Curating.info

Pick 'N Mix - August 2008

nospam@example.com (Michelle Kasprzak) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 04:33:00 -0500

Welcome to the August edition of Pick 'N Mix, my monthly annotated list of curating-related things:

- I've finished writing a short report on the IKT (the International Association of Curators of Contemporary Art) Congress that was held in Montreal in May. Have a read!

- This interview with João Ribas by Ceci Moss on Rhizome is a good read. Quote: "Curatorial practice, to me, is about mediating such frames in the end--different contexts, different readings, different publics."

- "Curator crowds" are all the rage it seems, I've blogged about them briefly before, and they keep cropping up. Recently the Brooklyn Museum of Art produced Click, a photography exhibit that was curated collaboratively by anyone who wanted to take part. Via Art Fag City, I took note of a link to an interview with Jennifer Blessing, curator of photography at the Guggenheim, who offers her thoughts on this phenomenon of "curator crowds". The interview is excellent food for thought.

- Just a reminder to my readers that I really enjoy getting your emails (seems most folks are too shy to comment publicly!). Keep them coming, and any suggestions you might have about what I have on offer here are much appreciated. So send me a note, and then turn off your computer and enjoy the rest of the summer!

IKT Congress Report

nospam@example.com (Michelle Kasprzak) — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 13:59:00 -0500

IKT, the International Association of Curators of Contemporary Art, held its annual congress in Montreal from 22-26 May 2008.

More than 130 members attended this year's IKT Congress, the first Congress ever to be held outside Europe. The days were very full, and included visits to major museums and galleries including the Musée d'Art Contemporain de Montreal (MACM), Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Dazibao, Galerie UQAM, Oboro, Vox, Galerie Clark, Fonderie Darling, and the Leonard and Bina Ellen Gallery. In each case, the director and/or curator of the institution was present to give us a personal introduction and tour. The mix of institutions provided a great overview of both the diversity of provision for artists and of the available exhibition spaces for curators in Montreal: artist-run centres, museums, studios, commercial galleries, university-affiliated galleries. The Congress also travelled to Quebec City, taking in the Manif d'Art, Musée National des Beaux-arts du Québec, and production centres housed at Méduse. Optional post-Congress activities included short visits to Ottawa and Toronto.

The event was hosted by Parachute, and Chantal Pontbriand and her team ensured that every detail of the visit was perfectly planned. Coaches were arranged to transport the delegates from place to place (which ensured we kept to our packed schedule), refreshments were delicious and abundant, and questions or requests were handled expertly. The hosts thoughtfully included a customized coach tour of the city that covered significant sites in Montreal such as the Expo '67 ruins on Ile Sainte-Hélène, the Habitat buildings, Mont-Royal, and more. When the tour stopped briefly near the summit of Mont-Royal, several curators took the opportunity to get an ice cream and enjoy the view, which was one of many lovely moments.

The timing of our visit was excellent, as it coincided with the inaugural Quebec Trienniale at the Musée d'Art Contemporain (which was a key feature on the schedule), and curators who could find a scant few minutes spare in the action-packed itinerary could also zip up to the Mile-End for the Ateliers Portes Ouvertes (APO) event. Timing was also perfect to sample some of the fruits of the labours of IKT candidates and members. The Leonard and Bina Ellen Gallery was hosting Vincent Bonin's exhibition about artists as cultural workers entitled Documentary Protocols II, and also Conceptual Filiations, curated by Michèle Thériault. Louise Déry curated Phenomena at Galerie UQAM, and Marc Lanctôt was part of the team behind the Quebec Triennale at MACM. It was enormously satisfying to see and support the hard work of one's colleagues during the Congress.

Interaction between local artists and the visiting curators was incorporated as an integral part of the Congress. A magnificent evening meal at the Fonderie Darling evolved into a lovely party, and also provided ample opportunity for the IKT members and guests to visit the artists who work at the Fonderie in their studios. As well, curators were able to request meetings with local artists, which were arranged by the Parachute team. These intimate meetings, which consisted of a handful of curators and the artist, were a terrific way for the Congress attendees to delve a little deeper and learn more about specific artists that piqued their interest.

