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Hanyun Xue / Curating (2024-2025)[SEM2]

🎡 W9 (2) – Speed Curating at CAT × CAP: Conversations that Sparked Something Real

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On 16 March 2025

In Uncategorised

Hi everyone,


This week I participated in a special joint event between CAT (Contemporary Art Theory) and CAP (Contemporary Art Practice) students. We met not on Teams, but face-to-face in the West Court, and I have to say—it was more inspiring than I imagined.

The format was based on Speed Curating, a method adapted from the UK Arts Council. CAP students introduced their art practices in quick 2-minute bursts, while us CAT students shared five key curatorial interests. It was fast, a little chaotic, but filled with energy and curiosity.

🎨 Meeting Artists, Meeting Possibilities

As a CAT student working on my Fluid Curating project, this event was a goldmine. I heard so many artist presentations that aligned with what I’ve been thinking about—audience interaction, sensory engagement, performative gestures, and curating as a living process.

Some CAP students showed deeply personal work about memory, others presented interactive installations. I had some great chats about how audiences can intervene, not just observe; how we might co-create exhibitions where the boundaries between artist, curator, and viewer start to dissolve.

✨ My Five Curatorial Keywords

To help introduce my ideas during the event, I shared five key themes that define my practice. I’ll share them here too:

  1. Decentralised Curation
    I want to challenge top-down models. Can the audience’s decisions, movements, and emotions shape the exhibition just as much as the curators’?

  2. Audience Intervention
    I’m interested in how viewers might not just observe, but alter—touching, rearranging, or reshaping the work as part of the exhibition itself.

  3. Co-Creation
    Rather than presenting finished works, I want to collaborate with artists to create open structures where outcomes remain fluid and evolving.

  4. Curation as Process
    I see curating as something unfolding in time. Not a fixed result, but a process that’s shaped by those who enter the space and what they bring.

  5. Shifting Curatorial Authority
    What happens when curators give up control, and artists invite intervention? Can letting go create something more alive, more real?

These ideas became beautiful conversation starters. Some CAP students lit up when I described exhibitions as perception practice fields, or when I said, “What if we don’t design the message, but design a mood and let the rest happen?”

One of the artists, Sixia Chen, shared a tree with us—though not just any tree. This one was an installation made of welded steel branches, fuzzy pink yarn, and sparkling hanging ornaments. Right in the center stood a solid metal trunk, something she built herself.
She said it represents those immovable forces in our world—systems, structures, or maybe even fate. But what caught my attention were the branches. Around the steel frame, she invited us to add colorful bendable sticks (they had wires inside, so we could twist them into shapes).
People made spirals, loops, even strange little symbols. This wasn’t just decoration. She called it “an editable tree.”

And honestly, I loved that phrase.

The idea behind it was so powerful. Sure, the trunk—the core—is fixed. But everything around it? Open to change.
It’s a metaphor for participation within structure, for how individuals can intervene, re-shape, and re-narrate even within rigid systems. It reminded me so much of what I’m trying to do with Fluid Curating. Not to destroy the framework of exhibitions, but to invite others into it. To say, “Come, add your branch.” The editable tree became, in that moment, a perfect symbol of co-creation. It was poetic, but also quietly radical.

I walked away thinking: maybe my own curatorial space could offer this same gesture. A framework that’s solid, but soft around the edges. A space where people don’t just observe, but gently re-edit what’s there.

Another work that really stuck with me came from artist Xudong Jia. He showed us a digital interactive piece—on screen, it looked like pink flowers exploding outward, or maybe colorful ink swirling in water. It was beautiful at first glance, almost hypnotic.
Then he told us the title: The Evil Flower.

The screen was equipped with facial recognition. Every time someone approached, the image would shift. The flower would grow bigger, darker, more aggressive.
Jia explained that the piece was about the butterfly effect, about online violence—how no single snowflake in an avalanche is innocent. The more people watched, the more the flower “blamed” them.

It hit me hard. The interactivity wasn’t playful, it was accusatory. You weren’t in control of the work—it was confronting you. That twist in perspective really stayed with me. It wasn’t interaction for interaction’s sake; it was interaction as responsibility.
I kept thinking about how this could fit into my own idea of Fluid Curating—where audience behavior doesn’t just “complete” the exhibition, it actually shapes its emotional direction. What if interactivity could be unsettling? What if being seen by the artwork is part of the artwork?

This piece challenged me. And that’s exactly what I want my exhibitions to do.

🧠 Reflections and Next Steps

This session wasn’t just useful—it was moving. I left with several artists I’d love to follow up with. Some of them are exploring clay as a soft resistance. Others are working with sound, text, or ephemeral materials.
I can already imagine co-curating something gentle, open, and audience-responsive together.

