Curating.info

- Firstly, an exciting announcement: after years of working on building Curating.info into a high quality resource all on my own, I now have a team to help me take this site to the next level. I wish to extend a warm welcome to Katerina Gkoutziouli, Mikhel Proulx, April Steele, and Sophie Williamson. Find out more about them on the "About" page. With the addition of this powerhouse team, expect more content and new developments here at Curating.info.

- Moving on to my usual Pick 'N Mix fare: Augustine Zenakos boldly declares that all curators should just commit suicide. If you have followed Augustine's work you know this declaration is a jolt to get your attention that will be followed up with some substantive and interesting thoughts. We'll keep an eye out for his follow up text, but in the meantime, check out this recent interview with Augustine.

- I imagine many of us are gearing up to go to the opening festivities of the Venice Biennale. Get into the Venice mood by reading this interview with Bice Curiger, the curator of this year's Biennale.

- Remember Shin Jeong-ah, the Korean curator who was quickly shown the door once it was revealed she lied about her credentials? She's back, and has written a book about her experiences, entitled 4001, the number she was assigned as a prisoner.

- I quite enjoyed this article by Rachel Pastan, reporting on a lecture about artists acting in a curatorial capacity by Ingrid Schaffner. Says Ingrid: "It's my job as a curator to minimize the distance between the viewer and the object".

- The latest issue of On Curating is out, themed around politics and community, and you can download it here.

- Lastly: The amount of content here should not suffer, thanks to my marvellous new team, but things are definitely busy, as I recently accepted a post as Curator at V2_ Institute for the Unstable Media in Rotterdam, and am also working hard on an exhibition I'm co-curating with Karen Gaskill that will open at Cornerhouse in Manchester, UK this June. I hope your Spring is as busy and fulfilling as mine has been so far.

The eighth Dutch Electronic Art Festival (DEAF) opens today in Rotterdam. One of the most important international art and technology festivals, DEAF is organized every two years by V2_, Institute for the Unstable Media. This is a special year, as V2_ is also celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary during DEAF07 with a night of music and performances at Staal in Rotterdam on Saturday, April 14. The theme this year is Interact or Die!

Of special interest to curators is the GLOBAL BENDING: Opening Creative Space - Rooting Curatorial Media Practice in China panel discussion that will take place on Friday, 13 April, from 14.00 - 16.30. I am an invited respondent to this panel and look forward to engaging with the panelists. If you are unable to make it to Rotterdam, you can watch live streams for many of the events, including this panel on curating.

Download the full DEAF 07 programme (PDF file) here, read more about how to tune into the live streams here, and follow along on the DEAF 07 blog here.