Curating.info

Opportunity for Graduate Students in Interdisciplinary Studies in Curation:
Graduate Student Research Assistant for an interdisciplinary art/film curatorial project between Media Production and Studies and Visual Arts investigating concepts of expanded cinema. The position will fully fund an MA applicant to the Interdisciplinary Studies program interested in a thesis topic in curation studies. Includes a stipend of $12,000 per year, for two years (September 1, 2012 to August 30, 2014) under the supervision of Dr. Christine Ramsay and Professor Rachelle Knowles, with independent curator Elizabeth Matheson (Strandline Curatorial Collective) and Timothy Long (Adjunct Professor and Head Curator, MacKenzie Art Gallery). Duties will include travel (expenses paid) to venues such as Documenta, ZKM, Manifesta 9 and Cinematheque Ontario to train in researching curatorial models. Other duties will include online research and literature review, copy editing, and administrative/organizational tasks serving the project, as well as teaching assistant duties in a 4th level undergraduate course in curatorial studies.

Contact: Christine.Ramsay -at- uregina.ca (Media Production and Studies) regarding the Research Assistant position.

Contact: Randal.Rogers -at- uregina.ca (Associate Dean, Graduate Studies and Research) regarding application to the program. The deadline for applications is February 15, with a window for extensions under special circumstances.

For more information on the University of Regina please visit their website: http://www.uregina.ca.

CURATOR/ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Opportunity
Esker Foundation is a privately funded non-collecting exhibition facility built to Class A museum standards. Located in Calgary’s historic Inglewood district, Esker comprises approximately 15,000 square feet of exhibition space within a newly constructed building that is scheduled to open in mid June of this year. The Esker Foundation is funded by Jim and Susan Hill. The Hills are the founders of a successful oilfield service company and have a strong interest in art, including a large collection of primarily Canadian and American post-war abstract paintings and sculptures.

The Esker Foundation will be a non-collecting exhibiting institution and therefore the Hill collection will remain outside the scope of Esker. The mission of the Esker Foundation is to provide the people of Calgary, in fact all Albertans and visitors to the City, opportunities to experience the art of art times in an amiable environment of leisure and study, and of learning and enjoyment.
The Esker Foundation is seeking a Curator/ Artistic Director to oversee the exhibition program and organize exhibitions of modern and contemporary art.

Responsibilities:
To develop and implement a cohesive vision and strategy for the exhibition of modern and contemporary art.
To develop and curate rigorous exhibitions both large and small of modern and contemporary art.
To conduct original research, prepare exhibition budgets, negotiate with artists and lending institutions and the supervise installations.
To collaborate with the Gallery Director and other Esker staff in the creation and management of interpretive materials, publicity materials and public programs for a variety of audiences.
The Curator/Artistic director will work in concert and as a peer with the Gallery Director who is already employed. The Gallery Director is charged with all aspects of operating the gallery including employees, marketing, art handling and transport. Both the Curator/ Artistic Director and the Gallery Director will report to Esker Foundation founders.
The role will not involve presentations to Boards, fundraising or the writing of grants. The opportunity will be almost purely involved with the exhibition program for the Foundation.

Qualifications:
MA or PHD in Art History or related field.
Minimum of five years relevant museum experience with a substantial record of exhibition making, publications, public presentations and service to the field.
In depth knowledge of Canadian and International modern and contemporary art and participation in the national and international art and curatorial community.
Familiarity with museum best practices and current trends in the field.
A passionate advocate for artists.
Excellent working relationships with colleagues in the field including collectors, artist, gallerist, critics and scholars.
Proven scholarship as well as excellent writing, communication interpersonal management and administrative skills.
Proven ability to manage budgets
Collaborative, collegial creative and resourceful.
Demonstrated integrity in all professional matters.

While the gallery is located in Calgary, the successful candidate does not necessarily need to reside in Calgary if willing to travel to Calgary on a regular basis.

Interested candidates are asked to apply by February 29, 2012, with cover letter, resume and a general suggested programming schedule for 2 years detailing reasons for the exhibition program selected.

Applications can be mailed or emailed to:
Jim Hill (jim.hill -at- eskerfoundation.com)
Esker Foundation
444, 1011 – 9th Avenue S.E.
Calgary, AB T2G 0S6

No phone calls please, and only those selected for interviews will be contacted.