In the next few weeks, I’ll be deepening my readings on participatory art and affective curating. I’ve already started noting quotes from Curating and the Educational Turn that feel like they’re speaking directly to what I’m trying to do:

“They seem to seek not the masterful production of expertise… but the co-production of question, ambiguity and enquiry.” (O’Neill and Wilson, 2013)

Yes. That’s exactly it.

This was more than a networking session. It was a seed-planting moment. And I’m already looking forward to what might grow.

W8-Tracing Emotion Through Space: Three Galleries, One Heart-My Field Notes from Glasgow

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On 11 March 2025

In Uncategorised

🌙 Tracing Emotion Through Space: Three Galleries, One Heart
— My Field Notes from Glasgow

When I first set out for Glasgow, I didn’t think too much. I just felt it was always worth going to see some exhibitions. But I didn’t expect that this one-day journey would leave behind so many subtle ripples inside me.

🏛 First Stop: Hunterian

It looked like the kind of museum I had always imagined—rows of neatly aligned display cases, carefully controlled lighting, and spaces so clean they resembled laboratories.
The exhibition itself was powerful, dealing with colonial medicine, bodily control, and scientific violence. I stood in front of a wax anatomical model, and suddenly I realized: this wasn’t just about “presenting knowledge” it was also a kind of violence of being observed.

I began to ask myself: as curators, when we reconstruct these histories, is there a risk that we unknowingly repeat this gaze?

Thoughts of my own curatorial project floated into my mind. If I want to tell a story about the body and memory, how should I wrap that pain? With cold light? With silence? The rationality of Hunterian made me want to rebel.

That evening, I looked up several books and tried to process the confusion I felt. In Labour and Monopoly Capital, Harry Braverman’s analysis of Fordist labor made me wonder—does exhibition design also contain a form of knowledge division and a discipline of vision? Burton Benedict’s The Anthropology of World’s Fairs opened my eyes to how spatial atmospheres shape collective psychology, affecting how we read an object.

And then there was Propaganda and Empire by John M. MacKenzie. He reminds us that exhibitions don’t just present history, they actively construct it. That struck me deeply: if I want to explore bodies and power in my project, then form itself can never be neutral.

✨ Second Stop: Tramway

The moment I entered Tramway, I knew I’d remember it for a long time.

There was no prominent signage at the entrance, but inside, the gallery unfolded like a giant dream. Maud Sulter’s You are my kindred spirit quietly lived in this space. Semi-transparent curtains drifted softly, and images emerged from behind fabric—making me slow down, as if walking through someone’s family memories.
Photos, videos, and sound fragments wove together overlapping identities of mother, daughter, and Black female poet.

What stayed with me the most was the lighting—so beautifully handled. Some artworks were rimmed with a warm glow, like the sun casting slanted rays onto old curtains at dusk. It didn’t just illuminate, it narrated. Sometimes it felt like a secret being gently lit, sometimes like longing softly crying in the corner.

There was also a “circular reading room” in the space—books, headphones, stools, a projection—arranged like a soft corner of a home. I sat there reading Sulter’s family photo albums and poetry, and suddenly I understood: an exhibition doesn’t always have to display—it can accompany.

That night I opened Nicolas Bourriaud’s Relational Aesthetics, where he describes exhibitions as spaces of encounter. I felt so much resonance. And in Hawkins’ writing on the AIDS Memorial Quilt, I saw curating not only as a practice of structure, but as an act of social empathy.

I began to reimagine my own project Fluid Curating—could I also create a “non-exhibition corner”? A place where visitors stop reading labels, and instead pause to listen, to smell, to look at an old photo—and find their own relationship to the work?

🎬 Third Stop: GoMA

Our last stop was GoMA, where we saw John Akomfrah’s Mimesis: African Soldier. Three giant screens surrounded us, black and white war footage, slow-motion water washing over old photographs, and single-word subtitles like disenchantment and mourning, no narration, just music and fragments of visual poetry.

For a moment, I felt a bit lost. But I was completely drawn in. I remember one scene: soldiers dancing in uniform on muddy ground, music sorrowful and beautiful. I thought, maybe they were trying to reclaim their dignity as human beings in the midst of war.

I recalled Okwui Enwezor’s curatorial concept in Documenta 11, where he emphasized decentering the Western gaze and using exhibitions to address global trauma. Akomfrah’s work felt like a silent cry, a voice for lives swallowed by history. Other curatorial examples, like Red Shift or Treno, reminded me how art can be a stage for the silenced.

One line from the AIDS Memorial Quilt struck me: its center is wherever you find it. That made me realize—not every exhibition needs a clear narrative. Sometimes, scattered memories, flowing gazes, and overlapping emotions feel more true to how we actually experience life.

I started thinking seriously about non-linear structures in curating. Maybe what I need is not a “linear exhibition path,” but a kind of curatorial weaving. Not a script, but a net.

Mimesis: African Soldier — V21 Artspace | Interactive 3D Exhibition ...

