Frieze NY Special: Zoe Whitley on the art of collaboration
?Untitled? (2012) by Cathy Wilkes at MoMA PS1, New York, 2017
Zoe Whitley
Traditionally, art exhibitions have been directed by curators, but now there is a move to hand the reins over to the artist. As the eighth edition of Frieze New York gets underway, Zoe Whitley, curator of the British Pavilion at the 2019 Venice Biennale, discusses how allowing artists the freedom to realize their vision can lead to a deeper, shared experience of the work
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Artists encourage us to see things around us anew, pushing us to reframe and re-examine contexts that are already well established. As a curator, working with and learning directly from artists has given me the greatest insights, which is why I think it is crucial to listen to artists when it comes to putting together a show. ?Artist-led? has become something of a buzzword lately, but it is easier said than put into practice. It is certainly not easy to put one?s ego aside and listen ? really listen ? to what an artist needs. Rather than asking an artist, ?I have this idea, can you illustrate it"?, a curator should instead establish trust and, perhaps counterintuitively, ?do? less by allowing the work to unfold and by supporting the artist as they need it, particularly where new commissions are concerned. Of course, as in all projects, there are production and press deadlines to juggle and other logistical realities, but one has to also be sensitive to the fact that artists can?t necessarily ...
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