists from 250 submissions and the standard of art was very high."

Artist Carrie Reichardt had her performance art piece, Pinky and Perky, banned on opening night. She was due to have worn pigs' heads in place of a bra.

Read the news article here.

Of course, this could be viewed as a blessing or a curse. The show will possibly live on and travel to other locations, and if the truism "there's no such thing as bad press" is to be believed, then one could conclude it's hard to buy the kind of press that a show being censored brings on.

The overreaction on the part of the controlling interests in the Gene Cultures case reminds me of the case from a few years ago of the Terminal 5 exhibition, curated by Rachel K. Ward, that also barely got past the vernissage.

Once again, nervous figures of authority (in this case, a sponsor of the exhibition, Jet Blue Airlines) objected to a work by Vanessa Beecroft featuring nearly naked black women with chains around their feet. Obviously a striking image, and a political statement that the sponsors balked at. Once again, an opening night party went terribly awry, this time simply because of raucous behaviour, resulting in puddles of puke and vandalised walls in the pristine terminal by Eero Saarinen at JFK airport. This was about as much as the New York Port Authority could take, and so they shut the show down. (You can read more about the show and its closure here).

However, Ms Ward is obviously a very smart cookie, and after working very hard to produce what appears to be a very interesting and tight exhibition, she managed to still generate press (and perhaps the show became even more "hooky" after being shut down by the Port Authority) and also seems to have spun off the exhibition into a derivative show, Terminal 5: Now Closed, in Paris.

I'm interested to see how Ms Sweeney makes lemonade out of the lemon of a situation she is currently in.

From "(Not) Gay Art Now" Curator Jack Pierson Comments on His (Exceptional) Show" by Bryant Rousseau, on artinfo.com:

What advantages might an artist have in assembling a show over a more traditional curator?

"I wasn't interested, and I don't think most artists would be, in making a checklist of artists to include six months in advance. I'm in awe of curators who can put three works next to each and create these incredible associations, but a lot of the best work in this show got included at the last minute. I think you gain a lot by spontaneity, by artists just trusting their subliminal instincts, by building a show's aesthetic on the fly."

Would he curate again?

"I love curating, and I'd do it professionally if I could make a living at it."�

And how does spending time in a curatorial role impact his own art making? "It gets me more free, more charged up to try a little of everything," said Pierson.

"Building a show's aesthetic on the fly" strikes me as an interesting sentiment. While this particular artist/curator incorporates spontaneity into his process through the selection of works, I think most curators could and do achieve this with a combination of exhibition design and creative installation of the works themselves. Focusing on a "checklist of artists" as the only creative act seems to radically diminish the role of curator, which of course includes tasks ranging from mind-numbingly banal to incredibly fun.

Rhizome.org is a leading new media arts organization and an affiliate of the New Museum of Contemporary Art. Currently celebrating our tenth anniversary, Rhizome's programs support the creation, presentation, discussion and preservation of contemporary art that uses new technologies in significant ways. These include a series of online publications and discussion lists, exhibitions (online & offline), performances, screenings, public talks and events, the ArtBase archive, artists' commissions, and other educational programs. For more information about Rhizome, visit: http://rhizome.org/info/

Rhizome seeks a Curatorial Fellow to assist with the research, planning, and production of exhibitions and public programs, as well as writing and editing content for Rhizome's website and publications. This position is a unique opportunity for a person interested in pursuing a career in the new media arts field to further their engagement with the community and hone their professional skills, while contributing to the programming of one of its leading organizations.

The Curatorial Fellow must be based in New York and must be able to commit to 15 hours of work per week, for an academic year, beginning in September 2006 and ending in the summer of 2007. These hours may include occasional evening and weekend events. This position is unpaid, but academic credit may be arranged.

Reporting directly to Rhizome's Editor & Curator, the Curatorial Fellow will work on all phases of the exhibition and editorial processes, including researching new projects, writing copy, and assisting with the implementation of current programs. The Curatorial Fellow will also develop crucial experience in development and communications. The Fellow's primary responsibilities may include:

- Becoming a Site Editor and assisting with the management of reBlog content
- Writing and editing occasional Rhizome News articles and other texts
- Researching editorial ideas and writers
- Liaising with artists, public program participants, and venues
- Assisting in the promotion of events
- Co-coordinating the Rhizome ArtBase, including researching art works
- Planning, production, and on-site coordination of public events

As the Curatorial Fellow advances, there may be opportunities to curate an exhibition or event, and to write feature articles. In general, the Fellow will play a crucial role in helping to strategize and execute strong, dynamic programs and editorial content.