🎒 What I’ve Learned Isn’t Just Curating

As the day ended, I sat on the train back to Edinburgh with a phone full of photos and audio clips. I realized I wasn’t just viewing the exhibitions, they were seeing through me. They pierced through my obsession with “explaining everything,” and slowly opened up a new awareness: exhibitions can also be felt.

I don’t want to be a curator who only explains. I want to be someone who speaks through emotion: who creates a space where viewers can find their own moments of resonance between light and shadow, between sound and silence.

📚 Further Reading

Benedict, Burton. “The Anthropology of World’s Fairs: San Francisco’s Panama Pacific International Exposition of 1915.” Visual Anthropology, vol. 3, no. 1–2, 1990, pp. 17–34.

Bourriaud, Nicolas. Relational Aesthetics. Dijon: Les presses du réel, 2002.

Braverman, Harry. Labour and Monopoly Capital: The Degradation of Work in the Twentieth Century. New York: Monthly Review Press, 1974.

Enwezor, Okwui. “The Black Box.” In Documenta 11_Platform 5: Exhibition Catalogue, edited by Ute Meta Bauer, 43–55. Ostfildern-Ruit: Hatje Cantz, 2002.

Greenberg, Reesa, Bruce W. Ferguson, and Sandy Nairne, eds. Thinking about Exhibitions. London: Routledge, 1996.

Hawkins, Peter S. “Naming Names: The Art of Memory and the NAMES Project AIDS Quilt.” Critical Inquiry 19, no. 4 (1993): 752–779.

MacKenzie, John M. Propaganda and Empire: The Manipulation of British Public Opinion, 1880–1960. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1984.

Wilson, Fred. “Mining the Museum.” In Fred Wilson: A Critical Reader, edited by Doro Globus, 38–49. London: Ridinghouse, 2011.

W7-Reflections on CORPSE FLOWER & New Directions for Fluid Curating 🌿🔍

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On 4 March 2025

In Uncategorised

This week, I visited CORPSE FLOWER, an exhibition curated by MA Contemporary Art Practice students at Inverleith House, Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh. The show examined the delicate balance between fragility and resilience in plant ecosystems, mirroring the fleeting bloom of the Titan Arum (the “Corpse Flower”)—which flowers for just a day before decaying. 🌺💫

This exhibition deeply resonated with me, not just for its ecological themes but for the way it embraced temporality, audience engagement, and archival thinking—all of which directly relate to my Fluid Curating project. This blog will reflect on key aspects of the exhibition and how they inform my curatorial framework.

🌱 Experiencing CORPSE FLOWER: A Meditation on Impermanence

As I walked through the exhibition, I was struck by how each work invited contemplation of the life cycles of nature, the passage of time, and the act of preservation. The curators used the spatial setting of the Royal Botanic Gardens effectively, situating art within an environment where organic life itself is in a constant state of change.

Curatorial Highlights That Stood Out:

Interactive Art & Audience Participation: Touch-Responsive Installation

One installation featured a digital projection of Mimosa Pudica (sensitive plants) that reacted to touch, folding its leaves when engaged.

The instructions guided visitors to interact carefully, mimicking the natural responses of living plants.

This created a haptic, embodied experience that was both scientific and poetic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interactive video：Touch-Responsive Installation

🔍 Relevance to Fluid Curating:

This installation demonstrated how simple, intuitive interactions can create a sense of immersion and engagement—something I aim to integrate into my AI-driven curatorial interfaces.

The delicate balance between control and unpredictability in the piece (the plant reacts in real-time, but only within predetermined parameters) reflects my challenge in Fluid Curating:

    • How much agency should an audience have in shaping an exhibition?
    • Where does the curator’s role shift from author to facilitator?
    • Could AI-generated curatorial statements behave like these plants—reacting, adapting, yet following certain structural constraints?

Archival Curation: Layla Knox’s “Rounding Up the Aliens” (2025)

This mixed-media installation reinterpreted Ida Margaret Hayward’s herbarium, a historical collection documenting non-native plant species in the UK.

The artist used vintage textiles, lace, and wool to reconstruct botanical forms, evoking themes of colonial botany, migration, and ecological displacement.

A poem from Hayward’s 1918 scrapbook was displayed, reinforcing the interplay between personal memory, scientific taxonomy, and artistic interpretation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

🔍 Relevance to Fluid Curating:

This piece prompted me to reconsider how curatorial practice can function as an evolving archive. Much like how Hayward’s herbarium was continually expanded, my project envisions an exhibition that accumulates audience contributions over time, rather than being fixed.

Additionally, the use of alternative materials to represent botanical specimens aligns with the way I want to explore the intersection of digital and physical archives—how do digital objects (such as NFTs) function as archival markers of artistic practice?

