The Curator’s Role
by Miguel Rodez Curating is much more than just hanging pictures. It refers to the selection of artwork based on a thesis that unites the works in a rational way, with the specific objective of communicating or making the spectators feel something. Curating should not be confused with “museography,” which refers to selecting not artworks, but the spaces where to place them.
Nevertheless, the arrival of curators has resulted in more interesting exhibition and in the democratization of who put together art exhibits. Assembling an exhibit is no longer an academic exercise for elite officials, but the work of intellectuals who create by curating. When it is well done, the curated exhibit honors the works of the participating artists. Although ephemeral, a well curated show adds something positive from the curator’s soul that exalts any art exhibit.
Formerly, gallery owners, critics, historians, and art institution administrators were the ones who organized fine arts exhibits. These characters decided which works to exhibit based on one of the following variants: (1) (2) (3) (4)
the the the the
economic value of the works; historical value of the works; personal taste of the person making the selection; or financial interest one had in promoting the works.
That changed in the 1960s, when a new method of assembling exhibitions emerged. Since then, the presenting art exhibits ceases to be an assessment of values and becomes something more aesthetic and conceptual. Using the new selection method, the curator chooses a set of artworks created by visual artists. As the selection is based on a thesis, this collection becomes the vehicle that the curator uses to express his concept. As the curator is expressing a concept through an object (the artworks selected) the curator performs the same type of work as a visual artist. In addition to creating the thesis for the exhibit, the curator does research; meets with artists; select the artworks; designs the museography; and works together with the staff of the exhibition site to achieve a successful show. In short, curator acquires a key role that determines whether an exhibit is successful or not. Art institutions employ curators, as they consider their work valuable. There are curators who are academically trained professionals. There are also self-taught curators. As in any other profession, there are good curators and inept curators. Their quality is not measured based on academic prerequisites or the attractiveness of the pieces they select. Instead, their quality is based on the proposals that they present. Certain visual artists have no desire to share any protagonism with curators, who may have never painted a work of art in their lives. They see curators as only picture hangers without any merit. The quarrel comes from failing to understanding the work that the curators perform and the objective that they try to achieve. Such visual artists do not conceive that a set of artworks created by other artists could ever form the artistic expression of a curator and there is no way to make them understand.
Miguel Rodez has a degree in History from the University of Miami with a minors in English and Philosophy. Beside being an interdisciplinary artist, Rodez has curated over 35 art exhibits at places such as Florida International University; St Thomas University; Albizu University; Milander Art and Entertainment Center; and, the Bird Road Art District. He has served as a juror of various art competitions, including the Coconut Grove Arts Festival and participated in selecting public art, as Chair of the Arts in Public Places Trust for Dade County, Florida.
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