This week we had a group discussion in Summerhall to brainstorm around everyone’s research questions. Initially, I didn’t expect this discussion to bring much valuable feedback, but the final result made me realize that my peers’ opinions not only hit the point, but also broadened my thinking direction.
During the discussion, I mainly raised the following questions and received targeted criticism and suggestions:
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Lack of broader curatorial theory and practical support
At present, my exhibition planning is still based on the framework of personal ideals, lacking a deep understanding of broader curatorial theory and practice. Therefore, I need to further expand the theoretical foundation and read more relevant literature so that the planning of the exhibition is not only based on subjective assumptions, but can be combined with contemporary art practice in the context of the real situation, and respond to contemporary issues more critically.
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The rationality of audience positioning and exhibition location
At present, my initial audience group is “urban women”, but Frances pointed out that this group is too broad and lacks clear targeting. Therefore, I need to establish a closer connection between audience positioning and exhibition location. The group members suggested that I build an exhibition space downstairs in a shopping mall or supermarket. This idea inspired me, but I realized that this suggestion may be more based on the commercial cultural background of China and may not be applicable to the British context. Therefore, I hope to further clarify the audience group of the exhibition, such as focusing on young women to guide them to understand the importance of motherhood in the family, or directly facing the mother group so that they can see the significance of their invisible labor in the exhibition.
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Feasibility of work selection and adjustment of curatorial strategy
At present, some of the works initially selected may exceed the practical feasibility of this exhibition. In order to better meet the scale and budget of the exhibition, I need to adjust the selection of works, pay more attention to emerging artists, such as the graduation exhibition works of art masters, or find artists who are not widely concerned through online platforms. At the same time, the group members suggested that I reduce the exhibition partitions to optimize the exhibition structure. At present, I divide the exhibition into three areas: bedroom, living room, and kitchen. Each area requires at least 2 works, a total of 6 works, but considering the cost constraints, this scale may be too large. Therefore, focusing on two core areas may be more helpful to enhance the theme expression of the exhibition and improve the condensation of the exhibition experience.
Overall, this discussion prompted me to re-examine my curatorial ideas to make them more academically profound and practically feasible. In the following research and planning, I need to further clarify the theoretical framework, audience positioning and work selection criteria of the exhibition so that the exhibition can be carried out more critically in the real context.