QUALIFICATIONS:
Candidates should have a level of familiarity with new media and its histories and discourses. They should also possess or expect to complete a Master's degree by 2007. At least one year of arts administration experience is required and preference will be given to candidates with prior curatorial and/or editorial experience. At a minimum, the candidate should have very strong writing, editing, and analytical skills, and very high internet literacy. Knowledge of Microsoft Office software is also required and basic Photoshop skills are preferred.

TO APPLY:
Please email a cover letter, resume or c.v., three references, and three writing samples (url's or attachments) to Marisa Olson at marisa(at)rhizome.org. Review of applications will begin immediately and all materials must be submitted by Wednesday, September 13 for consideration. Deadline extended: Wednesday, September 20.

The University of California, San Diego is seeking a curator
Salary hiring range: high $40k to low $50k (USD)

The University of California, San Diego is seeking a curator to administer all aspects of its University Art Gallery contemporary program. Reporting to the Director, University Art Gallery, and in coordination with a Gallery Council of assigned faculty advisors and an Administrator, the Curator is responsible for advancing the mission of the Gallery by implementing programming policy; executing the entire sequence of curatorial functions related to exhibitions; advising the Director regarding Gallery management functions; providing supervision of Gallery staff, and participating in associated communications and development activities. The mission of the University Art Gallery is to integrate contemporary art into the life of the university; exhibit and interpret art as an educational resource for the academic community; serve as a laboratory for linking visual art with the issues of postmodern society, as an innovator in originating and shaping the contemporary arts agenda, and as a platform for the advancement and outreach of the university in visual arts creativity. For additional information, please see http://www.ucsd.edu/ and http://dah.ucsd.edu/

Applications are requested by October 1, 2006 although the position will remain open until filled. Applicants must submit current curriculum vitae, portfolio and sample catalogues of projects/exhibitions, a curator’s statement, and four (4) professional references.

Please send applications to:

Heath Fox
Assistant Dean, Arts and Humanities
University of California, San Diego
Division of Arts and Humanities 0406
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla, California 92093-0406

Curator Dianne Vanderlip is featured in this Denver Post story.

Vanderlip has brought more than 7,000 works to Denver on an acquisitions budget of exactly zero. It's something nobody mentioned when she was hired.

"I was in Philadelphia and Denver kept calling and calling," she recalled. She'd never been to the city, but her husband, an architect, had a meeting in Fargo, N.D., and, thinking it was nearby, she decided to fly here to check out the job.

"I got out of the taxi and I saw that building," she said of the daring Geo Ponti-designed art museum, "and I thought to myself, 'Anybody that had the chutzpah to put up a building like that, well, I wanted to build a contemporary art collection for that city."'

Only after she took the job did she think to ask about the acquisitions budget. "You have to raise it," they said.

(via Artkrush)

Curator, c. �34,000

Barbican Art Gallery is a leading British venue for the presentation of modern and contemporary art, photography, architecture and design exhibitions. Part of the Barbican Centre, Europe's largest arts venue, the Gallery's activities take place in the context of a widely acclaimed programme of international music, dance, theatre, visual arts and cinema.

We are looking for a creative and dynamic individual to join our team and help us deliver our world-class exhibition programme. You will contribute imaginative and innovative ideas to the Gallery's programming discussions; you will have a flair for devising authoritative exhibitions which also appeal to wide audiences; and you will work to build the Gallery's relationships with artists and institutions in Britain and abroad.

We are looking for a curator with a thorough knowledge of 20th and 21st century art and with a strong international network. You will be able to demonstrate experience in curating loan-based exhibitions, in commissioning and editing publications, and in leading teams to deliver complex projects. An interest in cross-arts programming would be a bonus, given the Gallery's setting within an exciting interdisciplinary organisation.

Barbican Art Gallery is situated between the City, London's financial centre, and the thriving cultural quarters of Shoreditch and Hoxton. The Gallery re-opened in Spring 2004, following a million pound refurbishment.

For details and to apply, visit http://www.barbican.org.uk/careers

Closing date for application is: Monday 21st August 2006
Interview dates are: Wednesday 6th and Thursday 7th September 2006

Barbican Centre is owned, funded and managed by the City of London.
Barbican Centre is committed to Equal Opportunities and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.

The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery in Toronto is seeking a Curator.

Applications (resume and letter of interest) must be received by August 10, 2006.

For more information on the gallery please visit: http://www.thepowerplant.org

The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery at Harbourfront Centre is Canada's leading public gallery devoted exclusively to the art of our time and is recognized as an important centre for contemporary art in North America. Over the past 19 years, its reputation for presenting cutting edge exhibitions, superior catalogues and editions, and challenging special events has remained unparalleled.

Recently The Power Plant Board of Directors adopted a new five year plan aimed at further developing The Power Plant as a leading international centre for contemporary art, renowned for its global vision and special commitment to groundbreaking Canadian contemporary art. In accordance with this is an employment opportunity exists in The Power Plant for a Curator.

