It would not be untruthful to admit one’s first instinct is to praise only the artist for a memorable exhibition of their work. They are the ones without whom the exhibition would not even exist, so it is only logical to laud them for the effectiveness of the spaces in which their art is displayed. However, through the praise of the artist alone, a very important person – the curator – is at risk of being left in the margins. Most have heard of the word ‘curator’; in the introduction to his 2012 book Thinking Contemporary Curating, Australian art historian Terry Smith remarks:
‘Curating is everywhere being extended, encompassing every kind of organising of any body of images or set of actions… Certain restaurants proudly display menus curated by a food expert. A leading department store boastfully advertises the name of its curator of jewellery. A gallery proudly acknowledges the designer of its elaborate opening event as its curator.’
The identification of oneself as a curator has never been more common – these days, seemingly anyone is just a social media post away from becoming one.
In the world of art exhibitions, the curator is and has always been a crucial traditional element. Eminent Australian curator Nick Waterlow once wrote the curator is the embodiment of seven principles: passion; ‘an eye of discernment’, aptly judging the value in art pieces; ‘an empty vessel’; permitted uncertainty, belief in art, a medium between the artist and the viewer transmitting the audience a way to perceive art that will ‘ stimulate, inspire, question’ them, and a possibility of ‘the altering of perception’ of art. To him, the curator is at the heart of the show, the bridge between the artist and the viewer, and the advancer of art and its existence in the public eye.
Art curation takes many forms: commercial or non-commercial, private or public, for permanent or temporary exhibition. To shed a little bit of light on their work, I have asked curators – a representative from DUPA, Trinity’s photography society who run multiple exhibitions a year, museum curator Juste Kostikovaite, who works on both national and international exhibitions, and Dr. Kolleen Guy, historian, professor, and former member of the board of directors at the San Antonio Holocaust Memorial Museum – to describe their work and the behind-the-scenes of setting up an exhibition.
The process of curation begins with the acquisition of funding, the locating of a venue, and the choosing of an exhibition theme. On their decision of venue, DUPA commented that ‘communicating with the management teams at […] gallery spaces is essential’, and that they have ‘established relationships with many of the fine art printing houses around Dublin’ to facilitate the creation of the exhibits. When asked about funding, the society disclosed their funds mainly come from the Central Societies Committee for the ‘funding for the prints’, as well as non-Trinity sponsorships for other expenses, such as food and drinks for the exhibition attendees.
Outside the university bubble, Juste Kostikovaite explained that many exhibitions receive funding from public arts councils, such as The Art Council England, who are big sponsors of socially relevant exhibitions. The Art Council England often looks for exhibitions that correspond to themes such as environmentalism and discrimination, and that involve artists from diverse backgrounds. Kostikovaite remarked that the council often focuses on communicating projects to socially vulnerable groups, and will often not sponsor very personal, poetic or ephemeral projects if they do not fit a theme they are looking for.
When selecting works for an exhibition, curators can go about it in various ways: the DUPA committee ‘gives their input to help the exhibitions [and] gets the final say on whether the photograph is selected’ based on the composition of an image, ‘the feeling the image gives when you look at it’ and ‘whether or not the subject matter fits the theme’. Kolleen Guy chooses ‘the visual or the object that could most clearly move the narrative or “story” of the exhibit forward’ as her exhibitions concern specific themes and look for perspectives that would fit these. Juste Kostikovaite uses a ‘theme lead approach’ or an ‘artist lead approach’, which entails looking for artists who would feature the theme of the exhibition in their work, getting to know the artists and ‘co-creating’ or ‘co-writing’ their work for the exhibition together. She remarks the curator is a sort of ‘producer’, and not just someone who ‘prints and puts together’ the artist’s finished work.
Certain exhibitions may tackle sensitive themes, and the curator must take on certain considerations when working such exhibits. As Guy’s exhibitions are centred around the overarching theme of the Holocaust, it is important for her to ‘present materials with dignity’. This entails contextualising photos in the exhibition, giving the people in them names, and trying to present them with humanity. It is also crucial to create spaces ‘where people could sit and contemplate or share their experiences when an exhibition has particularly disturbing materials’. Kostikovaite remarks the curator must be aware of local issues and trends when working on exhibitions outside the location they usually work in. She says the curator should never overpower an artist’s voice and should deeply research the message the artist is relaying – particularly if they are a person of a different social background or experience than them. According to Kostikovaite, while curators are equal to the artist in any say about their exhibition, they are in a certain position of power. Just like Nick Waterlow, Kostikovaite believes the curator is the bridge between the artist and the viewer or between the viewer and the exhibit.
When asked to advise aspiring curators, DUPA recommended ‘to have a clearly defined style or subject matter that will help your audience understand the messages or ideas you are trying to communicate’, as well as to be ‘respectful of their vision while also putting your stamp on the collection’ when working on someone else’s exhibition. Guy believes a ‘good curator makes it possible for the full expression of an artist’s talents’. The curator, while helping the artist realise their vision, should not aim to overshadow or change the artist’s authentic voice.
The curator may be perceived as a background character, however, their role is undeniably central to the exhibition. From securing funding to setting up the ‘story’ of the event, the curator allows the artist to communicate their vision and message to the world. The curator is a storyteller, a producer, and most importantly, a link between the worlds of the creator and the viewer. They are a crucial piece of the puzzle that is an exhibition, collaborating with the artist from the very beginning to the end of the project, allowing them to present their art authentically while also adding a personal touch to the show.
WORDS: Agne Kniuraite
