Marina Fokidis

Everything you always wanted to know about curating and a few more questions

20–29 July 2020

Medium
Curatorial practice and theory

Location
Hohensalzburg Fortress

Teaching language
English (the teacher also speaks Greek and French)

What to bring
Laptop, pen and notebook; favourite readings; lots of questions, comfortable shoes

Requirements
None

Maximum number of participants
20

Co-teacher
Eleanna Papathanasiadi

Participation fee
€ 616.– (€ 488.–)

How can we “curate” together in times of a recurring hyper-corporeality? What have been the major changes in the role of the curator over the last twenty years? How has the role of the “museum” or that of any kind of art institution transformed over the same period of time? What kind of exhibitions or other type of projects could and should be implemented today? For whom do we curate and to whom we are accountable? Is the architectural form of the exhibition vessel still valid, especially in times like ours, where the “public space” of the streets has become the major point for people’s togetherness and interconnectedness? What is the role of contemporary art in shaping a democratic public sphere? How can we learn from each other? Who needs us curators, anyway?

Conceived with the task of formulating as many questions as possible, the course will explore the ever-changing nature of curatorial practice within the socio-economic, political and environmental transformation of our times. Through a series of readings and conversations, participants will be invited to reflect on curatorial methodologies and challenges, as these occur in the case studies that will be presented by a set of invited guest speakers and the teachers. The aim is to be able to formulate a set of ten core questions (in analogy to the ten commandments) which might add to the overall pursuit of the advancement of curatorial research and praxis. This “decalogue” will be visualised in ways selected by the participants and publicly presented.

The classes will include group readings, seminars, guest curators’ presentations and a few field visits followed by discussions and private tutorials. Participants may choose to work in smaller groups or collectively towards the formation of their final project/idea.