[-empyre-] "Death of the Curator"

Fri Apr 13 03:29:32 EST 2012

More thoughts in response to Aram's points:

I think the "friends" issue could equally apply to a young curator for whom
the possible group of artists could also include social group. People
feeling spurned is an issue but I think not necessarily only specific to
artist-as-curator.

Generally, I do not recommend artists putting themselves into the show they
curate, if possible. But there can also be shows that are more like a group
project, or one of the artists just got nominated by all others to be the
curator, or it's a low key lets-throw-a-party vibe- and in this case it's
ok.

I should clarify that where I said "creative process" (a generic term!) I
meant the making of "physical object", since curating is equally creative
when done right.

Aram, I see we are both in sevenonseven <http://rhizome.org/sevenonseven/>,
so we should hash out the Damien Hirst debate face to face tomorrow. :-)

On Thu, Apr 12, 2012 at 12:45 PM, Naeem Mohaiemen <naeem.mohaiemen at gmail.com>
wrote:
> Dear Aram
>
> I am always supportive of we artists being able to sustain ourselves,
> whether through grants, fees, sales, or teaching. If you read into my
> "coed dance" essay a naive "i don't want anything to do with the world
> of practicality" sentiment, it's a 180 deg misreading. I was
> specifically talking about the harm being from standing too close to
> the curating process, and it's distortion impact on the creative
> process. If you read the whole essay, you'll see I also end with an
> optimistic example of where it is possible to do so as well.
>
> I also was not suggesting that an artist retreat into studio and
> disconnect from the world. My concern is about protecting and
> nurturing the creative time, which includes extended periods of
> isolation and quiet. I like what Nicholas Carr talks about in THE
> SHALLOWS, and think of the example of disconnecting for a period from
> the net in order to imagine without excess stimuli.
>
> As for, Hirst– a cartoon, not a discussion peg. :-D
>
> To quote Julian Spalding:
> "Damien Hirsts are the sub-prime of the art world"
> http://occupyduniya.wordpress.com/2012/04/05/hirst/
>
> :-)
>
> On Thu, Apr 12, 2012 at 12:02 PM, Aram Bartholl <bartholl at datenform.de>
wrote:
>>
>> thx johannes! sorry for not responding much here. just arrived in nyc
>> yesterday night. (preparing for my booklaunch
>> http://eyebeam.org/events/book-launch-aram-bartholls-the-speed-book and
>> 7on7 http://rhizome.org/sevenonseven/ )
>>
>> reagarding your essay @naeem i think artists today - especially all the
>> famous ones - do know and need to know exactly whats their position and
>> context in the field, they need to know the numbers, the business side
>> and everything. in fact you need to be a real entrepreneur to play the
>> game i believe. and all the hirsts and koons etc are for sure. the
>> cliche of the artist in his studio retreat not knowing what s going on
>> seems a bit outdated to me...
>> the tough side being involved in the curatorial process is to me that i
>> have to deal with all these (spoiled) arists ;) it is fun to make a
>> selection for a show but it then it s hard work to produce it (and to
>> deal with your artist friends) this is a good reason for me to
>> concentrate on the making art side (and not getting into trouble with my
>> friends ;)
>>
>> have a great day everyone!
>> ARAM
>>
>> Am 11.4.12 11:13, schrieb Johannes Birringer:
>> >
>> > dear all
>> >
>> >
>> > thanks for the provocative readings and viewings provided over the
past days,
>> > (I am listening to Brad Troemel's "Art after Social Media"), Aram, thx
for the many links.
>> > Also am trying to catch up reading the text ["Las Grietas"] you linked
us to , Pedro,  thx!
>> >
>> > and I wanted to ask Naeem to talk about the photograph chosen in the
front of his essay on "At the co-ed dance" -- i attach it for those who
have not read it....
>> >
>> > Naeem Mohaiemen schreibt:
>> >>>
>> > I have attached here the PDF of an essay I had written about
>> > artists-as-curators. It was published in the now defunct ART LIES
>> > journal in their "Death of the Curator" issue in 2009 and then
>> > reprinted in TAKE ON ART in India in 2011.
>> > Some of this now feels quite dated, but hopefully some of it can still
>> > be relevant to our discussion.
>> >>>
>> >
>> > I enjoyed reading this piece a lot,  and was sorry to learn "Artlies"
is not alive anymore, I remember writing for it when it got started
>> > in Houston some years ago in the 90s, an independent organ of
criticism run by a collective (of writers and artists, no curators allowed
though) if I remember correctly,