The American University of Beirut is embarking on a major initiative in the visual arts. We will shortly be opening two new exhibition
galleries. The first will house a small permanent collection of paintings, primarily by Lebanese artists from the early 20th century.
The second will showcase temporary, rotating exhibitions, concentrating primarily on contemporary art. We are seeking a dynamic
Director/Curator to take responsibility for these galleries. Familiarity with the local Lebanese art milieu and regional artistic
developments is strongly recommended.

The position carries an academic appointment in the Department of Fine Arts and Art History, and a close working relationship with the department is envisaged. The successful candidate will integrate the art exhibition spaces as much as possible with the teaching curriculum. Ideally, courses in curatorship will be taught as well.

Candidates should possess at minimum an MFA in studio arts, or an MA in art history, curatorial or museum studies. Curatorial experience is expected.

Interested applicants should send a cover letter, curatorial portfolio, CV, and three references. Review of files will begin on February 1, 2012 and will continue until the post is filled.

All application material should be sent to:
Office of the Provost
American University of Beirut
3 Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, 8th Floor
NYC, NY 10017-2303
USA
Or
Office of the Provost
American University of Beirut
PO Box 11-0236
Riad El Solh
Beirut 1107 2020
Lebanon

Electronic submissions are highly encouraged and may be sent to md02 -at- aub.edu.lb.

This temporary position offers the opportunity to work closely with a roster of internationally recognized artists and contribute to one of the nation’s most ambitious surveys of international contemporary art. The curatorial assistant provides essential organizational support to three curators in the development and coordination of the next Carnegie International, a quadrennial exhibition of contemporary art, opening in October 2013. S/he also works collaboratively with the contemporary art department’s curatorial assistant to accomplish the exhibition’s and department’s goals. As an integral member of the International team, the curatorial assistant works closely with the curators, associate curators, departmental curatorial assistant, exhibitions department, registrars, and workshop to help realize multiple large-scale projects by artists from all over the world. Working in concert with numerous museum departments, the curatorial assistant helps the curators to clarify administrative priorities, meet deadlines, and achieve maximum productivity and efficiency. The work commitment is 40 hours/week, including weekends and evening hours during busy periods; schedule flexibility is essential.

Job Requirements:

Requires deep familiarity with the range of materials and media formats used in contemporary art installation. Excellent problem-solving, multi-tasking, and organizational skills required. Seeking an adaptable team player with the initiative to undertake and complete tasks and projects as they arise, to contribute intellectually to the content of the exhibition, and to coordinate and make recommendations for improving the overall functioning of the department. Bachelor’s degree (Masters preferred) in art history, studio arts or similar field is required, along with at least two years of administrative experience with contemporary art in a museum or gallery environment. Must demonstrate excellent organizational, interpersonal, and oral and written communications skills. Experience working on large-scale group exhibitions is preferred. Proficiency with Microsoft Office programs, including Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, and Outlook, as well as the Internet for research is required; familiarity with Photoshop and other layout programs is a plus. A working knowledge of basic office equipment such as copier, fax, and scanner is also necessary. For more information and to apply, visit http://www.carnegiemuseums.org/hr.

Arnolfini

Arnolfini is one of Europe's leading centres for the contemporary arts, based in Bristol's Harbourside. Through a visual arts-led, multidisciplinary programme of exhibitions, live art, dance, music, film, poetry & literature, on-line and off-site projects, with a strong emphasis upon learning and participation, Arnolfini's mission is to foster artistic experiment and engagement across the contemporary arts.

Curator of Exhibitions

The Curator of Exhibitions works in conjunction with the Director to initiate, research and develop Arnolfini's exhibitions programme and related projects. The Curator of Exhibitions is responsible for all aspects of the delivery and management of exhibitions. In addition, it is expected that the Curator of Exhibitions will contribute extensively to collaborative project team working across the organisation, and in liaison with external partners.

