How does contemporary curatorial practice reinterpret historical works?
Introduction
In the continuous exploration of the “bridge between tradition and contemporaneity”, I gradually realised that the issue is not only about how curatorial methods can update traditional art but also about whether historical works themselves can still be activated by contemporary questions. This prompted me to detach from cultural labels and temporal clues, shifting towards a more methodologically significant curatorial perspective.
From Cultural Labels to Curatorial Methods
Conceptual contemporaneity rather than chronological contemporaneity
I no longer start from the background of traditional art or artists, but from the curatorial methodology of “how to re-read historical works in contemporary times.” Historical works are not merely to be used as context or background; rather, they can be reincorporated into contemporary exhibition structures due to their enduring conceptual relevance.
John Tunnard:
The Contemporary Utilization of Historical Works
Abstract, Landscape, and Psychological Experience
An important reference for this transformation comes from John Tunnard’s 1945 work “Special Device”. Although historically belonging to modernism and associated with British neo-romanticism, the questions it raises about how abstraction exists as landscape, how colour becomes a structural element, and how emotions and psychological states are visualised remain highly relevant to contemporary art discourse today.
The overlapping part of historical concerns and contemporary issues
From Post-War Anxiety to Anthropology
British neo-romanticism does not depict the nature of pastoral poetry, but responds to the post-war fracture, industrialization and the intervention of technology in the environment. These concerns strongly resonate with the contemporary discussions about Anthropocene, environmental crisis and how technology reshapes perception.
Looking for “contemporary issues,” not “contemporary artists.”
Historical works as contemporary participants
From this perspective, my focus is on works that consistently address themes of landscape, abstraction, emotion, and modernity—regardless of their creation era. This curatorial approach shifts the emphasis from “who is a contemporary artist” to “which issues remain relevant in contemporary discourse.”
Call to Action
If you are interested in how historical works are being repurposed in contemporary art or in conceptual curatorial practices, feel free to engage in further exchange and discussion.
Conclusion
This is no longer an exhibition about traditional art, but a practice of conceptual contemporary curation: historical works do not remain in the past; they continuously participate in how we understand the present.