>> > laid out and pasted together on John Bryant's computer in the attic.
>> >
>> > Brian's long post and critical reflection on decision-making processes
(underlying curating?) and organizing under "the governmentality of
neoliberalism" was most insightful, I felt, and deserves much more
>> > discussion, if we were to look at the compromises (and roles as
"accomplices") Ana pointed to, especially under the conditions of the
market described by Brian,  and I wonder, if I could ask Aram this
question, whether the conditions are the same or somewhat different - for
social networks, online galleries, YouTube, etc and temporary "speedshows"
?  very And if they are unchanged, and particularly timely for the
digital/networked platforms, then how can distributed curating become like
a tactical media?  very fast and very ephemeral before co-opted, to be
re-hyped (it started at the beforementioned documenta X, with the splendid
installation of "The Hybrid Workspace  temporary media lab" , for 100 days,
 -- so one might think the museum had already co-opted you before you even
had started)....?
>> >
>> > Naeem's implicit self-questioning is something can surely be
addressed, from the many experiences people on this list have,
>> > -- when you say "I started to wonder if artist-as-curator was always a
healthy construct"  (not really),  I assumed you meant the inevitable
>> > complications that might arise when artist-run galleries or shows
remain "hermetic"  (inviting friends and themselves) or self-serving
>> > before they, possibly, create interesting cracks in the mirror that
make the very messiness and spontaneity you describe interesting to be
coopted
>> > by museum and academic institutions or larger public venues like
Kunsthallen etc. I wonder whether some progressive municipalities were run
like that
>> > or imagined themselves like that (Amsterdam?). The idea (harking back
to last month's debate) of the cit as curator interests me a lot, with some
of the implications of "caring" , "curing" and "being curious" that
>> > have been raised here.
>> >
>> > Were it not for the photograph, Naeem, that keeps haunting us.
>> >
>> > And what is the role of private capital?  Can it, in some cases,
provide a certain "autonomy" allowing the forging of exhibitions that could
>> > not happen in public institutions or museums governed by boards of
directors/collectors and friends?  In Houston, for example, the Station
Museum (run
>> > by James Harithas) has kept putting on what one might call political
exhibitions which no one else would touch or dream of doing, and it must
>> > take a certain financial independence to be able to sustain that.
>> >
>> > Lastly, I wish we'd not leave the first week entries, for example the
questions raised by , and returned to, Jennifer and Jim about mass
orchestrations
>> > of urban festivals or spectacles un-scrutinized.  There was so much
claimed for "artists produc[ing] large-scale performances and interventions
that engage, critique and reconceptualize the urban context"
>> > which we have not questioned at all here, for example in connection to
tourism industry and civic/city policy or economic interests participating
in urban spectacles and fostering
>> > the illusions of art concerts/rock concerts being a 'counter-movement"
and leaving audiences to have or influence choices of/for (collective)
curating...
>> >
>> > is there such a thing as "collectice curating", and what would it be?
>> >
>> > In the town where I was born, the local merchants and businesswomen
and men  (Mittelstandsbetriebe) put on a show every year, for the masses to
enjoy.
>> > They also get the streets blocked off, for sure.
>> >
>> >
>> > respectfully
>> >
>> > Johannes Birringer
>> > dap-lab
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > _______________________________________________
>> > empyre forum
>> > empyre at lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au
>> > http://www.subtle.net/empyre
>>
>> --
>>
>> ____________________
>>
>> Aram Bartholl
>> Ackerstr. 38
>> 10115 Berlin
>> landline: +493060980161
>> mobile: +491791036178
>> skype: agoasi
>> bartholl at datenform.de
>> www.datenform.de
>> _______________________________________________
>> empyre forum
>> empyre at lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au
>> http://www.subtle.net/empyre
>
>
>
>
> --
>
> http://shobak.org
> http://disappearedinamerica.org
> http://independent.academia.edu/mohaiemen/Papers
>
> skype: naeembangali

-- 

http://shobak.org
http://disappearedinamerica.org
http://independent.academia.edu/mohaiemen/Papers

skype: naeembangali
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