Bridging These Insights with My Curatorial Approach

The exhibition left me reflecting on how natural systems provide a compelling model for digital, decentralized curation. Some key takeaways for my project:

1. The Archive as a Growing Organism

  • Hayward’s herbarium was a dynamic archival practice—it documented, categorized, and evolved.
  • This is precisely what blockchain technology enables in Fluid Curating: an exhibition that records curatorial decisions over time, allowing for an expanding, decentralized archive.
  • I plan to further explore “Living Archives” (Färber, 2007) and how new media artists are using dynamic data-driven archives to rethink preservation and authorship.

2. Intuitive, Tactile Participation in Digital Curating

  • The touch-responsive plants in CORPSE FLOWER reminded me that interactivity should feel natural and rewarding.
  • Instead of making audience engagement a purely gamified voting process, I want to design AI-curated elements that respond meaningfully to audience actions—perhaps an exhibition layout that shifts in real time based on interaction metrics.
  • Exploring Claire Bishop’s (2012) work on participatory art can help clarify the power dynamics at play in audience-driven curation.

3. Temporality as a Curatorial Strategy

  • The Corpse Flower’s one-day bloom and the fleeting nature of the exhibition resonated with digital culture—where NFTs, algorithmic art, and blockchain transactions create moments of scarcity and ephemerality.
  • How might I introduce time-sensitive elements into my exhibition? Could digital works evolve, decay, or disappear over time based on market trends or audience interactions?
  • I plan to research Hito Steyerl’s (2017) writings on the “duty-free art” economy—how digital art exists in flux, between presence and absence.

 Next Steps: Integrating These Learnings into Fluid Curating

1. Refining the “Living Archive” Framework

Reviewing case studies of AI-driven curation, particularly in NFT and digital museum settings.
Mapping how blockchain could structure a decentralized exhibition history—should audience votes be permanent, or should the system allow for reversible decisions?

2. Experimenting with Interaction & Participation

Developing an interface that reacts dynamically—perhaps using algorithmic clustering to visualize shifting audience preferences over time.
Researching the balance between curator-led vision and decentralized audience influence.

3. Implementing Temporality & Scarcity into the Exhibition Model

Exploring whether certain exhibition phases could be time-sensitive, requiring participation within specific windows.
Investigating how NFTs could function as time-based contracts, altering their appearance or metadata as the exhibition progresses.

 Final Reflections: Curating as an Evolving Ecosystem

Experiencing CORPSE FLOWER reinforced my belief that curating should be an ongoing, adaptive process rather than a static event. The show’s reflection on impermanence, ecological cycles, and audience interaction pushed me to think deeper about how my own exhibition should:

Evolve dynamically over time—shaped by audiences, AI, and external forces.
Encourage intuitive participation—making audience engagement feel organic rather than imposed.
Challenge the limits of authorship—exploring how power, control, and decision-making shift in decentralized curatorial models.

Fluid Curating is becoming clearer in my mind—not just as an exhibition format, but as a way of rethinking how art is displayed, archived, and experienced in an ever-changing digital world. 🌊💡

📚 References & Further Reading

  1. Bishop, Claire. Artificial Hells: Participatory Art and the Politics of Spectatorship. Verso, 2012.
  2. Färber, Alexa. Exhibition Experiments. Blackwell, 2007.
  3. Martinon, Jean-Paul. The Curatorial: A Philosophy of Curating. Bloomsbury, 2013.
  4. Rugg, Judith & Sedgwick, Michele. Issues in Curating Contemporary Art and Performance. Intellect, 2007.
  5. Steyerl, Hito. Duty-Free Art: Art in the Age of Planetary Civil War. Verso, 2017.

 

💬 What do you think about shifting authorship in curation? Should exhibitions be fixed, or fluid? Let’s discuss in the comments! 💭

W5&W6-Reflecting on My Curatorial Presentation & Next Steps 🚀

By

On 4 March 2025

In Uncategorised

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of ideas, refining concepts, and pushing my curatorial project, “Fluid Curating: Experimenting with Decentralized Art Ecologies and Archiving,” further. Last week, I finally presented my work to my peers and tutors, and it was a moment of clarity—exciting, challenging, and full of insights.

In this blog, I want to take a step back and reflect on what I presented, the feedback I received, and what’s next as I shape this project into something tangible.

🎤 Presenting “Fluid Curating”

My presentation centered on the idea that traditional exhibitions are too static—curators decide everything in advance, and audiences passively consume what’s on display. But what if exhibitions were fluid? What if they could evolve based on audience interaction, real-time AI insights, and blockchain participation?

💡 The core of Fluid Curating is:
✅ Decentralized decision-making – Artists, audiences, and algorithms all contribute.
✅ Dynamic exhibitions – Layouts, text, and artworks shift in real-time.
✅ Transparent archiving – Every change is recorded on the blockchain, creating an evolving, living archive.

A big question I posed in my presentation was:

“If an exhibition is always changing, how do we keep it conceptually coherent?”

This made me rethink the role of curatorial anchors—fixed thematic points that structure the exhibition, even as other elements change. Using AI-driven thematic mapping could be one way to ensure coherence while allowing flexibility.

