Curation or Commotion

Young curator and writer Ranjita Chaney recently held a discussion with the artists namely, Binoy Verghese, Sanjay Sharma, Satya Sai, Vivek Vialsini, Vibha Galhotra, Pratul Dash, George Martin, Gigi Scaria, Manil Gupta, Murali Cheeroth and Jenson Anto on the various aspects of curatorial practice in the context of her forthcoming exhibition, ‘His-Story’. In the following self interview, Ranjita Chaney makes an attempt to formulate the outcome of the discussion.

Are those individuals putting together art events these days aware of their responsibilities, tasks and functions?

I guess many of these so-called ‘curators’ do not give much heed to the literal aspect of curation or aesthetical connotation. I can’t really say whether they are trying to break the conventional way of curating or are just not following the curatorial expertise at all. As this ‘CURATION’ is a borrowed expression, it becomes a little difficult to describe in our local conditions. Although according to the foreign curators it means something which we have rarely followed. I agree that many art events are of not much use to the industry but at least they can be taken as a negative example. In trying to take another approach to understand the expression of these young curators, let’s take this above show as an example to discuss the loopholes in curation. Like the title itself talks confusion as of why it has been titled as His- Story and not Her-Story. This was the first thing told when the talk amongst the artists began.

How are we going to put this exhibition when the artists and the curator differ in too many aspects of the same project? The curator gives a very clichéd approach to the subject (history), that is so deep and strong, while the artist wants a very high silhouette and dialect. Like Gigi Scaria said, this is just one side of a story where as there are many other aspects to the history as well, which can not be over looked or kept unseen. Also was further told by JohnyML there were occasions when a few female artists got offended and abandoned the whole male chauvinistic approach to the past and History. Although the idea was not to stimulate emotions, despite the fact that the suggesting title was a sheer generalization made.

There was another artist commenting on the concept note merely being just a write up and nothing more, while the artist would do whatever he/she wants to do and create. This kind of an approach to the ideas can be a great hindrance for a well organized and conceptualized show. Here we got into a conclusion that it was very important for any curator to keep in constant touch with his/her artist for the proposed show and also keep on discussing the idea.
 
Curator should be a creative person him/herself and so one can consider ‘the curator’ as a part of the show in creativity rather than taking him as an organizer. There were a few exhibitions in the past just to be seen as not so encouraging demonstration with extremely fine and recognized artists participating in. So I think it hints it well that it is not only the organizer ‘CURATOR’ but also the artists forgetting the solemn aesthetic approach.

What exactly encourages these artists to involve in such illogical exhibitions which are the so called ‘CURATED SHOWS’?
 
When asked the above question in conversation to these artists it was told that it is the market quest which enforces any artist to participate in the exhibitions. As we have many artists participating in unlimited exhibitions organized by galleries and also by individual curators in India and abroad, this becomes one of the main points to advance in the art scene along with other reasons adding on and is a sure shot hit to fame but how much has it kept the ingenuity in the panorama.  As some of the above artists do disagree with it besides they don’t believe in compromising with the market depiction as it is just a mere phase for many new comers to get a place in the picture. As Vibha Galhotra told; that curation has been misled by galleries and market, their duty is not only collecting art works of the better-known names and selling them but have more aesthetic and creative responsibility in finding out the new and different artists.

Is the so called current crop of curators succumbing to the demands of the artist or to the strain of keeping up with the burgeoning art market?
 
The answer to this question (taking the above proposed show as a case study for the future prospect) was dealt by the artists and also by the established curator/writer JohnyML. In conversation with these creative minds one thing was clear that whatever is happening and has happened is just a measly stage which would or rather which has to come to an end. The current approach to the art curation will be replaced by a superior dealing of art management and conceptualization. As these few negative examples of the exhibits would hold neither a good artist nor a capable and good producer/curator for long run.

Curation is a great lot of academic study about the art prevalent in past as well as a great managerial effort put together, a mere commercial market can not decide the future of an artist or an era of the art field. It has to be artist and the curator together following the aesthetics of the creativeness. These so called existing creative art galleries are churning out an amazing amount of artists, who are not even close to the amateur nascent artists. This is all about trying to create a gang of their own in and around their network and then trying to force upon the literal translation of intellectuality by these gallery owners. Here it is not only the gallery responsible but also the creative minds who fall for the glam quotient and monetary outburst.

Has commercialization and glam quotient attached to the art shows affects the quality of the artists work as well as their working style?

These exhibitions have been well diluted for the sake of the glam society, many are just a part of it for name sake and few participate for money. So this basically becomes a studio of mass production reducing the individuality of the art work. This is all very much connected to the human desires. When an artist is well settled and established financially as well as popularity wise, only then that he begins to think on the creative grounds, before this they just churn out works. It is a hard truth but still a fact very little talked but well understood. The artist does not live like old times any more, or why should an artist live like the olden times anyway? So to fulfill the demand of having a well established studio and also a home he/she does work according to the demand of the society. Only after reaching a particular standard of life they begin with experimental and creative works. This thought was not approved by many artists as few of the above still struggle to have that stage mentioned above yet they don’t compromise on the creative inputs. As one can say it is different understanding and ideologies followed by different artists. Although I believe that even a well bred artist follows this society norm at certain point or the other. For example, like this some young eminent artist who has been commissioned to produce around 50-70 art works by the end of the year. This is just amazing to know as of how would one produce so much of art work in so little time. Now we can very easily say that commercialization has hit him hard. Only time could define the level of stability for such artists.

Conclusion;
While wrapping up this question-answer session I would like to add that a curator can not be a good organizer and producer till he selects the correct and appropriate artists. This can only happen if he/she is well versed with his research before selecting an artist and also refusing the works if in case that does not matches the demand of the concept. This acceptance and refusal should be merely professional but the relation should be purely emotional in choosing the artists. Unless the artist does not respond to the idea a well-curated show can not be produced. Or, to see it another way, if the curator can not manage to link the works together in a proposed idea he is not a great organizer.