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Regarding the venue for the exhibition, I have chosen spaces within the ECA as the optimal location. This choice allows my curatorial project to be in closer proximity to my peers, thereby preventing any diversion of audience. Upon surveying the exhibition spaces within ECA, I find that the ECA Cinema (Room HB_O.25) is a splendid choice. This 56-seat cinema boasts a projection capability of up to 4K and is equipped with Dolby 5.1 surround sound, making it an ideal space for film screenings. If the room is unavailable, I consider the ECA Lecture Theatre as a back up plan. In comparison to the cinema, it offers a larger capacity to accommodate more viewers, and its theater-style layout provides a more immersive cinematic experience for the audience.
ECA CinemaECA Lecture Theatre
Sourcing Artist’s Work
I actively focus on the films showcased in various small film festivals and competitions in China, particularly those that feature the works of young directors. These festivals serve as an important platform for emerging talents and non-professional filmmakers to showcase their skills and creativity to a wider audience, helping them gain exposure and potentially launch their careers.
There are some film festivals and competitions I am looking at:
Name: Yixin Shen 沈怡欣
Work: The Lives of Youngsters Living in China
Duration: 1 min | 46 seconds
Introduction: Inspired by Pietro Coppolecchia’s “Beats, Rhymes & Life of Amsterdam Youth Culture” which documented the lifestyle of the youngest generation in Amsterdam. From then on, I began to wonder how the cultural life of China’s youth will be different.
I chose this film based on its unique portrayal of the lives of contemporary Chinese youth, presented in a short time. The filmmaker skillfully conveys the collective memories of Chinese youth culture through fast-paced editing techniques, rendering it an ideal choice for the opening of an exhibition. Viewers are able to capture the essence of the exhibition right from the beginning through this film.
My curation plan revolves around the critical exploration of how microfilm reflects the current social issues in China. Through the lens of youth, I aim to capture the multifaceted aspects of Chinese society. By providing a platform for the voices and perspectives of the youth, my curation plan seeks to offer an authentic portrayal of the societal landscape in China.
Literature Review
Despite China’s significant economic development in recent decades, it has also faced various social issues that require urgent resolution. The younger generation in the new era holds hopeful aspirations for the future of the entire country, but at the same time, they also face uncertainties and anxieties about their own lives. In China, the gradual solidification of social classes has often ignored the voices and strengths of young people, emphasizing the urgent need to hear and value their perspectives. Furthermore, outside of China, western media “was replete with exotic political coatings confirming the western imagination of China rather than representing the real Chinese perspective.”(Pili, 2006)
“As video art was a new technology growing from former artistic practices…It is rooted in its medium and not only was the medium a liberated one from the canon of art, but it also liberated women-artists, people of color, and those interested in counter-cultural agendas who were able to grow, create, and work free of the oppression existing in the realm of fine arts limitations and institutions at the time.”(Kamla Thurtle, 2021, Curation of the Video Art Exhibition in the Museum)
“Since the emergence of online video sharing sites in China, foreign, underground or grassroots productions have become more accessible to consumers than ever before.”(Elaine Jing Zhao, 2013, The micro-movie wave in a globalising China: Adaptation, formalisation and commercialisation)
“In the creation of short films, directors should be anti-elitist. I hope to see those works that can really make people excited or angry and have realistic tension.” Lei Lei (FIRST Internation Film Festival Jury)
Based on these texts, micro-movies can be viewed as a medium that reflects the true face of society and amplifies the voices that are often ignored.
Although micro movies are a type of short or micro film, their purpose, duration, and mode of distribution are distinct. Micro movies emerged in Hong Kong in 2010 as a unique art form that has since grown in China. Short films, on the other hand, are typically created with artistic and narrative intentions, and are often screened at film festivals or distributed through traditional film channels. In contrast, micro movies are shorter in duration, usually lasting no more than 10 minutes, and are specifically designed to be shared online or through social media platforms. They often focus on capturing everyday life or conveying social messages in a concise and visually appealing manner.
Chinese artists making short films face several issues. One major concern is censorship and restrictions on content. The Chinese government maintains strict control over the media, including films, and short films that touch on sensitive topics or challenge the status quo may face censorship or even be banned. Furthermore, there are difficulties in reaching a wider audience. While micro films have gained popularity through online platforms, the competition is fierce, and it can be challenging for short films to gain widespread recognition beyond film festivals or specialized screenings. As a result, the launch of this exhibition aims to provide a platform for these artists where they can showcase their work without having to worry about censorship.