📣 Feedback & Key Insights

Getting feedback from my peers and tutors was incredibly valuable. They challenged me to refine my approach, think about real-world implementation, and sharpen my project’s focus.

1️⃣ Could “Fluid Curating” work as a hybrid online-offline model?

💡 Insight: Instead of just being a physical exhibition, could there be a digital platform where people interact with the curation remotely?

📌 Next Steps:
✔ Look into NFT exhibitions like MOCA Amsterdam 2023 for hybrid models.

2️⃣ Who controls the curatorial decisions?

💡 Insight: If everything is audience-driven, does the curator still have a role? Some feedback suggested that full decentralization might weaken curatorial structure.

📌 Next Steps:
✔ Research other exhibitions that balance participatory curation with curatorial guidance.

3️⃣ How does the tech actually work?

💡 Insight: My project relies on interactive screens, AI-generated text, and blockchain voting—but how will people engage with these tools? The feedback highlighted the need for clearer descriptions of how the audience physically interacts with the exhibition.

📌 Next Steps:
✔ Identify the exact tech requirements (touchscreens, projection mapping, AR integration).
✔ Study existing interactive exhibition interfaces for reference.

4️⃣ Making the presentation more visual

💡 Insight: The feedback suggested adding more sketches, diagrams, and visual prototypes to help people understand how Fluid Curating functions in real time.

📌 Next Steps:
✔ Design mockups of the exhibition space showing audience interaction.
✔ Create data visualizations that illustrate how AI and blockchain influence the curation process.

🏛️ Fact Liverpool: Bringing the Project to a Real Space

One major takeaway from the feedback was the importance of site-specific testing. Since I’m considering FACT Liverpool as the exhibition venue, I need to visit and evaluate:

✅ Can their digital infrastructure support interactive tech?
✅ How does their audience engage with new media exhibitions?
✅ Is their space flexible enough for a constantly evolving exhibition model?

📌 Next Steps:
✔ Plan a site visit to FACT Liverpool and assess feasibility.
✔ Look at previous interactive exhibitions hosted at FACT for inspiration.

W4-11:11 | The Curatorial Lucky Signal ✨

By

On 9 February 2025

In Uncategorised

💡 This week’s key words: Co-creation, decentralization, curatorial responsibility

🌱 Curatorial team Progress: lucky number 11:11

This week, our curatorial group finally has an official name—11:11 ✨! The inspiration for this name came from one of my personal quirks—I always see 11:11 as a lucky moment. When I realized that our group had exactly 11 members, the name just felt right!
Why 11:11?
In the occult, 11:11 is known as an angelic number, symbolizing good luck, inspiration, and guidance.
The name reflects our vision for curating—we want to create an open, positive, and collaborative atmosphere, where everyone’s ideas can shine and contribute to something greater.
Curating is not just about exhibitions, it is about co-creation between people, and our group itself is an experimental space for collective growth.
My friend Yiran Gu and I both felt it was a great idea, so we brought it up to the group! 🎉
In addition, I helped further refine the group’s Mission Statement, which I proposed:
“Curating for the Future”
Curation is responsibility. From material selection to energy consumption, we integrate Sustainability into our curatorial practices, ensuring that our exhibitions are not only conceptually forward-looking, but also operationally consistent with environmental justice principles.

🚀 Personal curatorial project progress:

In terms of personal curatorial projects, I continue the vision of last week and continue to promote the research of Decentralized Curation. The focus of this week is to make my curatorial ideas more specific, gradually from concept to practice! 💡
🔍 What’s Next?
1️⃣ Deepen research on curatorial models based on blockchain
This week’s reading of Rugg & Sedgwick’s (2007) Issues in Curating Contemporary Art and Performance, which explores how curatorial power structures affect audience experience, got me thinking further:
Does decentralized curation really empower the audience, or is it just a “democratizing” strategy for curators?
At the same time, I’m looking at the case of the Zien Foundation, which uses the NFT to let the audience vote directly on the content of the exhibition, rather than the curators alone. This model is enlightening, but it also makes me wonder if “co-curating” is really fair. Or will it be dominated by economic capital?
2️⃣ Outline the exhibition layout & interactive tools
This week, I started thinking about how to make the audience really become part of the exhibition.
How can technology improve interaction? I studied Refik Anadol’s AI-generated curatorial experiment and wondered if AI could be a “digital curator” to help visitors generate a personalized exhibition experience.
How does NFT fit into the exhibition? I hope that every decision of the exhibition can be recorded on the blockchain, forming a “Living Archive”, so that curation is no longer static, but a process of continuous evolution.

