1.What specific issues would guide you?
In today’s global art environment, which is based on a Euro-American cultural point of view, non-Western artists are subjected to the rules set by the Western world. Since it is the Euro-American art world that selects, legitimises, promotes and buys, non-Western artists are forced to ‘adapt’ to satisfy the preferences of a curatorial culture that seeks not only material gain, but also the prestige of following a legitimised paradigm.
2. Why are these issues so pressing?
Addressing Eurocentrism in the contemporary art world is equally challenging. Most exhibitions organised by Western institutions lie to non-Western artists. They rarely challenge the broader framework of Euro-American-centred contemporary art. In other words, the so-called “global” art market is not global at all; its centre of privilege is always the Western one.
3. How would you actively encourage change?
Curators can pursue their goal of organising a ‘global’ exhibition by positioning themselves as ‘agents of cultural exchange’. Curators should turn to experts outside their field of expertise and recognise their own limitations.
4. Who would you collaborate with to facilitate
Regional experts, who have a deeper understanding of the socio-economic and political context and the local language in which the work is produced, can broaden the artist’s sample base, and the critical exchange of dialogue with these consultants will add the necessary breadth to the overall project and allow for the emergence of a range of perspectives that will enable the curator to see the work a new in its geographic and cultural context
5. What would be your guiding principle?
Decolonization of Art History: Reexamine and reframe art history to incorporate stories and viewpoints that colonial and Eurocentric prejudices have left out or marginalised. This calls for a critical examination of art history and its organisations in order to identify and address historical imbalances and injustices.
References:
Reilly, M. (2019) Curatorial activism towards an ethics of curating / Maura Reilly ; foreword by Lucy R. Lippard. London: Thames & Hudson.