Artists and artwork
The filmmakers behind these works are all emerging artists, as opposed to established artists with international recognition. I am currently in the process of contacting these filmmakers to obtain permission and clarify copyright ownership of their films.
The following is a list of artworks that reflect various social issues existing in Chinese society:
Time is like some kind of jelly, Meiying Gan, 2021. This film explores the concept of lost time during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Please do not tell her, Yunxia Wang, 2021. The film focuses on the topic of children’s education.
Time disease, Baiyu Zhou, 2022. This film sheds light on the extreme pressure faced by Chinese students within the educational system.
The lives of youngsters living in China, Xinyi Shen, 2022 The film delves into the cultural lives of the younger generation in China, depicting their diverse living conditions.
Everything is Here, Xingchen Zhang, 2022. This film follows a young man’s journey back to his hometown, exploring the concept of “home” as a place that is always there yet remains elusive.
The moment the sleeper knows he is dreaming, Jiawen Wu, 2022. A video poem written for patients with sleep disorders due to work, this film delves into the reconciliation between bodily ethics and biological capital.
A town girl on the eve of the funeral, Linyuan Zhang, 2021.
This short film depicts a family in a small town dissuading a girl from attending a funeral due to feudal superstition.
Today, we had the opportunity to participate in a workshop with Embassy Gallery, from which I gained valuable insights, particularly in relation to my own curation project. My project is centered on the curation of films, and during the workshop, I observed that Embassy Gallery has organized numerous “movie nights”. As a result, I inquired with the Embassy team about their approach to managing the audience experience when curating video art or movies. They shared two methods with me. The first method involves looping the film on a large screen, allowing everyone to watch together. The second method entails providing individual screens and headphones for each viewer, enabling only one person to view the film at a time. Additionally, we engaged in discussions about how to facilitate pre- or post-screening conversations and how to effectively collect audience feedback. They admitted that it can be difficult to gather feedback, but they are open to exploring alternative methods.
Guidebook of a ‘movie night’
Reflection on an example of curating a film exhibition
“Regeneration,” the groundbreaking new exhibition at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, showcases never-before-seen films. Joshua White, JW Pictures / Academy Museum Foundation
“Regeneration: Black Cinema, 1898–1971” is a groundbreaking exhibition that sheds light on the contributions of Black artists to American filmmaking. Curators have thoughtfully organized and theorized curating films in a way that reflects the significance of Black cinema throughout history.
The curators hosted over 20 screenings of films in the exhibition, with the aim of facilitating meaningful conversations about the early years of Black cinema and its defiance of stereotypes and challenges during that era. In addition, the curator interviewed contemporary filmmakers in the curatorial process. This approach creates a dialogue between the past and the present, bridging the generations of Black artists and recognizing the enduring impact of their work.
Furthermore, the curators have extended the impact of the exhibition beyond the museum walls. Through collaboration with Los Angeles’ education department, they have developed a curriculum that delves into the rich history of Black cinematic artistry.
I draw valuable lessons from this exhibition, such as the importance of thoughtfully organizing the theme and artwork of an exhibition, engaging in meaningful conversations with filmmakers to facilitate a deeper understanding of the subject matter, and extending the impact of the exhibition through educational initiatives.
There are several film exhibitions and galleries from which I can gain valuable insights:
Curating an exhibition involves four stages: developing a theme, identifying relevant artists and artwork, installing the artwork, and opening to the public. Each stage of curation is crucial and interconnected, requiring curators to carefully coordinate the relationship between the artwork, the spaces, and the audience.
As an audience member, I rarely consider how and where artwork is placed. I simply move from one piece to another, following the carefully designed route of the exhibition created by the curators. However, as a curator, I must make decisions on how to best display various types of artwork in different gallery spaces.
During our visit to Talbot Rice Gallery today, we observed five distinct spaces with unique features. For instance, the lobby (Image 1) with its large windows and high ceiling provides an open and flexible space that can accommodate a large number of people and is suitable for showcasing large-scale installations. This is why Lara Favaretto’s Momentary Monument is exhibited here. However, it is also important to consider the issue of echo and the limitations of the lift, as they can impact the installation.
