Students are required to develop a well thought-out and researched proposal (3,000 words) for group show (featuring works by at least 3 artists) around a given topic or theme. This proposal must present a rationale for a topical, feasible and conceptually coherent exhibition that demonstrates awareness of key curatorial debates.
Students are asked to choose one of three options:
1. A show for a room in Tate Modern. Be sure to choose the room carefully. Source your works (between 5 and 8 of them) from the Tate Collection. You can find all works currently held by the Tate on the website. Remember that when works by British artists in the Tate Collection are put on display, they tend to be shown at Tate Britain (or Liverpool, or St Ives): to propose a show consisting mainly or entirely of works by British artists is not appropriate.
2. A summer group show for a commercial gallery in London, featuring only works (between 5 and 8 of them) by gallery artists (that is to say, artists represented by the gallery in question). Please choose one of the following: Frith Street Gallery, White Cube Gallery (Mason’s Yard), Victoria Miro Gallery (one floor only), Maureen Paley Gallery, Hollybush Gardens, Hales Gallery, Hauser & Wirth and Pilar Corrias. If you choose one of the bigger galleries (eg. White Cube Mason’s Yard), you may want to confine your show to just one room. If you choose Hauser & Wirth, please work with one of the two spaces, not both.
3. An event, lasting an evening or a whole day, for a project space (eg. Guest Projects). This may be either a programme of performance art or a screening of moving image works. Please include between 5 and 8 works and use only works you can view on the internet. Note: you can also incorporate works of performance art or moving image works if you choose options 1 or 2. If you decide to curate a screening, please work on the assumption that you have only 1 screen (in other words do not include multiscreen installations).
The proposal should address the following points:
· What is novel or unique about this exhibition? How does it present a fresh perspective on the theme and selected works? How does this show relate to past exhibitions on this theme? How are you positioning your show in relation to those earlier exhibitions?
· Open with a paragraph outlining your project, explaining what makes it timely or novel, why it deserves to be put on, what it will contribute to current thinking around a particular question or theme.
· Provide a coherent justification for your selection of specific works of art by various artists. Be very specific when writing about each artist’s work, and make a clear, compelling case for its inclusion. How does it connect to the theme of the exhibition? How does it contribute to the show? How does it contrast with or complement the other pieces?
· Discuss your layout. How did you come to it? (If you choose option 3, the sequence will matter more than the layout.)
· Concentrate on how the exhibition demonstrates a specific engagement with contemporary curatorial debates. Be as specific as possible.
· The proposal must briefly demonstrate your understanding of the priorities and audience of Tate Modern or the commercial or project space for which it was conceived. Explain what makes your show suitable for the space in your curatorial rationale.
Please remember that a convincing curatorial project is built on extensive research—on the featured works, on the theme or unifying thread and on related shows.
Please also make sure you include only works of contemporary art—that is to say, works made in the period from 1968 to the present.
________________________Choose your option carefully and consider the space you will be working with. Research the space and its audience to understand what kind of exhibitions are typically shown there.
Select a theme or topic that is timely, relevant, and unique. Consider how your exhibition will contribute to current thinking around the theme and how it will present a fresh perspective.
Research extensively on the works of art and artists you plan to include in your exhibition. Be specific when writing about each artist’s work and make a clear, compelling case for its inclusion. Consider how each piece connects to the theme of the exhibition and how it complements or contrasts with the other pieces.
Think carefully about the layout of your exhibition. Consider how the works will be arranged and how they will interact with each other. If you choose option 3, the sequence will matter more than the layout.
Demonstrate your understanding of contemporary curatorial debates and how your exhibition engages with them. Be specific and provide examples.
Make sure your proposal is coherent and well-structured. Open with a paragraph outlining your project and explaining why it deserves to be put on. Provide a clear justification for your selection of specific works of art and discuss your layout. Finally, demonstrate your understanding of the priorities and audience of the space for which your exhibition was conceived.