🖼 Exhibition visit: Glasgow Kendall Koppe Gallery

This week I went to Glasgow to see The sun and the sun’s reflection at Kendall Koppe Gallery.
Rather than the exhibition itself, I am more interested in how it presents time, memory and longing. The exhibition raises an intriguing question:
Is memory a comfort or a constraint?
Is our obsession with the past an attempt to find ourselves, or an escape from reality?
The exhibition made me think about the other side of Archival Curation – curation is often the reproduction of history and memory, but if we have been immersed in memories, will we miss new possibilities? It also made me reflect:
Can my concept of “fluid curation” make the exhibition free from the “burden of the past” and become a space that is always evolving? 🤯

📌 Key Focus for Next Week

1.Continue to deepen the research on decentralized curation, especially the interactive model co-created by NFT and the audience.
2.Design interactive aspects of the exhibition, such as allowing the audience to vote on the content of the exhibition.
3.Explore the role of AI in curating and test the curatorial relationship between curator, audience and AI.

Bibliography

  1. Rosen, Aaron. 2021. “The Impact of NFTs on the Art Market: A Decentralized Approach.” Art Market Journal 15 (2): 45–58.
  2. Smith, John, and Emily Johnson. 2022. “Decentralized Curation: How Blockchain is Transforming Art Exhibitions.” Journal of Digital Art Economies 4 (1): 29–52.
  3. Thompson, Sarah. 2023. “NFTs and the Democratization of Art Ownership.” Cultural Policy Review 12 (3): 112–117.
  4. Williams, Mark, and Laura Stevens. 2024. “Challenges and Opportunities in Decentralized Art Curation.” On Curating 56: 78–95.
  5. Brown, David. 2025. “Top Auction Houses Courted the Crypto Crew — Is It Enough to Save Them?” Financial Times, January 22, 2025.
cover

W3-Rethinking My Curatorial Project: From Symbolic Power to Decentralized Ecologies

By

On 3 February 2025

In Uncategorised

🎨 Introduction: A Shift in Perspective

 

Over the past week, my curatorial approach has gone through a major transformation. Initially, my project was an extension of last semester’s research, focusing on value construction and symbolic power in the art market 🎭, particularly how auctions shape the perception of cultural value. This was a familiar territory for me, something I had explored during my time at Sotheby’s.

But after diving into this week’s readings 📚—especially on archival studies, decentralization, and participatory curation—I started to realize: my curatorial approach could be bolder, more open, and more experimental.

I found myself increasingly drawn to decentralized curation and the NFT market 🔗💡—especially how they challenge the traditional role of curators and redefine audience participation. This realization pushed me out of my comfort zone , but it also led me to a more dynamic, experimental direction that better connects with my background in the art market. So, I decided to shift my curatorial framework and develop “Fluid Curating: Experimenting with Decentralized Art Ecologies and Archiving” .

 

 

💡 What Changed My Thinking?

Throughout my readings, a few key texts and ideas significantly influenced my thought process:

1️⃣ Curation is a Dynamic Process, Not a Static Product

Reading The Curatorial: A Philosophy of Curating by Jean-Paul Martinon (2013) really struck a chord with me. I was particularly drawn to his idea that curating is not just about putting works of art together, but a constantly changing, continuous process of generation. This got me thinking, why can’t the exhibition be more “fluid”? Could it be a space shaped by multiple forces, rather than a framework decided unilaterally by the curators? 🤔

2️⃣ Curation as a “Living Archive” Instead of a Static Record

In Living Archives (Färber, 2007), I saw a new way of curating – that archives could not only be static records but also evolving active ecology. It dawned on me that curation could actually become an open “archival system” in which audiences, artists, and even AI could contribute to its evolution.🏛️➡️💻

3️⃣ NFTs and the Decentralization of Curatorial Power

I used to think of NFTs mainly as digital collectibles, but after reading Issues in Curating Contemporary Art and Performance (Rugg & Sedgwick, 2007), I began to think: Can NFT be a curatorial tool? If the way artworks are displayed can be recorded via blockchain, then the exhibition itself becomes a transparent, traceable process, giving the audience greater decision-making power.🤯

4️⃣ The Potential of AI in Curating

Refik Anadol’s work and Algorithmic Curation (Golding, 2011) made me rethink AI’s role in exhibitions. AI can analyze market trends, generate curatorial texts, recommend artworks, and even predict future artistic movements 🔮. What does that mean for curators? Could AI become a co-curator rather than just a tool?

 

“Fluid Curation” : My new curatorial concept

“Curating on the Move: Experiments and Archives in Decentralized Art Ecology” is an experiment in future curatorial approaches. This project combines the NFT art market, AI curatorial models and audience co-curation to create an exhibition model that is not restricted by traditional institutions. Its key features include:
🔹 Living archival curation
Every curatorial decision will be recorded on the blockchain, resulting in an open and transparent curatorial history.
The exhibition will not be fixed, but will evolve with the contributions of the artist and the audience.
🔹 Audience as co-curators
Viewers can vote on which works are shown or removed.
Interactive installations allow visitors to generate curatorial texts either on-site or online.
🔹 AI combined with NFT market
AI analyzes NFT market trends and predicts future art genres.
Exhibition works circulate directly on the NFT market, making the exhibition not only a display space, but also a trading space.
🔹 Experimental market curation
Viewers and collectors can trade art directly through smart contracts.
Set up a real-time bidding system to test how the market influences curatorial decisions.

