This project investigates the complex connections in contemporary art and the development of art works in relation to knowledge production, art markets, labour conditions, exhibition making and displaying knowledge, representations, political interests, ... by interviewing the today’s central figure in the art world: the curator.
With the help of the curator, who is in the middle of this discourse and with whom the individual strands come together, the diverse interests in the art field can be revealed and put up for debate. We gather various attitudes and views from curators in the contemporary art discourse. The interviews with the curators from different institutions and art forms result in a broad research on professional opinions on this thematic complex.
The main narrative is formulated through interviews with well-known curators. Our questions deal with different fields within curating (art production and presentation in general). Their different views on individual topics are dealt with in a number of chapters.
The film is constructed through the personalities, their ideas on art and curating, the contradictions and seldom seen and heard background information. We also show throughout the film situations that reveal and reflect on the making of the documentary.
The collected material, including floorplans, photos, info material with the long versions of the interviews, are accessible in a digital archive as an international resource on curating.
Interview partners: Peter Weibel, Zentrum für Kunst und Medientechnologie (ZKM), Karlsruhe (D); Hans Ulrich Obrist, Serpentine Gallery, London (GB); Pauline J. Yao, M+, Hong Kong (CN); Christina Li, Spring Workshop, Hong Kong (CN); Aric Chen, M+, Hong Kong (CN); Qinyi Lim, Para Site, Hong Kong (CN); Freya Chou, Para Site, Hong Kong (CN); Cosmin Costinas, Para Site, Hong Kong (CN); Young Ma, M+, Hong Kong (CN); Hammad Nasar, Asia Art Archive, Hong Kong (CN); Joshua Simon, MoBY: Museums of Bat Yam, Bat Yam (IL); Ruti Direktor, Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Tel Aviv (IL); Meir Tati, MoBY: Museums of Bat Yam, Bat Yam / The Israeli Center for Digital Art, Holon (IL); Eyal Danon, The Israeli Center for Digital Art, Holon (IL); Hila Cohen-Schneidermann, Petach Tikva Museum of Art, Petach Tikva (IL); Chen Tamir, CCA Centre for Contemporary Art, Tel Aviv (IL); Sergio Edelzstein, CCA Centre for Contemporary Art, Tel Aviv (IL); Lars Nittve, M+, Hong Kong (CN); Stella Rollig, Lentos Kunstmuseum, Linz (AT); N’Gone Fall, Independent curator; Omar Kholeif, Whitechapel Gallery, London (GB); Oliver Ressler, Artist; Susa Gunzner, Grandhotel Cosmopolis, Augsburg (D); Ellen Blumenstein, KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin (D); Marius Babias, Neuer Berliner Kunstverein, Berlin (D); Rein Wolfs, Bundeskunsthalle, Bonn (D); Florian Ebner, Museum Folkwang, Essen (D); Rob Hamelijnck and Nienke Terpsma, Fucking Good Art; Binna Choi, Casco – Office for Art, Design and Theory, Utrecht (NL); Beatrix Ruf, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam (NL); Daniel Baumann, Kunsthalle Zurich (CH); Bice Curriger, Fondation Vincent Van Gogh Arles (FR); Hedwig Saxenhuber, Springerin, Wien (AT); Luisa Ziaja, 21er Haus – Museum für zeitgenössische Kunst, Vienna (AT); Can Gülcü, Wienwoche, Vienna (AT); Vanessa Joan Miller, Kunsthalle Vienna (AT); Nicolaus Schaffhausen, Kunsthalle Vienna (AT); Katharina Morawek, Shedhalle, Zurich (CH); Iris Dressler / Hans Christ, Württembergischer Kunstverein, Stuttgart (D); Anshuman Dasgupta, Art History Department, Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan (IN); Kate Fowle, Garage Museum of Contemporary Art, Moscow (RU); Monica Narula, Raqs Media Collective, New Delhi (IN); Nkule Mabaso, Michaelis Galleries, Michaelis School of Fine Art (ZA); Kadiatou Diallo, SPARCK - Space for Pan-African Research, Creation and Knowledge, Cape Town (ZA); Riason Naidoo, independent curator, Cape Town (ZA); Ntone Edjabe, Chimurenga, Cape Town (ZA); Khwezi Gule, Hector-Pieterson-Museum, Soweto (ZA); Nontobeko Ntombela, University of Johannesburg (ZA); Jay Pather, Performance Art Institute, Michaelis School of Fine Art (ZA); Yuko Hasegawa, Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (JP).