A conference on art and economy was led by Mirjam Westen and included contributions from Jo-Anne Kane, Nina Montmann and Louise Neri. This short conference addressed some of the salient issues involved in the intersection of the fine art world and commercial concerns. A heated question and answer period followed, and the presentations sparked conversations throughout the rest of the Congress.

At the General Assembly, the board presented the financial situation of the past year and decisions were made regarding future Congress locations. It was decided that Congress will be hosted in 2010 by Athens, and in 2011 by Luxembourg and Metz. At last year's Congress, it decided that the 2009 Congress will be held in Helsinki and Tallinn. The board also issued a general request to assist in gathering documentation and information about the early years of the IKT association with a view to creating an IKT archive. The board intends to develop the archive into a significant resource and research tool, documenting nearly forty years of history.

The hospitality and collegiality on offer at the 2008 IKT Congress was truly exemplar, and everyone very much looks forward to Helsinki and Tallinn in 2009. If you have materials to contribute to the IKT archive, particularly of the early years of the association, please get in touch with IKT through the "contact" page on their website.

Job: Curator of Exhibitions, John Michael Kohler Arts Center

nospam@example.com (Michelle Kasprzak) — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 03:35:55 -0500

The John Michael Kohler Arts Center, a dynamic 100,000 sq. ft. visual and performing arts complex, supports an unusually broad range of artists and ideas in its exhibitions, residency programs, and many other activities. The Arts Center seeks a full-time Curator of Exhibitions with a breadth of knowledge and significant experience in the field of contemporary art as well as an emphasis on craft-related forms and installation works. This person will develop original thematic and solo exhibitions; write materials for exhibitions and related publications and grants; undertake speaking engagements; and collaborate with other departments; in particular on complimentary programming and marketing. With nearly all exhibitions curated in-house, the Arts Center offers an exciting opportunity to develop and implement a wide range of innovative exhibition projects. The ability to produce excellent, accessible critical writing for catalogues and other interpretive materials is required. Qualified candidates also must have honed public speaking and presentation skills, strong organizational skills, as well as the capacity to collaborate with other curators, staff in other departments, artists, lenders, and volunteers. A master's degree in art history, American studies, or related field is required along with five years of curatorial experience. Salary will be commensurate with experience.

Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan just one hour north of Milwaukee and two and a half hours from Chicago, Sheboygan has been named one of the most livable cities in the U.S. by national magazines.

Send cover letter, resume, 3 examples of writing on contemporary art and references to: Manager-Human Resources, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, 608 New York Avenue, Sheboygan, WI 53081-4507 USA or email atritz -at- jmkac.org. For additional information visit www.jmkac.org.

Call for proposals: TAGallery

nospam@example.com (Michelle Kasprzak) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 14:24:38 -0500

Since January 2007, the TAGallery project has posed the question: "What if a link becomes representative of the artefact, the context and the exhibition at once?" As of July 2008, there are 500 different answers, represented by 438 artists, 473 artworks, 483 tags, a dozen of curators and still 999 exhibitions to come. Finally it is time to open the folksonomic experiment for public participation. From July 15 to September 15 netizens were invited to contribute link-collections, to re-contextualise the existing material and/or to experiment with tagging as a curatorial practice within the framework of TAGallery. If you are interested in participating please go to the CONT3XT website and read about how to submit an exhibition. Do not hesitate to contact cont3xt-at-cont3xt-dot-net if there are any questions.