Image 1 Lobby
On the opposite side of Lara Favaretto’s exhibition, we encountered a completely different space (Image 2). In contrast to the previous room with abundant natural light, this room with classic columns relies more on artificial lighting, creating a more serious atmosphere. I believe that the more distinctive the style of the building, the more the curator needs to carefully consider the relationship between the environment and the artwork. The curator must search for artwork that fits well within the constraints of these columns, which cannot be moved or altered.
What impressed me the most was the upstairs area of this room, which featured two long and narrow corridors facing each other. The presence of pillars also served as a reminder for viewers to maintain an appropriate distance from the artwork. The one-way path allowed the audience to navigate without having to consider which direction to take, enabling them to fully focus on the artwork. I also believe that this space is well-suited for exhibiting a series of works, as it allows viewers to gain a comprehensive understanding of the artists’ concepts by viewing all the works in sequence.
Image 2
In addition to my thoughts on the appropriate placement of artworks within a spatial context, I would like to highlight the display of Qiu Zhijie’s work in this locale. In the wider context of contemporary art being shown in Edinburgh and Scotland, the inclusion of Qiu Zhijie as a Chinese artist whose works are showcased and esteemed in Edinburgh adds to the diverse and vibrant landscape of art exhibitions in the region. The thoughtful addition of English translations to his works facilitates comprehension for viewers. From my perspective, featuring artworks from artists of different nationalities in this setting provides audiences with diverse perspectives and enables them to gain insights into cultures from around the world through the medium of art.
Qiu Zhijie, The Art of War, 2022, ink on paper scroll. Detail. View under UV light. Courtesy the artist and Talbot Rice Gallery
These art organizations have different commitments and working contexts:
Creative Time:
Commitment: Universal Human Rights + Free Expression.
Working Context: A global community, partnering with various cultural institutions and community groups, engaging broad audiences across geographic, racial, and socioeconomic barriers.
Artangel:
Commitment: Responding to the environment in which we live.
Working Context: Operating in the UK and beyond, exploring unconventional and challenging locations, maintaining an archive in the UK, and holding international open calls.
Camelon Arts:
Commitment: Increasing inclusion and participation, nurturing talent, and developing civic pride.
Working Context: Focused on a town-wide community arts project in Camelon and Tamfourhill, Falkirk, exploring local history, accessibility of the canal and surrounding areas, and environmental public art.
Jupiter Artland:
Commitment: Believing that art is for everyone, engaging with every child in Scotland through free school visits.
Working Context: Located in Scotland, operating as a contemporary sculpture garden, offering free school visits for children throughout the year.
Values, Vision and Aims of my curating project
As articulated by Paul O’Neill in “The Curatorial Turn: From Practice to Discourse,” the elevation of the curator’s status has led to a growing recognition of the value of curation as an artistic practice. In this sense, the curator can be viewed as a meta/artist, and exhibitions can be considered as artworks. Simultaneously, as noted by Mary Jane Jacob in “An Unfashionable Audience” there has been a shift in the perception of curatorial value, with the audience now occupying a central position in art production, resulting in the emergence of ‘public art’.
With the introduction of new public art, I aim to create an exhibition that embodies a social issue or makes a political statement, hoping to inspire change through its presence in a public setting. This is why I am particularly interested in focusing on video art for my exhibition.
“Video was distant from art histories, discourse, tradition, and, therefore, restrictions. It is rooted in its medium and not only was the medium a liberated one from the canon of art, but it also liberated women-artists, people of color, and those interested in counter-cultural agendas who were able to grow, create, and work free of the oppression existing in the realm of fine arts limitations and institutions at the time. ” (Kamla Thurtle. Curation of the Video Art Exhibition in the Museum, 2021.)
So that leads to the values, visions and aims of my curating plan:
What are my values?
Platforming marginalized voices and perspectives.
Encouraging critical thinking and reflection on social issues via video art, or film.
What might my vision be?
To provide a platform for emerging artists to showcase their work and voice their perspectives.
To spark conversation and reflection on the social issue through the medium of video.
What are my ethics when working with others, and how might I put this into practice?
Respectful and transparent communication with artists and owners of the films.
Giving credit and recognition to the artists and their work.
Ensuring the safety and well-being of all participants involved in the project.
What context might I want to work in?
A public space where diverse audiences can engage with the artworks and ideas presented.
What relationship might I want with audiences?
Creating a space for dialogue and discussion.
Encouraging critical thinking and reflection on social issues.
