Introduction to Curating

What is curatorial work and curatorial research/knowledge? This introductory course to curating addresses the origins of curatorial work in the context of the European museum institutions, and analyzes its development in the last fifty years, looking at both the practice and the impact of the curatorial role in the current configuration of the art field, both in the independent and institutional spheres. The course is taught in two modules, one dedicated to Curatorial Histories and the Curatorial Role, and another to Critical Perspectives in Curating, where I invite independent curators in Helsinki to discuss their trajectory and practice. In this iteration of the course, the guests were Giovanna Espósito Yussif and Orlan Ohtonen.

Half of the course is lecture-based, but an important part of the learning takes place through discussion. Several sessions are proposed as a workshop for debating the readings in smaller groups and supporting the production of students’ curatorial ideas. Assignments revolve around canonic texts on the matter, discussing students’ personal practice, and developing a curatorial essay on a hypothetical curatorial project or a critical view on current local exhibitions.

In connection to the course, I published ABC of curating, in Art Pro Finland, a project of Helsinki Art Academy and the Ministry of Culture dedicated to supporting emerging practitioners with information and guidelines related to career paths in the art field. The document operationalizes core concepts and processes involved in curatorial and art direction work addressed in the course, while making them adaptable to different scenarios and art forms.