The Radical Practice of Black Curation: A Symposium

The Radical Practice of Black Curation: A Symposium

April 11 at Princeton University
April 12 at Park Avenue Armory, NYC

The past two decades have witnessed the success of a wide range of Black artists, whose work has been celebrated through their recognition by awards and at festivals including the Venice Biennale, the Hugo Boss Prize, the Turner Prize, the Whitney Biennial, as well as through exhibitions and acquisitions at leading art institutions across the globe. But these successes have been accompanied, and to a considerable extent enabled by, a parallel development within art institutions themselves: the ascent of a visionary group of Black curators and curators of color who have supplanted the role of traditional curatorial gatekeepers and expanded the capacity of arts institutions to recognize the work of an increasingly diverse group of artists.

While self-evident to some, the impact of this conjuncture frequently goes unacknowledged or unremarked upon, even among curators and art professionals. This convening aspires to instigate a candid and critical conversation that explores the different paths that have led us here, acknowledging the role of those who have enabled and supported this transition, and interrogating the stakes of what it means to do this crucial curatorial work both from a contemporary and historical perspective.

For more information please go here