Providing resources and educational materials to enhance audience understanding of the artworks.
What artists might I want to work with?
Emerging artists and students.
Artists who address social and political issues in their work.
What thematics might I want to look at, if any?
who does micro-movies as a language to express voices and thoughts
Social issues.
Young people’s perspectives on society.
What form might my curatorial project take?
A microfilm exhibition showcasing a range of emerging artists.
A panel discussion or artist talk to deepen the audience’s understanding of the works presented.
Educational resources to enhance audience engagement with the artworks and ideas presented.
REFERENCES
The Curatorial Turn: From Practice to Discourse by Paul O’Neill (pp.13-24）
Unfashionable Audiences, Mary Anne Jacob in Mapping the Terrain: New Genre Public Art Ed. Suzanne Lacy (pp.50-59)
Kamla Thurtle. Curation of the Video Art Exhibition in the Museum, 2021.
Contemporary:
“Broken globalization marked by the crises of late capitalism. “(from course slide) Contemporary curating also encompasses the concept of practice-led research, which views creative work as a form of research in itself.
Critically:
‘Criticality’ seems to suggest a willingness to challenge consensus, and introduce new questions. It involves a process of unraveling existing frameworks and perspectives and engaging with uncertainty in order to truly learn and generate new insights.
Care:
“care” refers to the concept of caregiving, nurturing, and sustaining social bonds through activities related to social reproduction. As an alternative ethical framework to neo-liberalism, care can be a transformative force in addressing the crises created by the existing capitalist order.
Reflection on reading resources Thea, Carolee. On Curating: Interviews with Ten International Curators : By Carolee Thea. Interview 2006: Roselee Goldberg
This interview with Roselee Goldberg in 2006 discussed the topic of inserting performance back into the history of art. Goldberg raises thought-provoking questions about how performance, as an early stage of artwork creation, has shaped 20th-century art, yet is often undervalued and under-discussed. Additionally, Goldberg highlights the interdisciplinary nature of performance art and shares efforts to encourage more artists to explore and incorporate performance in their work. The interview also touches on the topic of reconstructing history through art, citing Marina Abramovic’s Seven Easy Pieces, which restages various 70s works in a critical sense to create something entirely new.
A key content I would like to highlight from the interview was Marina Abramovic’s Seven Easy Pieces, which advocated for change through the creation of new forms, collapsing the formal aspects of painting and sculpture, and blurring the boundaries between disciplines. I think this can be seen as a trend in contemporary artwork.
Seven Easy Pieces, Marina Abramovic, 2005
The interview resonates with me because of the mention of performance-related video art, such as Issac Julien’s True North Series (2004), BJØRN MELHUS’ films, and Joan Jonas’s work. It brings to my attention the emerging trend of exhibiting video works that combine performance and video/film. This prompts me to reflect on the ways in which artists blend performance and video art, and the unique contributions that performance brings to the realm of video art.
True North, ISAAC JULIEN, 2007Joan Jonas. Performance. “Out Takes. What The Storm Washed In”
‘Major’ and ‘Minor’
Major curating – Talbot Rice Gallery
Lara Favaretto, ‘Momentary Monument – The Library’, 2022. Installation view.Qiu Zhijie, Installation view, 2022. Courtesy of the artist and Talbot Rice GalleryNira Pereg, 2015, Ishmael
Major curating often involves larger exhibitions or collections at prestigious institutions with broader themes, artists, or movements, receiving significant attention from the art world, media, and public. For example, Talbot Rice Gallery’s exhibition on the concept of monuments featured three artists from different countries, offering unique perspectives based on their cultural backgrounds. This kind of exhibition also requires substantial budgets, resources, research, conservation, and marketing efforts.
Although we didn’t find examples of minor curating in Edinburgh, our peers shared their perspectives in class. Compare to major curating, minor curating may involve exhibitions or collections with a narrower focus, featuring lesser-known artists or themes, hosted in smaller galleries, community spaces, or online platforms. It may focus on emerging artists and unconventional themes. Minor curating may have a localized impact, catering to specific audiences or communities.
REFERENCES
Practice-led Research, Research-led Practice in the Creative Arts, edited by Hazel Smith, and Roger T. Dean, EdinburghUniversity Press, 2009. ProQuest EbookCentral, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/unsw/detail.action?docID=475756.
Thea, Carolee. On Curating: Interviews with Ten International Curators : By Carolee Thea.
