De Appel @ Uva: "Exhibitions aren't made by machines" #2

Following the success of their previous collaboration, de Appel arts centre and the University of Amsterdam jointly present the four curating seminars of the Art History M.A. course “Doing Modern & Contemporary Art”. Under the guidance of Ann Demeester and Sophie Berrebi, the students participating in the course will be introduced to basic concepts and issues in curatorial discourse. The curating seminars of the course “Doing Modern & Contemporary Art” will take place in February/April 2010, at the University of Amsterdam.

15 Feb: TODAY – The silent guide :How to avoid curatorial populism ?

Nowadays art institutions in the Western hemisphere and particularly in the Netherlands are under increasing pressure from (populist) governments which openly doubt the value and of contemporary art and the legitimacy of public funding for non-profit art institutions. Implied is that contemporary art is elitist by nature and that institutions are unable to communicate beyond the borders of their own group of peers and fans. How do institutions respond to this upsurge of distrust ? How do they stimulate the curiosity of their potential audience members ? Do they develop new methodologies which envision education and outreach as adventures ? On basis of a select number of case –studies given by Education officer Yoeri Meessen from Manifesta, Curator Huib Haye van der Werf from SKOR and Ann Demeester we explore how a biennial, an agency for art in public space and a mid-scale art institution communicate with visitors under changing conditions ? How does this relate to the increased debate about the incorporation of pedagogy into art and curatorial practice-about what has been termed the èducational turn' or art's paradigmatic re-orientation towards the educational ?
Reading:

• “The Angry Middle-aged: Romance and the Possibilities of Adult Education in the Art World" (Tirdad Zolgadr), in”Curating and the Educational Turn”: Paul O'Neill and Mick Wilson (eds.), London/Amsterdam: Open Editions/de Appel, 2010.
• “Informing, guiding and teaching ?”, Jaap Bremer in: “Museum in Motion”, Carel Blotkamp et al (eds), The Hague. Government Publishing office, 1979, p 206.
• “Letter to Jane (Investigation of a Function) /”, Simon Sheikh in: ”Curating and the Educational Turn”: Paul O'Neill and Mick Wilson (eds.), London/Amsterdam: Open Editions/de Appel, 2010.
• Optional: Watch http://lernert.nl/index.php?/new/hoe-vertel-ik-het-mijn-ouders/