TAGallery: http://del.icio.us/TAGallery
About TAGallery: http://cont3xt.net/curating/tagallery
Exhibitions TAGallery: http://tagallery.cont3xt.net

Job: Curator at BAK

nospam@example.com (Michelle Kasprzak) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:17:32 -0500

BAK, basis voor actuele kunst is currently seeking a committed, visionary curator to fill a newly created position on its team and contribute to its activities. BAK, located in Utrecht, the Netherlands, is an internationally recognized space dedicated to thinking from, about, and through art, and is invested in the exploration and empowerment of two vital relationships: the link between art and the public sphere, and the alliance between artistic practice and theory.

BAK initiates research on diverse subjects of urgency that are key to the pursuit of these crucial relationships in art, and together with artists and other cultural practitioners realizes projects such as exhibitions, lectures, education, publications, and significant productions of new work. BAK places equal emphasis on these diverse activities. Exemplified by practices of participation, discursivity, production, flexibility, fluidity, and criticality, BAK’s approach constitutes a way of thinking and acting, a process of development, and a continuous activation of the possibility of art. BAK understands art in the expanded sense as a uniquely open field of possibilities inside society in which various discourses (aesthetic, cultural, political, social, economic, and others) intersect and exchange.

The ideal curator would feel a strong affinity with BAK’s philosophy and working methods and be ready to contribute her/his energy, intellectual capacities, creativity, vision, and ethical commitment to the diverse tasks at hand. This individual’s interests should be broad, but grounded in a vision of contemporary art as practice in active dialogue with the contemporary world and its concerns. She/he would demonstrate a strong inclination towards the activities of exhibition making and the conception and development of theory and discourse-oriented programs. The curator will have the intellectual independence and confidence to collaborate closely with the artistic director and orient her/himself within a small team and the conceptual framework of BAK, bringing new ideas and possibilities for collaboration to the fore. As continuity is an underlying principle of all BAK’s activities, the curator would readily express a serious, long-term commitment to the position.

Interested individuals are encouraged to contact BAK (info [at] bak-utrecht.nl) for application materials. Completed applications are accepted from the date of this announcement until 8 September 2008. BAK is unable to accommodate phone inquiries.

Opportunity: Hayward Curatorial Open

nospam@example.com (Michelle Kasprzak) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 14:44:27 -0500

Curate a Hayward Touring exhibition. Submit an innovative exhibition proposal.

Hayward Touring: Curatorial Open 2009 is the inaugural exhibition of a series of three annual Hayward Touring curatorial open calls. Hayward Touring in association with a number of regional museums and galleries invites proposals for an innovative exhibition, touring to four UK venues in 2009.

For 40 years, The Hayward has played a key role in creating imaginative, high profile exhibitions in London and throughout the UK with Hayward Touring exhibitions. Hayward Touring annually presents around 22 shows to 650,000 people in approximately 86 venues throughout the UK. Exhibitions range in scale from the British Art Show, the largest survey of contemporary British art organised in the UK, to small graphics and photography shows.

The successful applicant of the Hayward Touring: Curatorial Open will work in collaboration with the Hayward and four regional museums and galleries in organising their touring exhibition commencing July 2009. Hayward Touring: Curatorial Open provides a honorarium of £3,000 plus £1,000 for research and travel expenses. The curator will be expected to work within a modest exhibition budget that will allow for a small publication.

The selection panel includes Ralph Rugoff, Director, The Hayward, Roger Malbert, Senior Curator, Hayward Touring, representatives of the participating museums and galleries and an artist (to be announced).

Application deadline: 5pm Monday 8 September 2008

Short-listing: end of September 2008

Interviews: 14 October 2008

For more information, and to download the application form and guidelines, please visit the Southbank Centre website.

Job: Assistant Curator, English Heritage

nospam@example.com (Michelle Kasprzak) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 18:21:23 -0500

English Heritage protects and provides advice on England’s unique legacy of historic buildings, landscapes and archaeological sites. EH also manages over 400 sites and welcomes in excess of 11 million visitors to these each year.

EH is looking for a curatorial assistant to join the London Collections team to support the Senior Curator in the management of English Heritage’s portfolio of historic houses. This includes eight significant sites, with a wide range of paintings, furniture and decorative arts. Your role will be to help ensure that the collection documentation database is maintained to Museum Registration standards, and support conservation, presentation and display projects throughout the London Region.