 

🚀 Next Steps: Making This Vision a Reality

🔍 What’s next?

1️⃣ Deepening my research on blockchain-based curatorial models to refine the decentralization aspects.

2️⃣ Sketching out exhibition layouts and interactive tools to create an immersive experience.(leveraging technology partnerships for implementation 🤝💡)

3️⃣ Sharing my ideas in group discussions to explore potential challenges and refine my approach.

 

✨ Final Thoughts:

The process of writing this blog has made me more clear about my curatorial direction. I hope my project is an exploration of future curatorial possibilities. Through NFT, AI and audience co-curation, I wanted to see: How can curators work in a more decentralized curatorial model? How does the dynamic nature of the art market fit into the exhibition?

📌 What are your thoughts on decentralized curation? Feel free to discuss in the comments! 💬

 

 

📖 References

Brown, Stephen, and A. Patterson. 2007. Imagining Marketing Art, Aesthetics and the Avant-Garde. Routledge.

Deleuze, Gilles, and Félix Guattari. 1994. What is Philosophy? Columbia University Press.

Deleuze, Gilles, and Félix Guattari. 2004. A Thousand Plateaus. Bloomsbury.

Färber, Alexa. 2007. “Exhibiting ‘Science’ in the Public Realm.” In Exhibition Experiments, edited by Paul Basu and Sharon Macdonald, 211–232. Blackwell Publishing.

Golding, Johnny. 2011. “Fractal Philosophy (And the Small Matter of Learning How to Listen): Attunement as the Task of Art.” In Deleuze and Contemporary Art, edited by Ian Buchanan and Nicholas Thoburn, 37-72. Edinburgh University Press.

Martinon, Jean-Paul. 2013. The Curatorial: A Philosophy of Curating. Bloomsbury Academic.

Rugg, Judith, and Michele Sedgwick. 2007. Issues in Curating Contemporary Art and Performance. Intellect.

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W2-Initial Thoughts on My Curatorial Project

By

On 27 January 2025

In Uncategorised

Title: Speculative Curation: Exploring Symbolic Power in the Art Market 🎨💡

 

Introduction: My Theme and Background

 

Lately, I’ve been brainstorming ideas for my curatorial project, and I’ve decided to focus on “Value Construction and Symbolic Power in the Art Market.” This theme was inspired by my personal experiences—working at Sotheby’s made me realize that the value of art isn’t just about the work itself. It’s shaped by a complex interplay of cultural, economic, and social factors. The price tag? That’s just the surface. The real power lies in the narratives and systems behind it.

This theme aligns perfectly with the values of our course, especially the ideas of relational and critical curating. I want my project to explore how auctions construct cultural meanings and challenge viewers to rethink the invisible mechanisms of the art world.

 

Initial Research and Course Insights

As I began my research, the concept of the “Capitalocene” (thanks to our lectures!) became a key lens for my thinking. It frames capitalism as a force that shapes not just economies but also culture and societal structures. This helped me see the art market as more than a transactional space—it’s a microcosm of modern power dynamics.

One example that stood out during our class discussions was the “24/7” exhibition (2020, Somerset House). This show explored the relationship between time and consumer culture, and it sparked my thinking about how auctions—both brief and performative—are like ritualized spectacles of cultural value.

I’ve also been diving into the work of Andreas Gursky, particularly his piece 99 Cent (1999). His hyperreal depiction of consumerism highlights the tension between the mundane and the symbolic—something I think is deeply relevant to the art market.

📖 References:

•Gursky, A. (1999). 99 Cent. C-Print.

•Bourdieu, P. (1984). Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgment of Taste. Harvard University Press.

 

Gursky, A. (1999). 99 Cent. C-Print.

(Source:https://www.andreasgursky.com/en/works/1999/99-cent/zoom:1)

 

 

 

Speculative Curation: My Format and Approach

For my project, I’m envisioning a participatory, interactive exhibition that simulates the experience of an art auction. My goal? To let visitors step into the roles of bidders and experience how value is constructed in real-time. Here’s my current plan:

🎤 Main Exhibition Areas:

1.“The Auction Room”:

•A multimedia installation recreating the atmosphere of a high-profile auction. Participants can bid on artworks using virtual tokens, deciding on their value based on provided backstories.

2.“Behind the Scenes”:

•A display showing how artworks are marketed and their values shaped by institutions, media, and collectors.

🤝 Interactive Elements:

•Visitors will anonymously “bid” on artworks and see how their choices affect the final outcome.

•A live projection of data will show how each piece’s “value” evolves based on audience participation.

This participatory model reflects the “relational curating” we discussed in class. By involving the audience, I hope to transform them from passive viewers into active participants in the symbolic power dynamics of the art world.