Salary £29,000

Deadline for applications: Noon Wednesday 8th February 2012
Interviews: Thursday 23rd February 2012

For further information on the post and details of how to apply please send an A4 SAE to Recruitment Manager, Arnolfini, 16 Narrow Quay, Bristol BS1 4QA or email recruitment -at- arnolfini.org.uk or download information from www.arnolfini.org.uk

If you require the information in alternative formats please let us know.

Assistant Curator, James Pearson Duffy Department of Contemporary Art

Full-time, Exempt (Salary)
Salary commensurate with experience

GENERAL SUMMARY

The James Pearson Duffy Department of Contemporary Art at the DIA is responsible for painting, sculpture, and decorative arts made after 1950. This is an important public collection, installed in a major suite of galleries, presented thematically with frequent rotations. The search committee will consider candidates specializing in any aspect of contemporary art after 1950.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Assistant Curator will work under the direct supervision of the Head of the Department. The Assistant Curator will be expected to contribute to all aspects of departmental operations, including the development of new exhibitions, refreshing installations in the permanent galleries, research on the collections, acquisitions, deaccessions, conservation of objects, educational programs, donor cultivations, and the production and supervision of grant applications. The Assistant Curator will be expected to maintain and develop their scholarly expertise and contacts, and to disseminate the fruits of their original research via appropriate scholarly publications. He/she will perform other duties as assigned.

Job Requirements:

Candidates must have expertise in one or more areas in art made after 1950. A Ph.D. in contemporary practice or a related field is attractive; an M.A. is required. We are especially interested in candidates who have worked in a museum, gallery or comparable venue for at least two years, or have had equivalent experience working with living artists. Strong interpersonal skills; the ability to work successfully with cross-disciplinary teams; strong written and verbal communications skills; and strong organizational skills including the ability to multi-task in a fast-paced work environment are essential.

Please apply online at www.dia.org by sending a cover letter, curriculum vitae, a brief writing sample (no more than twenty double-spaced pages), and three professional references.

THE DETROIT INSTITUTE OF ARTS IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.

Job Purpose:
To contribute to the conception and realisation of an exhibition and public programme of international standing.

Key Outputs and Accountabilities:
To contribute to the conception of an arts programme, which supports the vision and strategic aims of BALTIC.
To curate and realise individual projects and exhibitions through in-depth research, working with artists, guest curators, and collaborating with external institutions, including in respect of touring exhibitions.
To successfully realise projects, demonstrating best curatorial practise in all aspects of work, and in liaison with appropriate internal teams at BALTIC.
To manage the installation/ de-installation of exhibitions in close liaison with the Technical Manager (Exhibitions).
To liaise with the Learning team on the effective development of interpretation and mediation of the Programme.
To liaise with the Communications and Development team on the implementation of effective strategies to support the Programme through fundraising, promotion and marketing.
To lead on the management and delivery of individual publications for the arts programme, including the development, writing, commissioning, editing and proofing of such publications.
To effectively manage and monitor individual project budgets, in close liaison with the Chief Curator.
To sustain a well informed understanding of national and international developments in contemporary art and general knowledge of cultural developments.
Representing BALTIC and contributing to public and professional forums as required.
Accompanying touring exhibitions, as required.
To undertake any other duties commensurate with the level of the post, as may be reasonably required.

Person Specification:

Essential:
Significant curatorial experience at a comparable organisation.
Educated to degree level (or equivalent) or higher in a relevant qualification.
Excellent knowledge of contemporary art at a national and international level and general knowledge of cultural developments.
The ability to write and edit lucid text for the general public and specialist publications.
Substantial experience of initiating and project managing a wide range of visual arts projects of international and museum standard.
Proven ability to collaborate with artists, galleries, guest curators and external institutions.
Demonstrable commitment to the development of diverse audiences.
Excellent people management skills.
Excellent communication skills.
Experience of drafting contracts and letters of agreement.
Experience of developing and project managing publications (catalogues and books)

Desirable:
Second language (conversational level).

For further information and to apply, please visit http://www.balticmill.com/jobs/index.php

Deveron Arts / the town is the venue is looking for a dynamic and motivated Intern to assist in curating and arts development through the Shadow Curator methodology.

