Manual

The Western white cube aesthetic has become the cornerstone for contemporary curation of art, but in recent years the neutrality of the space is being questioned as alternative methods present richer ways of connecting to art This prompts the question: can a decolonial lens oer new insights into modes of art display?

This curatorial guiding kit argues the importance of decolonising our approach to curation and exhibition design to enhance and foster a more inclusive and engaging gallery experience, recognising the limits of current curatorial practices and their influence on the audience’s comprehension Advocating the integration of the artwork’s context into its visual communication, this study recommends guidelines for such displays

What is oered is a guide that helps question what has become the Western standardised norm for contemporary curation, by providing elements taken from other cultural ways of interacting with art, and asking each participant of an exhibition to question how they interact within the space It encourages new ways of connecting and questioning by the curator that involve the many people, places, senses and movements that create a space

Art is research, and so curation is a part of that process Curation is the gateway to accessing this research, the means by which Art is seen and understood

When I first joined the BA Design for Art Direction cohort in 2021, my aspiration in curation was solid Then, my perception of curation changed

One says the definition of ‘curator’ arose from the Latin word cura, meaning "to take care". But what are they taking care of? What power and responsibility comes from this position of care?

This course has opened my eyes to the reality of designers and artists I witnessed the uncertainty that young creatives face and how they suer to survive in the industry I also saw the power dynamics within the institutions preventing many from getting jobs and flourishing

My aection for craftsmanship – the materiality that binds me to this real world and makes me feel alive and present – has also been a key influence in my changing perceptions Intertwined with my Korean heritage, I gradually started to question the system and the institutional boundaries protecting us or are they protecting us? It has become more and more clear that the pathways leading out for many curators are both oppressive and put forth the behaviour of oppression as normality The hierarchy of rules and sanitising of contemporary art curatorial practices has led to the removal of many minority groups and various cultures from being able to show their works, therefore leaving them to be sidelined.

These realisations have changed the way I think and approach curation to come down to a new mindset where it is a tool to reveal innate beauty and value Perhaps what curators should take care of is the artist and the story the artwork wants to tell, especially in the contemporary art industry

Curators could begin to look at utilising an exhibition space as a medium, thinking like designers and becoming more attuned and sensitive to all the visual signs a space has

How can curators do this?

The most essential thing is that they have taken time to recognise and become aware of the space they are using. The contemporary art space is often a white cube: white walls and polished floors. This white clinical space didn’t naturally appear. It was invented by “Alfred H. Barr” to allow viewers to focus solely on the artworks. This format eliminates ‘distractions’, often excluding context or narrative, from the artist The white cube aesthetic worked for the modern/modernist artworks and objects, but pre-1930, and post-modernist works, alongside art from outside the western hemisphere, cannot be suciently curated in this way As though this method accentuates fine art, and meeting art as it is, at the same time, it can actually hinder interactions and understanding of other forms of art

Looking at non-Western artworks, it is vital to think about how when the location diers, the cognition of colours, the sensory experience, and the aesthetics change within people This often means that there is a dierent and wider visual and sensory literacy on oer for curators to use in order to show work However, at present, the white cube style is the norm nobody questions There may be better ways to present the artwork than concrete walls with industrial paint and artificial lighting Some artworks are intended to be in wooden buildings or under strong pin light, and we may be missing the colours that artists experienced as beautiful in their studios with sunlight coming through the window.

In order to create a more encompassing, responsible and decolonial curatorial practice, I bring forward the following questions:

Could the exhibition bring the created in which it was created (cultural, societal, personal, emotional context) to the space? Presenting one's culture to another culture beyond the white walls? Revealing the core?

In the 100 years since the white cube aesthetic took favour, it has also become a driving force and has subconsciously aected how artwork is read and created Many young artists are unknowingly taught to create work that can fit within these spaces, and many who view art continue to replicate the white cube online with Instagram tiles and graphics Visual literacy in the 2020s depends heavily on white cube aesthetics It has bled into the contemporary art world so much it has begun to dictate mediums of art, and created a structure where anything outside of this is not accepted or levelled as good art.

Not only does this aesthetic aect the art, but it also separates the viewer further from it With a tradition of minimal texts and reduced information, with the occasional sheet of white paper, and a very rare audio guide, many cannot emotionally or mentally access the work Just like prescribing forms of art, this curatorial practice has also normalised a lack of accessibility, which reflects back onto the work and space Yet, in truth, the exhibition is only completed when a human enters the space So, a new curatorial method is needed in order to allow any one who enters the ability to access

This moves us onto the key thought within all of this unpacking: can we use the exhibition experience to reinforce the narrative of the artists and therefore ‘care’ for them and how others access the work?

Looking at the exhibitions of Mandy El-Sayegh’s Interiors and Anselm Kiefer’s Finnegans Wake, both displayed in 2023, they raise questions about this style of Western curatorial practices. These exhibitions deviate from the traditional white cube format, creating immersive experiences that blend with the artists’ cultural backgrounds and personal narratives.

These show that a new method can be used to show artists’ work They show that to take this further a new curatorial dialogue of questioning is needed to dismantle the colonial and westernised standard for contemporary art:

Are all white paints the same? Or could we use dierent paints according to what colours imply in each culture? Fascinating shades, dyes, and hues are not just colours but products and reflections of one society and culture How about the texture of the wall, floor, and brochure? Taking account of the real-world logistics, it’s worth considering what could be the minimum eort and what could be the maximum eort in making interventions to support the artworks’ contextual background?

What’s conventional, and what could be changed? All systems have rules, and not everyone reflects on them. Rules often work for those who own the system, not for the people who use the system. A user-based mindset is needed. Maybe something forbidden in the previous gallery environment could be something we were searching for.

So, the ‘Decolonial Curatorial Kit’ is mostly about evoking senses, really getting to know the artists and the artwork, and what elements of the space and sensory experience curators could use very simple, body-based, durational elements, like unravelling a piece of knitted clothing

It invites each curator to be decolonial, be interventional, be caring

Sincerely yours,

Alice

P.S. The following items are included in this kit:

1 Deck of Cards: Contains questions for the curators to consider and tips for using other items in the kit

2 Blindfold: Use it to cover your eyes and activate your skin to feel the atmosphere of the space or touch the surface of whatever is placed in the exhibition space

3 Three Tea Bags: Use these to have conversations with designers, art technicians, and the visitor experience team Prepare tea for them Discussion topics are provided on the cards

4 Picnic Blanket: Use it to take a break during the exhibition, feel the space, and see the artwork from a dierent angle

5 Inner Fiber Box: Have you found the strings attached to the box? Pull these strings to transform the box into a bag Utilise the bag to carry the above items to any curatorial spaces you prefer, including your own.

Feel free to touch and use these items as tools to inspire and activate your decolonial thinking If you want to engage in more diverse conversations, connect with other curators, and explore decolonial exhibition references, please visit https://alicecollects cargo site