A Discussion Starting from The Children Are Now Exhibition
Introduction
This week, I visited the exhibition “The Children Are Now” at the Talbot Rice Gallery. The exhibition focuses on the theme of children’s rights, addressing the impact of the education system, institutional environments, and power structures on children’s growth. However, one of the video works prompted me to further contemplate the issue of “scale” in curatorial practice, particularly under the premise that exhibitions aim for public accessibility and inclusivity. It raises the question of how curators should confront potential ethical risks.
The same work, viewed from different positions
Is reproduction equivalent to critique?
Although the work’s intention is to reveal issues, the act of representation itself does not necessarily imply critique. For audiences with sufficient cultural background and critical awareness, this imagery may be understood as an exposure of linguistic violence; yet for other viewers, it could also be perceived as an unexplained repetition
When Children Become the Audience
When children enter the exhibition space as viewers, this risk becomes particularly evident. Children often lack sufficient contextual judgement skills, making them more likely to perceive the content in the exhibition as “language that can be learnt” rather than issues that require reflection.
The issue of “scale” in curation
Therefore, the issue of scale in curation is not merely about whether violent or sexual content is suitable for viewing by young children, but also involves how language, power, and ideology are presented in public spaces. Are works containing discriminatory or offensive expressions appropriate for display in public art museums? Who should define these boundaries—artists, curators, or exhibition institutions?
Call to Action
When artworks aim for public engagement, should curators bear a higher ethical responsibility toward all potential audiences? This question merits ongoing discussion.
Conclusion
Curators not only requires responsibility towards the works themselves but also necessitate an awareness of the public stance represented by the exhibition platform. When potentially harmful language is presented in an exhibition, and some audiences are unable to distinguish between representation and critique, the resulting “soft consequences” should not be overlooked. The ethical dimensions of curation precisely become an unavoidable issue within such complex and unequal viewing structures.