We are looking for people with a proven interest in developing a career in socially engaged / collaborative arts development and curating. Experience will be offered in all forms of curatorial development, arts administration and event organisation through training and opportunities for critical engagement.
Duration: six months, full time; April - September 2012. Base: Huntly, Aberdeenshire.
Fee: £10000 (per rata)

A travel/training budget and accommodation will be provided.
Apply with a letter outlining your interest and send a CV (clearly marked with your file name) to:
Anna Vermehren
anna(at)deveron-arts.com
or by post to Deveron Arts, The Studio, Brander Building, The Square, Huntly, AB54 8BR, 01466 794494.

For more information and to apply, please visit http://www.deveron-arts.com/wb/pages/opportunities.php

Since its inception in 2001, InterAccess' annual Emerging Artist Exhibition has showcased new media work by post-secondary students and recent graduates. Curated and organized by a selected emerging curator, this initiative offers young artists and curators professional experience and exposure. Past exhibitions have been reviewed by The Globe & Mail, The Toronto Star and The National Post. Former participating artists and curators have gone on to work and exhibit in such institutions as the Doris McCarthy Gallery at the University of Toronto, Xpace Gallery, The Banff Centre, Western Front, Trinity Square Video, Plug In Institute for Contemporary Art, Space Media Arts in London UK, FACT in Liverpool, and Transmediale in Berlin. This call for an emerging curator pertains to InterAccess' 12th Annual Emerging Artist Exhibition, which will open in July 2012.

Nature and Scope of Position:
The primary responsibility of the Curatorial Intern is the development of the annual Emerging Artist Exhibition. Reporting to the Programming Coordinator and supervised by the Executive Director, the Curatorial Intern is given the opportunity to learn about all aspects of programming within an artist-run, media arts centre environment. The Curatorial Internship typically requires up to10 hours per week beginning in February 2012. Extended hours will be required during the weeks leading up to the opening of the exhibition in June 2012. The Curatorial Internship is an ideal placement for an undergraduate or graduate student looking for hands-on experience of the curatorial process and, more generally, of the gallery environment. The internship is unsalaried but InterAccess offers an honorarium upon the successful completion of the exhibition.

Primary duties and responsibilities:
- Develop a coherent and relevant theme for the exhibition.
- Select approximately five works from new media students or recent graduates within Canada.
- Assist in drafting an exhibition budget.
- Write a curatorial statement and extended essay.
- Manage the installation of the exhibition in June/July 2012.
- Assist with other duties at InterAccess, which may include organizing submissions for review, assisting with distribution of listings and other communications, assisting with installation and event set-up, assisting with InterAccess' workshop series, researching materials for upcoming exhibitions and events, general office assistance and sitting the gallery during the Emerging Artist Exhibition.

Qualifications:
The ideal candidate will be an undergraduate or graduate student in a related field of study. Recent graduates will also be considered.

Applicants must have:
- Strong knowledge of contemporary media and visual art practices, especially within Canada.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Excellent computer skills (Mac environment).
- Superior organizational ability.
- The ability to deal with diverse publics.
- The ability to work in a self-directed manner as well as in a team environment.

Submissions must include:
- A current CV
- Cover letter detailing your experiences and interest in media arts (1 page)
- 2 letters of reference

Deadline:
February 1, 2012

Additional information:
Please send submissions in PDF format to info(at)interaccess.org.
InterAccess will only accept email applications for this position.

InterAccess is committed to the principles of Employment Equity and encourages applicants to self-identify.

Curatorial Assistant, Public Programmes
£16,185 pa Full Time, 2.5 year contract

Nottingham Contemporary is one of largest and most renowned centres
for contemporary art in England. We opened in a landmark building by
Caruso St John in November 2009, and have welcomed over half a million
visitors to date.

We are now recruiting a Curatorial Assistant to support the
development, and delivery of our ambitious cross-disciplinary Public
Programme of talks, symposia, screenings and publishing activities
linked to our exhibitions programme.

The ideal candidate will have an interest in and understanding of
contemporary art and a wide range of intellectual interests, combined
with good administrative and planning skills and experience of event
organisation.

http://www.nottinghamcontemporary.org/opportunities

Koffler Centre of the Arts is Canada’s only multidisciplinary, contemporary Jewish cultural institution, with a broad mandate to serve all and present a wide range of artistic programs through a global lens in a specifically Canadian context. The Koffler’s unique mix of programs and exhibitions examine the arts across disciplines and cultures in a way that strengthens identity while encouraging an appreciation of difference, aiming to bring people together to create a more civil and global society.