You will have a relevant degree with a proven track record of working in a museum or historic house environment. Good knowledge of museum inventory database packages and of collection care standards and procedures, with the ability to research and work to project deadlines, will be essential.

English Heritage values diversity and aims to employ people who reflect this.

Closing Date: 10 August 2008
Interview date: 19 August 2008

To discover more and apply, please visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/jobs

Job: Curator of Special Collections, British Film Institute

nospam@example.com (Michelle Kasprzak) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:35:18 -0500

The British Film Institute (BFI) operates a world-renowned archive, cinemas, festivals, films, publications and learning resources.

BFI is looking for a Curator to manage and develop the special collections and the provision of services relating to them and to take a leading role in the development and implementation of policy regarding these collections, placing them at the heart of BFI activities.

Duties will include appraising and acquiring production records and other materials that document British film and television production, setting cataloguing and conservation priorities and objectives and promoting the Special Collections.

You will need to be educated to degree level, or equivalent, with a recognised archive or information library qualification. You will also require knowledge and understanding of all aspects of British film and TV history, as well as knowledge of curating collections for use in publications, exhibitions and group presentations.

Based in central London, you’ll enjoy benefits such as a final salary pension scheme, 28-33 days annual leave, free tickets to the BFI Southbank plus many other discounts and benefits.

Qualification Level: Degree level
Salary range: c£33,000 – £39,000

Further details about the post and the BFI can be obtained by visiting www.bfi.org.uk/jobs or by email: jobs -at- bfi.org.uk. Closing date for applications is 11 July 2008, and interviews will be held in the week commencing 21 July 2008.

Pick 'N Mix - July 2008

nospam@example.com (Michelle Kasprzak) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:24:32 -0500

Welcome to the July edition of Pick 'N Mix, my monthly annotated list of things that caught my eye over the course of the previous month. Check it out:

- A new Curating.info Conversations e-book has been released! Download it now.

This edition of Curating.info Conversations is with Karen Gaskill, the Director and Curator of Interval, and a Researcher at the Foundation for Art and Creative Technology (FACT) in Liverpool. She is also currently completing her practice-based PhD in Digital Media and Social Practice at the Digital Research Unit, The University of Huddersfield. The interview with Karen covered topics ranging from getting outside of the white cube to the expanding role of the audience.

- I recently discovered a blog called "Sideshows", written by Sofía Hernández Chong Cuy. Recently Ms Chong Cuy has been publishing some really interesting interviews with young curators in China and Hong Kong. Recent examples include an interview with Kate Fowle, International Curator at the Ullens Centre in Beijing, wherein the notion of what "international" practice is today is discussed, and the second interview in the series is with Zoe Butt, Director of International Programs at Long March Project in Beijing, China. Well worth a read!

- Ms Chong Cuy, author of Sideshows, asked Kate Fowle to elaborate a bit more on the meaning of her title of "International Curator". Similarly, in this article we find founding film curator of University of California San Diego's ArtPower!, Rebecca Webb, discussing the difficulty of a title like "Film Curator". "A lot of people – when I'm here, anyway – say, 'Oh, do you work in a library or something?'" Ms Webb says. As curators, we all know titles have power and meaning, and this is usually why it is important professionally to seek appropriate credit for the work you have done. These specialist titles that were created for Ms Fowle and Ms Webb are meant to indicate an area of expertise, however, it is clear that it remains confusing for some people (sometimes because they don't understand what curators do in the first place, other times because the notion behind the specialism is so new?). Nomenclature is no small thing. I'll simply wonder aloud here: what can be done to indicate specialisation without inducing confusion?