 

Critical Reflection: Challenges and Next Steps

Of course, the complexity of this theme presents challenges:

1.Simplifying Complexity:

•The art market involves multiple layers (economic, cultural, political). How do I simplify this for my audience without oversimplifying the meaning?

2.Engaging Participation:

•How do I ensure visitors engage meaningfully with the auction simulation, rather than seeing it as just a “game”?

To tackle these, I plan to:

•Research case studies of famous auctions (e.g., record-breaking Sotheby’s sales) to find accessible yet impactful examples.

•Get feedback from peers and tutors to refine the interactive elements and ensure they resonate with viewers.

 

Next Steps and What I’m Looking Forward To

🔍 What’s next?

1.I’ll dive deeper into auction case studies and symbolic capital theories.

2.Begin drafting initial sketches of the exhibition layout and interactive elements.

3.Share my ideas in group discussions to get feedback and refine my approach.

✨ What I hope to gain:

•Insights from my classmates on how to make the interactive elements more impactful.

•Suggestions on how to balance the educational and participatory aspects of the project.

 

Closing Thoughts

Writing this blog has helped me organize my thoughts and refine my project focus. I’m excited to explore how art auctions are not just about selling artworks but about constructing entire systems of meaning and power. I look forward to getting feedback from everyone—every perspective helps me improve! 😊

(P.S. If you’ve been to an art auction or have thoughts about symbolic power in art, I’d love to hear your insights in the comments! 💬)

W1-Welcome to Hanyun Xue’s Curatorial Universe

By

On 27 January 2025

In Uncategorised

Hello everyone! 🎨

 

Welcome to my curatorial blog.✨

My name is Hanyun Xue, but you can also call me Vivien. I’m a girl born in northern China but grew up in the south. Having lived in many different cities during my childhood, I developed a habit of observing human behaviors across diverse communities and cultural environments. This experience shaped my keen sense of perception and sparked my fascination with the intersection of art, sociology, and anthropology.

 

 My Background: The Making of an Art Player

 

 

If curating is an adventure, then my journey has been all about exploring on different fascinating paths. Here’s my “starter pack” of experiences:

 

•🎨 Dual-degree player: During university, I simultaneously pursued degrees in Fine Arts (Painting) and Management. 🎨📊 Days were spent painting, and nights were filled with report writing. This interdisciplinary learning allowed me to delve deeply into the charm of art creation while also understanding the operational side of the art industry. 🖌️💼

•🏛️ Local art curation: In 2023, during my internships at the Powerlong Art Center in Shanghai and the Liaoning Museum, I got hands-on experience in exhibition planning, public education programs, and artwork display. From installation art to regional culture, I began to truly understand the effort and joy behind curatorial work.

•🖼️ Apprentice in the auction house: In 2024, I had the privilege of interning at Sotheby’s, where I witnessed how the high-end art market operates. 💎 From preparing artworks for display to executing pre-auction previews, I learned how to assign market value to art pieces and understood the cultural symbolism and social power hidden behind the art world.

•👩‍🎨 Collaboration with an artist’s family: I also assisted my father—an artist—in managing his personal art museum. From curating exhibitions to engaging with collectors, I learned how to tell the story of his artworks through curatorial practices. This experience deepened my understanding of managing cultural resources.

 

This journey, from theory to practice, not only gave me a profound understanding of the art market and curatorial field but also solidified my belief that art is a language of social and cultural interaction.

 

Why Start This Blog?

 

Good question!

🤔

I want to use this platform to document the growth of my curatorial projects and share the “sweet and sour” moments behind the scenes. In the upcoming posts, you’ll see:

•My research and reflections on curatorial themes (still to be decided); 💡📚

•Fieldwork and eye-opening exhibitions and artworks; 🖼️✨

•Unexpected challenges and lessons learned during the curatorial process (believe me, there will be plenty of “trial and error” stories). 😅💭

 

 

Adding a Visual Touch

 

To make your reading experience more engaging, I’ll be sharing some visual elements directly from my perspective, such as:

1.📷 Photos from my internships: Capturing moments that shaped my journey, like assisting with Sotheby’s auction previews or curating exhibition spaces at Jiuzhou Art Gallery.

2.✍️ Curatorial sketches and notes: You’ll see my brainstorming in action—market logic diagrams, quick concept sketches, and ideas that sparked the beginnings of my curatorial themes.

3.🖌️ Artwork examples: Pieces that inspired me along the way, with personal captions and reflections that add context to their relevance in my projects.

 

 

 

Final Words

 

What is curating? To me, it’s the process of transforming art into stories and connecting people, culture, and society. I hope this blog will be a place where we can explore the power of art together. If you’re curious about the curatorial field or simply want to hear some behind-the-scenes stories, make sure to stop by often!

 

 

 

🎉 Are you ready to “curate” a new world with me?

 

 

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