The Curator of Multidisciplinary Programs of the Koffler Centre of the Arts is a full-time, senior position reporting to the Executive Director. The Curator of Multidisciplinary Programs is responsible for developing, scheduling, contracting and producing literary, film, theatre, dance, global music, current affairs, symposia, and festivals for adults and children often in conjunction with Koffler Gallery exhibitions and the Koffler’s education department. S/he works collaboratively with the Koffler professional team to shape the artistic agenda for the Koffler.

The Curator of Multidisciplinary Programs will be responsible for strategic planning, development, budgeting, and fundraising efforts for programs described above at multiple sites in the GTA, including those at the UJA Sherman Campus (Sheppard and Bathurst), Artscape YOUNGplace (where the Koffler Gallery and Koffler administrative offices will be relocated in late 2012, and at the UJA Lebovic Campus in Vaughn. S/he will prepare and manage multiyear program budgets, logistics, schedules, and artist and venue contracts and be responsible for creating successful business and content strategies with an emphasis on building a robust repertoire of programs, a strong and loyal audience, and increasingly new and diverse audiences. S/he will work to ensure increasing recognition and support for the full range of Koffler programs and be able to articulate goals and objectives as well as strategies for reaching them.

The Curator of Multidisciplinary Programs will supervise the Programs and Outreach Assistant and will work closely with the Director of the Toronto Jewish Book Festival, the Curator of the Koffler Gallery, the Education Coordinators, the Head of Communications and Marketing, and the Director of Development as part of the senior professional team.

Requirements

The successful candidate will have minimum 4 years experience in cultural programming, an advanced degree in art, art history or related fields and have demonstrated strong leadership and imaginative approaches to content and audience development. Experience working in small organizations with limited budgets and many projects at once is a plus. Knowledge of contemporary Jewish arts and culture is preferred. The Curator of Multidisciplinary Programs will need experience working with cultural institutions, knowledge of the Toronto and Canada arts scene, excellent people skills, administrative skills, grant writing abilities, and ability to balance business development with content goals. Excellent writing and verbal communication skills, a good sense of humor, capacity to work collaboratively as part of a team, and ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously are a must.

Additional Information

Application Deadline: February 10, 2012, 5 PM.

Please send a cover letter, CV and a short writing sample via e-mail or mail to:

Tony Hewer
Head of Communications and Marketing
Koffler Centre of the Arts
4588 Bathurst Street
Toronto, ON, M2R 1W6
thewer(at)kofflerarts.org

No phone calls please. We sincerely appreciate the interest of all who apply, however only those selected for interviews will be contacted.

The Utah Museum of Fine Arts (UMFA) is located on the campus of the University of Utah, and holds a collection of almost 19,000 objects and art works from Greek and Roman antiquities to global contemporary art. Founded in 1914, the UMFA is accredited by the American Association of Museums and is the state of Utah’s official art museum charged with creating exhibitions and public programs that serve a wide variety of audiences.

Job Requirements
The Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art is responsible for overseeing the management and growth of the UMFA’s collection of 20th and 21st century art, and for organizing exhibitions of modern and contemporary art at the UMFA, including the museum’s new salt gallery, a project space for emerging global contemporary art.

Responsibilities:
1.Develop and implement a cohesive vision and strategy for the UMFA’s existing collection of modern and contemporary works of art to benefit both the University community and the broader public.

2.Build the collection by making recommendations for acquisition of modern and contemporary art made possible by endowments for the purchase of 20th and 21st century art, and participate in the development of a museum-wide collecting strategy.

3.Develop and curate rigorous exhibitions (both large and small) of modern and contemporary art using works of art from the UMFA’s collection as well as loaned objects.

4.Curate the Museum’s salt series of semi-annual contemporary exhibitions featuring the work of global, emerging artists.

5.Work with colleagues in the field and at the Museum to schedule exhibition tours, to secure loaned exhibitions, and to develop collaborative exhibition projects as well as an overarching exhibition program for the Museum.