- CultureGrrl (among other outlets) reported on the "leave" taken by Curator and Deputy Director David Franklin of the National Galleries of Canada. For me, this news story raised several ethical questions. Among all of the very obvious questions around the obligations of the gallery to its employees and to its public, the next issue that arose for me was of Mr Franklin's privacy. Curator at the National Galleries of Canada is a prominent position, to be sure, but did Mr Franklin ever imagine that his decision to take extended leave (or to effectively leave his post) would be fodder for the national and international press? I'm not sure that he did. Whatever his reasons, he isn't appealing to the press to make a case against his employer -- yet -- so perhaps he should be left alone, and we should presume his colleagues are capable of continuing his work, until we hear a statement from Mr Franklin himself. Or do any readers here think otherwise?

Job: Curator, The Hayward

nospam@example.com (Michelle Kasprzak) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 07:47:46 -0500

Curator, The Hayward
33,000 GBP per annum

Southbank Centre is the UK's largest arts centre, occupying a 21-acre site that sits in the midst of London's most vibrant cultural quarter on the South Bank of the Thames. The site has an extraordinary creative and architectural history stretching back to the 1951 Festival of Britain.

As the hub of visual arts activity at Southbank Centre, The Hayward plays a vital role in the UK and internationally by presenting a wide range of ground-breaking art exhibitions, project exhibitions and outdoor installations. Boasting one of the largest and most versatile exhibition
spaces in the UK, The Hayward aims to place artists at the heart of its every activity and to offer visitors adventurous encounters that defy expectations.

As Curator, you will work with the Director and Chief Curator of The Hayward to deliver a series of exhibitions and installations in The Hayward Project Space, outdoor spaces around Southbank Centre's site and in the gallery. You will be responsible for curating and writing about each project as well as supervising design and installation and managing project budgets.

With demonstrable knowledge of and interest in international modern and contemporary art, you will have significant experience of working in an art gallery or museum at all stages of curating an exhibition from conceptualising, planning, and administering exhibitions to their installation. Outstanding interpersonal skills and the ability to manage relationships at all levels are also essential.

You will be available to start in November 2008.

For further information and details about how to apply, please visit http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/jobs or phone 02079210641. Application forms should be submitted to recruit -at- southbankcentre.co.uk or posted to HR, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX by 5pm on the closing date.

Closing date: 17th July 2008

Curating.info Conversations: Karen Gaskill

nospam@example.com (Michelle Kasprzak) — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 19:47:24 -0500

The second edition of Curating.info Conversations is with Manchester-based curator, Karen Gaskill.

Karen is currently the Director and Curator of Interval, and a Researcher at the Foundation for Art and Creative Technology (FACT) in Liverpool. She is also currently completing her practice-based PhD in Digital Media and Social Practice at the Digital Research Unit, The University of Huddersfield. The interview with Karen covered topics ranging from getting outside of the white cube to the expanding role of the audience. This interview, the second in the series of e-books that will be released here, is intended to become part of a larger conversation. Comments on the topics raised in this series of e-books are welcomed, and responses may be collected later into a companion e-book.

To create the e-book, I used the DIFFUSION e-book generator, which was developed by artist-led studio and think tank Proboscis. To enjoy your copy of this e-book, simply choose a download link below (depending on what part of the world you are in, you will require either the Letter or A4 formatted version). Once you have downloaded the PDF file, print the e-book, and assemble according to the directions on the last page of the e-book. Then read it, share it, and print another for yourself or a friend!

Download the DIFFUSION e-book:
Curating.info Conversations: Karen Gaskill - A4 Format
Curating.info Conversations: Karen Gaskill - Letter Format

(Can't open PDF files? Download a free PDF reader.)

Job: Curator, Wales at the Venice Biennale

nospam@example.com (Michelle Kasprzak) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 05:44:29 -0500

Building on the achievements of the Wales exhibitions at the last three Biennales of Art in Venice, the Arts Council of Wales is now appointing to the following posts to work on the 2009 Biennale. It also has vacancies on its Wales at Venice Advisory Committee.

Fixed term freelance contract, fee £24,000 per annum, commencing July 2008, in Cardiff.

