Your exhibition challenges anthropocentrism by focusing on the symbiotic relationship between humans and non-humans. You have a clear core concept, and your current curatorial concept covers the rich symbiotic relationships between microorganisms, animals, plants, etc. I think you may need to choose one or two focuses, otherwise you may face the problem of being too broad in scope and scattered in form.
Regarding the artworks you mentioned in your blog, how closely do they relate to the theme? For example, are Pakui Hardware and Marija Teresė Rožanskaitė’s Inflammation directly related to your theme, as these artworks focus more on the integration of technological senses or diseases, as well as the damage and recovery of the human body in medical, artificial and technological systems? I also noticed that some of the artworks you initially selected are quite large in size, and some of the artists are already very famous, which requires consideration in terms of budget and transportation.
In addition, the connections between the works need to be considered. Taking the initially selected works as an example, the media span is very wide, including scent installations, images, sounds, biological materials, etc. All the works are very independent but lack a linear or structural connection. If the sensory experience lacks a sense of rhythm, this multi-sensory experience may tire the audience. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the exhibition methods, such as the structural methods of the exhibition, the spatial zoning, and the use of texts or exhibition graphics, to establish a dialogue between the works. A good example is the exhibition ‘Beyond Human’ organised jointly by the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum and Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary (TBA21) in Madrid, Spain, in 2019. The theme of this exhibition is very similar to yours, as it explores the relationship between humans and non-humans. However, I think there is still a lot to learn from its methodology. For example, the exhibition is not organised according to time, style or medium, but according to the logic of an ‘ecological network’: one part focuses on sound and resonance, another on collaboration and space, and a third on the time and rhythm of non-humans. The exhibition is like an ecosystem, not a linear system. This includes the language of the exhibition, which weakens the human perspective. As Terry Smith says: ‘Contemporary curating… does not follow a set of rules; rather, it adopts an approach arising from an emergent set of attitudes.’ (Smith, 2012) I noticed that your recent blog mentions rethinking artists and works. I think these factors can be considered when making new choices.
Second, I think your blog also needs to consider the audience. Who is your audience? Regarding your curatorial theme, I think you need to consider the audience’s acceptance. For these post-human theories, non-human agents, ecological philosophies, etc., are very cutting-edge ideas, and for an audience without a relevant background, there is a certain threshold. So, do you want a specific group of people to visit, or do you want to let more people in? What methods will you consider to improve the public’s understanding and sense of experience? For example, you could use some simple and easy-to-understand guiding words. Or explanations? Other public programmes and other methods.
I think you also need to consider the location. Of the two locations you mentioned before, the first one is the Shanghai Oil Tank Art Centre exhibition hall, which is very large, so you need to consider whether your budget can support the length of time you expect the exhibition to run. The second location is a small pop-up store, but obviously, the size of this small pop-up store is not enough to accommodate the artwork you originally chose, so you also need to consider the size and layout of the artwork, whether there is enough space to place the artwork, etc., which can be considered when you choose again.
In addition, you can also consider the exhibition you have conceived, such as the exhibition you saw in Glasgow or other exhibition cases you have analysed, which may provide inspiration or direction for your exhibition. You also actively participated in group work, which is a good point.
Overall, your exhibition already has a very clear theme and concept. You can further consider the details of the exhibition name, format, schedule, and a clear budget.
Hessler, Stefanie. 2019, Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary and Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza. Available at: https://studiotomassaraceno.org/more-than-humans/
Smith, Terry. Thinking Contemporary Curating. La Vergne: D.A.P./Distributed Art Publishers, 2012. Accessed March 23, 2025. ProQuest Ebook Central.
31 March 2025 at 08:27
You are continuing to use your blog consistently and since the last round of feedback have written posts reflecting on visits to exhibitions at Inverleith House and in Glasgow as well as your work as a collective. It is particularly good to see posts focusing on your individual curatorial project – on site selection, audience, artist research, and curatorial themes – as in the last round of feedback, I flagged that there was very limited content related to the development of your own individual curatorial project. Well done for taking this feedback on board.
Whilst your recent blog posts do now show evidence of the ongoing development of your own project, there is very limited engagement with curatorial methods and theories relevant to your project in your blog at present. The learning outcomes for the course (and which are the criteria against which your work is assessed) specifically require that you research and engage with curatorial theories and methods, locating your own practice in relation to the expanded field of curatorial theory and practice and this is something to address before submission.
For example, your Week 6 blog post on site feasibility on site discusses the selection of a domestic space as your exhibition site. With regards to your site selection, some of the projects shared in the Week 3 lecture with Fran Cottell would be relevant examples to look at with potentially resonant curatorial approaches (slides for this presentation are available on Learn).
Note, in this blog post, you state that “Family-related themes are placed in the living room and bedroom, while socialising and working themes are placed in the office area.” I’d suggest that an office space is not particularly connected to socialising – as a space of work rather than leisure. Consider if there is a more appropriate space for works related to this theme.
Given the thematic focus, curatorial theory on feminist curation is also highly relevant, particularly where this considers intersections between gender and race. See:
OnCurating Issue 29: Curating in Feminist Thought (https://www.on-curating.org/issue-29.html)
Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art – Special issue on Gender on Contemporary Chinese Art (6:1) https://www.intellectbooks.com/journal-of-contemporary-chinese-art
Reilly, Maura. Curatorial Activism towards an Ethics of Curating. London: Thames & Hudson, 2019. (https://discovered.ed.ac.uk/permalink/44UOE_INST/110jsec/alma9924464244902466)
Reilly, Maura. “Curating Transnational Feminisms.” Feminist Studies 36, no. 1 (2010): 156–73. (https://discovered.ed.ac.uk/permalink/44UOE_INST/1viuo5v/cdi_jstor_primary_40608006)
Krasny, Elke, and Lara Perry, eds. Curating with Care. London: Routledge, 2023.(https://discovered.ed.ac.uk/permalink/44UOE_INST/7g3mt6/alma9925109802002466)