6.Assist in the development and production of interpretive strategies and materials as they relate to exhibition projects and permanent installations of the collections.

7.Collaborate with the Director of Education and other Museum staff in the creation and management of interpretive materials, publicity materials, and public programs for a variety of audiences.

8.Lecture on and lead tours of the Museum’s exhibitions and collections, and participate in other program activities related to the modern and contemporary art collection.

9.Train docents and volunteers in specific content areas and museum best practices.

10.Encourage and facilitate the use of UMFA resources and collaborative programming with University of Utah faculty and students.

11.Conduct or oversee original research, and interpret the UMFA’s modern and contemporary collection.

12.Assist faculty, students, scholars, docents, and members of the community in research of the UMFA’s collections and exhibitions.

13.Work with Museum staff to develop fundraising strategies for the modern and contemporary art collection and actively participate in the solicitation process including identifying, and cultivating donors and collectors.

14.Interact as needed with the Museum’s Board of Directors and Collections & Program Committee and work with development staff to oversee a donor group (the Young Benefactors) aimed at supporting the UMFA’s modern and contemporary collection and exhibition program.

15.Collaborate with collections staff to develop and implement preservation and conservation strategies of the highest professional standards for the UMFA collection.

16.Perform administrative duties related to the functions of the position, including the management of budgets for exhibitions and programs.

•M.A. in Art History required. PhD in Art History, or related field, strongly preferred.
•A minimum of four years relevant museum experience with a substantial record of exhibition-making, publications, public presentations, and service to the field.
•In-depth knowledge of American and International modern and contemporary art and participation in the national and international art and curatorial community.
•Familiarity with museum best practices and current trends in the field.
•A passionate advocate for artists.
•Teaching experience at the University level is a plus.
•Excellent working relationships with colleagues in the field, including collectors, artists, gallerists, critics, and scholars.
•Proven history of excellent scholarship, as well as excellent writing, communication, interpersonal, management and administrative skills.
•Proven ability to manage budgets.
•Collaborative, collegial, creative, and resourceful approach to work.
•Demonstrated integrity in all professional matters.
•Enjoys working with students, docents, college interns, volunteers, and general audiences.

The Curator should support the UMFA’s commitment to cultural diversity, and be committed to innovative approaches to exhibition-making and collaborative partnerships with other departments and organizations across campus, with organizations in the community, and with colleagues and other institutions regionally and nationally.

All applicants must submit an application through the University of Utah’s online job application program. Applications should include a cover letter, current resume or CV, a list of three professional references, and examples (PDFs) of exhibition catalogues, scholarly writing, and other publications.

Please, no telephone calls.

Applications accepted until position is filled.

The University of Utah is an equal opportunity employer.

The Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, is one of Chicago’s major museum institutions and one of the nation’s largest facilities devoted to the art of our time, offering exhibitions, performances, and programs of the most thought-provoking art created since 1945.

Considered one of the premiere curatorial training opportunities in the nation, the MCA Chicago’s Marjorie Susman Curatorial Fellowship is intended to offer an exceptional graduate-level candidate the opportunity to gain professional curatorial experience in a major museum setting. The Fellow is primarily responsible for exhibition- and/or collection-related research, with additional duties as appropriate to specific projects. As a 12-month, 40-hour per week commitment, the Fellow is exposed to all aspects of curatorial operations and participates in internal and external communications on a daily basis. With a start date of July 1, 2012, the fellowship carries a stipend of $25,000 plus selected benefits.

The MCA considers exceptional candidates in art history, museum studies, and related fields with a strong emphasis on art historical research and methodology. Qualified applicants must possess an M.A. degree or be in their final year of graduate work. The MCA seeks increased diversity in its staff and provides equal opportunity to its applicants.

The application deadline is January 31, 2012.

Application Process

There are no application forms. Please note that application materials, including writing samples and any supplementary materials, will not be returned to candidates. All application materials should be typed and include the following:
1. Cover letter with name, home and school addresses, and telephone numbers of the applicant.
2. A full resume of education and employment history.
3. Two letters of recommendation from academic and/or professional settings.
4. An essay describing the applicant’s interest in the internship program, museum work, and reasons for applying.
5. Two writing samples.
6. Application materials should be sent to:

Internship Coordinator
Museum of Contemporary Art
220 East Chicago Ave.
Chicago, IL 60611

Please note: International candidates must secure and be in possession of a valid US work visa for the entire fellowship period.

