Diana Campbell Betancourt

Thinking beyond the event -
considering large scale exhibition platforms in the 21st century

9–18 August 2018

Medium
Curatorial theory and practice

Location
Hohensalzburg Fortress

Language
English

What to bring
Laptop

Requirements
Reading will be provided in advance

Maximum number of participants
20

Co-teacher
Mirela Baciak

Participation fee
€ 600,– (€ 470,–)

Biennials and the “global grand exhibition” were born during the late 19th century, a time when the ability to journey beyond one’s immediate geographic reach was limited to a small group of people. Today, international travel is cheaper than ever, making foreign travel more accessible. New biennials and large-scale recurring exhibitions still emerge every year, increasing employment opportunities for curators in diverse contexts and creating a “global biennial ecology”.

In recent years, a group of curators and artists have been questioning and rethinking the biennial model and its constraints and possibilities. Along with a number of guest lectures of notable curators of past biennials, this course will explore how we evaluate a biennial and the concomitant expectations and ethics, and consider the legacy of notable historical exhibitions of this type. We will envision what a new form of biennial for the 21st century might look like – one that allows space for artists, space for freedom, local roots, and mobility beyond the existing “biennial circuit”, “art world” or “tourist trap”. The course includes a two-night trip to Vienna, completely funded by the Austrian Federal Chancellery.

Following the course, the Culture Department of the Styrian Provincial Government will invite three curators to explore the lively art scene in Graz from 19 to 21 August 2018. They will receive travel and accommodation expenses. Please apply by 2 May 2018 to Christiane Kada christiane.kada@stmk.gv.at with a Letter of Intent.