Duties: To select the artist or artists to represent Wales at the Biennale in 2009 and curate the exhibition. The Curator will work with the Commissioner and Project Manager and will report to the Advisory Committee. Applicants must have extensive knowledge of the contemporary visual arts in Wales and internationally and evidence the skills and track record necessary to ensure a major contribution to the presence of Wales at the 2009 Venice Biennale. Applications for the above are by letter accompanied by CV.

For information about previous Wales at Venice exhibitions visit http://www.walesvenicebiennale.org

Closing date for applications: Noon on Monday, 30 June 2008. The Council works in both Welsh and English. Further information is available online at http://www.artswales.org.uk or from the Human Resources Department: Tel: (029) 2037 6500.

Job: Lecturer in Curating, Goldsmiths

nospam@example.com (Michelle Kasprzak) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 04:19:18 -0500

Goldsmiths' Department of Art is a world-leading centre for research in contemporary art. Research and teaching focuses on three areas: fine art practice, art writing and curating, each led by internationally recognised scholars and artists. The Department attracts exceptional students from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures from the UK and overseas.

The Department has vacancies in the following areas for high-achieving, dynamic people who can contribute to the future development of this important centre for research and teaching in contemporary art:

Lecturer in Curating
From £29,372 to £43,286 p.a. incl pro rata
Part time (0.2 fte)
ref: 08/80AE
New Cross, London

For further information please visit: www.goldsmiths.ac.uk/hr/employment
Or email: hr -at- gold.ac.uk

Closing date: Tuesday 24 June 2008 by 5.00pm

New publication: On Curating

nospam@example.com (Michelle Kasprzak) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 05:16:02 -0500

On-Curating.org is an independent international web-journal focusing on questions around curatorial practise and theory.

For the inaugural issue, the editors asked thirty-one curators a series of questions around what topics in curating they would most like to see discussed, about key resources online, and about exhibitions and peers that have influenced them.

"We have written to professionals, whose position in curating, in the arts and in theory we think most interesting and challenging in contemporary discussion. We invited a broad selection of art-world figures, curators we find critical, artist-curators and other interesting people from our direct networks."

On-curating.org is published by Dorothee Richter. The concept was developed by Dorothee Richter in cooperation with Maren Brauner, Johanna Franco Bernet, Barnaby Drabble, Irene Grillo, Petra Haider, Damian Jurt, Christoph Kern, Wolf Schmelter, Thomas Zacharias. Supported by Postgraduate Program in Curating, Institute for Cultural Studies in the Arts (ICS), Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK).

Opportunity: Hamilton Artists Inc.

nospam@example.com (Michelle Kasprzak) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 18:30:57 -0500

Hamilton Artists Inc. (HAI) Call for Proposals
Proposal Deadline: July 31, 2008

Established in 1975, Hamilton Artists Inc. (HAI) is one of the founding galleries of the artist-run centre system in Canada. The organization is entering an exciting development stage as it approaches the opening of a newly purchased, multi-presentation complex in November of 2008. For the 2010-2011 exhibition schedule, HAI is seeking: a wide range of multi-disciplinary proposals from artists as well as curatorial proposals for solo and group exhibitions in the Main Space; community-based proposals for limited programming in the community gallery area; intermedia works, sculpture/installation, performance art, video projection, sound art, site-responsive and relational works and other imaginative proposals for the courtyard space and the glass corridor that links the two buildings; and proposals by critical writers to produce exhibition texts.

The new home of HAI (opening in November 2008) features: Two gallery spaces - A 1200 sq. ft Main Space, and a 600 sq ft Members Space/ Community Gallery; a 2500 square ft. multi-purpose outdoor courtyard; a programmable glass corridor linking the two galleries; and a two-floor artist-in-residence space with a studio, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom.

Hamilton Artists Inc. pays CARFAC artist fees for Main Space exhibitions and related exhibition costs, and assists with shipping. For more details, visit the website.