After reviewing all applications, a group of candidates are selected for either an in-person interview or telephone interview. Final notification to all applicants are mailed by the end of April.

The MCA Chicago Curatorial Department reviews applications. Final selection of the Marjorie Susman Curatorial Fellow is determined in consultation with the Susman family and curatorial staff.

The Marjorie Susman Curatorial Fellowship was established by members of the Susman family in honor of Marjorie Susman.

Despite the fact that new media art might be still treated as a new and recent phenomenon of art practice, the story of new media can be traced back as early as the sixties. Artists such as John Cage, Allan Kaprow, Roy Ascott, E.A.T. have been preoccupied with themes including interaction, multimedia, electronics, kineticism, cybernetics and technology, and so have curators and theorists such as Marshall McLuhan, Jasia Reichardt, Lucy Lippard and Jack Burnham, among others. The context for artists, theorists and curators alike has been changing since that time, when this type of work formed a new territory for exploration in the arts. There was not only a change in creative language, but also a change in aesthetics and attitudes that would effect the ways we perceive artworks, exhibitions and cultural production in general.

One of the landmark exhibitions was “Les Immatériaux” curated by Jean-Francois Lyotard at the Centre Pompidou, Paris in 1985. Lyotard had already written his seminal book The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge (1979) in which he examined the changes in human condition effected by technological developments in communications, mass media and computer science. The exhibition sought to present the repercussions of such a restructure of society and culture and also to construct an emergent space filled with emergent concepts. Nathalie Heinich explains “Paintings and sculptures were still present, of course, but became part of a much larger set of information made up of signs, words, sounds and technical artefacts” in a labyrinth-like exhibition space. Additionally, the notion of “immateriality” was introduced at a point when computers and interfaces were not user-friendly, a fact that also highlighted the latent problematic aspects of technology in art making and curating.∗ Curating here may have functioned as a philosophical quest authored by Lyotard, which in spite of its drawbacks has opened the door to a new era of exhibition making.

Moving forward to the mid-nineties, we can see the next wave of artists and curators engaging with new media under a new set of conditions again. Since the term “new media” is a very loose one, I would like at this point to refer to Olia Lialina’s description of new media: “a field of study that has developed around cultural practices with the computer playing a central role as the medium for production, storage and distribution”. However, it still seems that new media art cannot be contextualized under a certain canon because of its hybrid forms, and there is still a need for new media art practitioners - be they artists, curators, theorists- to provide a contextual umbrella for new media practices to be discussed.

From a curatorial perspective, new media art has brought new challenges to contemporary curating with its immaterial nature, its interactive qualities, its computer-based character and its constant developments. Anyone working with or keeping track of the shifts in new media will have noticed that new media art can be “web-based projects, sound events, virtual reality installations, mobile cellular, or PDA projects, and practices- conceptual art practices, networked-based practices, software coding or sampling” as Sarah Cook has outlined.∗∗ It is hard to permit the flexible and dynamic character of new media art to fully articulate in an exhibition space since most new media artworks tend to defy physicality. The need for new curatorial expressions to embrace the concepts of new media is becoming more and more apparent in the variety of exhibition formats.

