About and around curating (Kustosiranje)
project description
Project description and origins: The main idea is to gather future and just graduated art historians and other younger entrepreneurs from field of art and culture in order to give them a clearer picture of the professional possibilities that lie ahead, developing and nurturing the society’s understanding for all professions that art history covers. The curatorial profession is a natural choice of many sincerely devoted individuals to art history. That’s not a cabinet vocation, but a truly dynamic activity, which requires everyday attendance, devotion, the quest for sources, connecting information and people, intelligent deliberation of both present and the past, throughout the challenges, which are all a part of everyday life, according to the professor Jerko Denegri, in a very interesting conversation.
A wide gap is present between the knowledge gained at the University, profiled by academic needs, and the use of that same knowledge and skills in everyday and practical professional environment. Also, the lack of knowing practical methods is noticeable – the use of knowledge and how to adapt to the social environment and the needs of professional challenges, characteristic for the curator’s vocation. Finally, the position and the sustainability of a curator’s profession in a broad social setting is a greatly unknown to most art history students. The transfer of knowledge gained by experience and active professional work by individuals from cultural institutions or those independent, offers younger colleagues a unique chance to enrich their knowledge, but also to get a broader picture of the context of their future vocation.
Art historian’s professional scope of activities in the contemporary society is clearly defined, but in real conditions, they are dominantly depending on personal choice. We, as authors of Kustosiranje – About and around curating, consider that the reasons for starting this project are doubtless. It is our intention to present to our younger colleagues possible answers to or guidance towards several important professional topics, combining our own knowledge and experience, as well as using up to date world methods and experience of professionals from art and cultural fields, defining what a curator is, through concrete examples.
The institutions of culture – financed by the government or working independent – are in the position to actively participate in the project Kustosiranje – About and around curating, by being a partner organisation, offering practice or advices relating to younger colleagues.
Project mission: on curatorial practical activities, technologies of preparation and realisation of independent exhibition project, education and supporting proactive attitude of young and future art curators
Target group: art history final-year(s) students (Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade), younger art historians and other professionals from related fields, interested in curatorial practice
Venues: cultural institutions in Belgrade: galleries, museums, cultural centres, 120min each session, every two weeks, from January to July 2012