Reporting to the Senior Curator - Programs, this is a senior position primarily responsible for developing exhibitions, artist's projects and publications for The Power Plant. The Curator is also expected to play an important supporting role in the development and implementation of audience development programs for The Power Plant and to participate in business and strategic planning related to the Programs section of The Power Plant. In addition the Curator will support the Development section of The Power Plant through the preparation of grant applications and cultivation of relationships with key donors, collectors and cultural agencies.

The Curator will research, develop and present new solo and group exhibitions and projects that interpret the response of artists to developments in contemporary culture and that respond to the global flow of information, emerging discourses, new artists, new geographies, new media and changing contexts that underpin developments in contemporary art. He/she will also contribute to a program aimed at growing new and diverse audiences for The Power Plant, through a dynamic mix of exhibition, publication, education, interpretation, visitor support and community programs that develop audience understanding of contemporary art and awareness of its significance as a vital social and cultural force.

The ideal candidate will be a post secondary graduate in Art History, Fine Arts, or a related discipline and have a minimum of 3 years curatorial and production experience in a contemporary art organization. Proven experience in the organization of contemporary art projects and interpretive programs and exceptional knowledge of the international contexts for contemporary art is a must. He/she must have exceptional interpersonal and relationship management skills with the ability to develop effective partnerships as well as to persuade and negotiate.

Qualified applicants must apply by AUGUST 10, 2006.

Please send your resume quoting Job Reference number 06FT-018 to:
Harbourfront Centre
Human Resources
235 Queens Quay West
Toronto, ON M5J 2G8 Canada
Fax (416) 973-1003
E-mail: [email protected]

Harbourfront Centre is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Transmedia :29:59, the year-long programme of time-based art shown on a video billboard in Dundas Square in Toronto, is drawing to a close this month. It's been a fascinating and somewhat turbulent year. The year of programming on the board started off really nicely with a terrific launch event, where myself and Pierluigi Vecchi (VJ Fluid) VJ'd live to the billboard, and DJ Cyan and naw provided the live sonic scapes. It was really empowering and also technically fascinating (to see what worked and didn't work) sending images live to the board.

Curating for urban screens is a many-headed beast, though the inherent challenges only make the triumphs more sweet. Imagine asking artists to create very short pieces with no audio that must essentially be PG-rated and you can imagine how difficult it might be to both produce and find effective work for the board. And so, after the launch, the hard work began. Michael Alstad (the co-curator) and I are really proud of the choices we made, and strove to choose pieces for each month that connected, though they would never be presented one after another. What mattered to us was choosing videos from month to month that linked thematically or aesthetically, and that the overall programming on the board made sense.

As I mentioned earlier, the year wasn't without its turbulent moments, and from time to time we had to make some difficult choices. Clear Channel owns and operates the board that we have been using over the course of the year. Their requirements for content control were somewhat more stringent than our own, and more than once we had content returned to us with a directive to either change or replace the content. We had a choice to either work within their more strict guidelines or protest, and, in all likelihood, prematurely dissolve the contract with Clear Channel.

Dissolving the contract would have been a cowardly move. As with any other public presentation of creative work, many negotiations take place, and sometimes compromises have to be made. There are no free zones. It is very easy to paint the corporation as the "bad guy" in this and other cases, when in fact, artists are well acquainted with compromise and negotiation when it comes to presentation of their work, and deal with many requests made by curators, dealers, collectors, et cetera. Our situation was no different, where first of all the work has to appeal to us, the curators, and then secondly, the work must not in any way contravene Clear Channel's goals. It is that simple. Of course, sometimes Michael and I as curators try to push the envelope. The artists we have curated have handled requests for changes or new works with much intelligence, grace, and humour, which are all hallmarks of a truly creative spirit. In the end, we are offering a very unique venue to artists, we are proud of the programming we have shown, and we couldn't have done it without Clear Channel's generous assistance.

With all that said, and the year drawing to a close, I look forward to doing more curatorial work in this area and think that there is much to be discussed and learned from curating in this realm. For our final month, we're presenting two works that I'm really excited about. On the 28th minute of every hour, Collin Zipp's "Niverville, MB 08.04" is a gorgeous manipulated landscape. Collin physically defaces the videotape to produce unique effects that culminate in completely new landscapes. On the 59th minute of every hour, we present John Greyson's "14.3 seconds". During the 2003 war, U.S. planes bombed the Iraqi Film Archive. 14.3 seconds of celluloid were salvaged from the wreckage. If you slow them down by 23.8%, they last a minute. This poignant piece is not to be missed.

If you live in Toronto, check out the pieces in their natural habitat, on the pedestrian level billboard at Yonge-Dundas Square on the 29th and 59th minutes of the hour. If you don't, check out the pieces on the Transmedia :29:59 website.