Curating in online contexts has been a prevalent mode for web-based art projects. A rewind through the recent history of new media art will remind us that the dawn of the World Wide Web proved beneficial to web artists not only because of the new possibilities of the medium, but also because it allowed a certain degree of autonomy from institutions and curators altogether. An early example of such an exhibition was the project Desktop Is (1997) initiated by artist Alexei Shulgin for which he gathered desktop screenshots from 67 artists and hosted them online for public viewing. The developments the World Wide Web brought about at that time were equally important for curators. The novel notion of distribution and communication meant that not only artworks could be distributed but also curatorial practice. The “instantaneity in contemporary culture” (Charlie Gere, 2008)∗∗∗ was and still is evident and emergent in many distributed artworks and exhibitions on the web. For example, the exhibition Beyond Interface (1998) curated by Steve Dietz at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. On the archival website of the exhibition, one can find Steve Dietz’s quote, which reads: “This online exhibition presents a simple proposition. There is art that is created to "be" on the Net. After that, it gets more complex very quickly. Beyond Interface explores some of the complicating issues but does not attempt a comprehensive investigation… the main goals of Beyond Interface are to present outstanding examples of net-based artistic activity, and to try and begin to better understand and appreciate this art and its context.” Steve Dietz is very conscious about his early venture by pointing out the uncertainties of curating web-specific exhibitions. Nevertheless, that is mostly the case when something new is coming out. By laying emphasis on the art and its context, Dietz attempts to highlight the dynamic of web-based artworks, being fluid and hybrid and also the Web as a space for art production, curating and cultural interaction. However, while distributed curatorial practice on the web might fulfill the democratic and decentralised expectations of its medium, it also could ensure the work is easily confined to a specialist audience online.

Curating new media art in “offline” contexts is another main method of presenting such work. From the eighties onwards, many different spaces and structures have flourished to support new media art activities. New media centres such as ZKM in Germany, The Banff Centre in Canada and FACT in England; festivals, like Ars Electronica and Transmediale; galleries such as the Furtherfield Gallery in London; and labs such as the V2_ Institute for the Unstable Media in the Netherlands, among others. Contemporary art museums have been quite wary of new media art, with some exceptions such as SFMOMA, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and Baltic. Simply stated, the visibility of new media art exhibitions in museums is low compared to mainstream contemporary art shows. The exhibition Database Imaginary (The Banff Center, Alberta, Canada, 2004) curated by Sarah Cook, Steve Dietz and Anthony Kiendl included works from 1971 to 2004. The exhibition sought to explore the idea of the database as an evolving phenomenon in human culture, featuring works such as Hans Haacke’s “Visitors’ Profile” (1971), a questionnaire about contemporary events that was distributed to museum visitors to a group exhibition in Milwaukee and Graham/Mongrel’s “Lungs-London.pl” (2004), a Perl software-code poem based on the 1792 poem London by William Blake. Database Imaginary attempts to establish connections between old and new art forms that share a common ground. Such exhibitions provide a space, firstly, to reflect on the continuum of ideas taking “shape” through a range of mediums and secondly, to discover the correlations that new media art shares with its precursors. The idea of creating narratives that are not fragmentary and follow the trail of art development also shows the dynamic of curatorial practice itself. If museums refrain from showing new media art by being skeptical about the qualities of such art in the course of art history, then exhibitions, such as Database Imaginary, provide for the art references that institutions may lack.

There is no doubt that there is not a singular practice or canon of curating new media art and that is primarily triggered by the hybridism of the art itself. Christiane Paul (2008) has argued that ‘Because new media art is more process-oriented than object-oriented, it is important to convey the underlying concept of this process to the audience’.∗∗∗∗ New media art curators need to be constantly resourceful in order to create evocative spaces and experiences. As new media art gradually enters the museum doors, curatorial strategies need not only communicate the art but also the fact that the exhibition itself is a process.





∗ See Nathalie Heinich (2009) “Les Immatériaux Revisited: Innovation in Innovations” and Sarah Cook (2008) “Immateriality and its discontents. An overview of main models and Issues for Curating New Media” in Christiane Paul (ed.), New Media in the White Cube and Beyond. Curatorial Models for Digital Art. University of California Press, pp 26 - 49

∗∗ Sarah Cook (2008), “Immateriality and Its Discontents. An Overview of Main Models and Issues for Curating New Media”, in Christiane Paul (ed.), New Media in the White Cube and Beyond. Curatorial Models for Digital Art. University of California Press, p. 27

∗∗∗ Charlie Gere (2008). “New media Art and the Gallery in the Digital Age” in Christiane Paul (ed.), New Media in the White Cube and Beyond. Curatorial Models for Digital Art. University of California Press, p. 23

∗∗∗∗ Christiane Paul (2008), “Challenges for a Ubiquitous Museum. From the White Cube to the Black Box and Beyond”, in Christiane Paul (ed.), New Media in the White Cube and Beyond. Curatorial Models for Digital Art. University of California Press, p. 65