CuratorLab call for applications 2020/21

Meeting Ancestors. Writing and editing two books together with curators Maria Lind and Joanna Warsza on the work of pioneer-curators.

For the academic year 2020/21 we invite you to work alongside curators Maria Lind and Joanna Warsza to plan, edit and write together two books of interviews with our forerunners: curators who went beyond the mainstream, paving the way for approaches which are prevalent today, opened ways to deal with postcolonial, queer or political theory or practiced anti-hegemonic exhibition making, and yet remain little known in both recent curatorial practice and art history, far before the curatorial hype. Together we will form a research team, map, investigate, work on the archives but also meet and interview some of “the ancestors of our field”. Each participant will be asked to select two case studies, one from each of the following proposals. We will work together towards a double publication to appear in May 2021 accompanied by a series of public programs in Stockholm.

(1) Book led by Maria Lind. Working title: Pioneer curators in Scandinavia.
We will meet and interview curators and institutional directors such as Elisabet Haglund (Kulturhuset in Stockholm and Borås Konstmuseum) Gunilla Lundahl (the magazine Form and independent projects), Jan-Erik Lundström (Fotografiska museet and Bildmuseet in Umeå) and Carlos Capelan (independent projects). We will conduct archival research connected to their work. We will also visit the city archive of Stockholm and the archive of the Labour movement (Arbetarrörelsens arkiv) as well as the Konstfack’s archive in order to connect their legacy to contemporary discourse.

(2) Book led by Joanna Warsza. Working title: Early days of Public Art.
What is public in public art? How have the notions of situated or embedded knowledge changed over the years? What were the early attempts of demonumentalising art outside of the museums? We will study some worldwide examples of pioneer exhibitions of public art, interview the curators and artists, digitalize and problematize their legacies. We will work on legendary exhibitions and curatorial projects like Culture in Action curated by Mary Jane Jacob in 1993 in Chicago; Sonsbeek 93 curated by Valerie Smith; Endlichkeit der Freiheit, an exhibition started by Heiner Müller and Rebecca Horn on both sides of Berlin wall and realized after it felt down; Construction in Process, an artist-initiated site-specific exhibition in Łódz in the early 80s, and the Skulptur Projekte Münster, among others.

The research will include live presentations/interviews with forerunning curators, research trips, meetings, archival work, workshops and the final publication presentation in May. There is a common budget of approximately 15,000 EUR, which is managed and decided collectively, and each of the participants will be responsible for a part of the spendings. We will be also in charge of hosting seminars, creative writing workshops and other public events at Konstfack and other places in Stockholm. We encourage those with an interest in writing, editing, as well as Scandivanian speakers to apply. We welcome participants with longer experience in the field, and are open to your proposals of the historical figures in the mentioned fields. Each participant will join both teams with one case study of your choice.

We will meet four times per year for 10 days sessions:

Early September 2020: Introduction to Konstfack and Stockholm, presentation of the projects and forming of the groups, possible common study trip.

November 2020: Workshops in Stockholm, group work on the interviews, creative writing and editing workshops, possible public programs and trips, individual meetings.

February 2021: Follow-up: edits and graphic design work, common seminars, possible trips.

May 2021: Follow up and a sum up, the launch of the publications. Participation in the public program of Konstfack Degree Show and in program in town.

You do not need to be based in Stockholm, however attendance during all the sessions is necessary.

As a reference please have a look at this Reader produced together with the participants of CuratorLab 2017/18 Red Love. A Reader on Alexandra Kollontai published by Sternberg Press.

Check also CuratorLab website as reference for past group projects: www.curatorlab.se.

Deadline for applications is January 15. To apply go to Konstfack website.