Publishedarticlesandessays

ClaireDohertyCuratingWrongPlacesOrWhereHaveAllthePenguinsGone?

ClaireDoherty,CuratingWrongPlacesOrWhereHaveAllthePenguinsGone,PaulONeill,ed.,Curatingx24.Amsterdam:DeAppel(forthcoming)

BertholdLubetkins1930spenguinpoolatLondonZoohasbeendesertedbyits

inhabitants,intheinterestsofthepenguinsstrainedmusclescausedbythedouble

helixstructure.Pottedplants,barkchippings,branches,murkywaterandpondweed

havebeensubstituted,effectingthesitestransformationintoanalligatorpool.British

archaeologistAndyShaplandremarks,despitethebesteffortsoftheZookeepers,this

wasabuildinginwhichpenguinesswasproduced.1

Therhetoricofplacehasbecometherallyingcryforthecuratoroftheinternational

scatteredsiteexhibitionorbiennial.In2004,theInternationalcomponentofthe

LiverpoolBiennialprofessedtoaddressandempowerplaceashavingvalue,

commissioningsome48artiststoproducenewworksforthecity.Thatsameyear,

DonostiaSanSebastianwasconceivedasaprivilegedsocialsiteandcatalytictrigger

forManifesta5,whilstthisyeartheGwangjuBiennalepurportstoprovidean

impetustothecityofGwangjutoberebornasageographicalmetaphor.2Most

notableofrecentplacedbasedcuratorialassertionswasCharlesEscheandVasif

Kortunsopeninggambitforthe9th IstanbulBiennialin2005,inwhichtheyproposed

anexhibitionstructurethatfoldsoutofandrevealsitscontextthecityofIstanbul,by

commissioningartiststorespondbothtotheurbanlocationandtheimaginative

chargethatthiscityrepresentsfortheworld.3

EscheandKortunsbiennialsignalledapervasiveshiftincuratorialpracticeawayfrom,

whatDeclanMcGonaglehastermed,wideandshallow[engagement]ratherthan

narrowanddeepsightseeingratherthaninsight.4 stanbulemergedthrougha

discursiveprocessofshorttermresidenciesandprojectswhichsoughttoembed

visitingartistsandartworkswithinthecity.Itcreatedintersectionsbetweenlocaland

international,andeschewedlocationswhichmightendorseanostalgicorexoticviewof

thecity.Furthermore,withtheintegrationofcriticalplatformswithintheresulting

exhibitioncomprisingthenowubiquitousbiennialreadingzones,workshops,talks

seriesandhomegrownjournalsthecuratorsestablishedactiveparticipationasakey

componentofthepublicmanifestationofthebiennial,notjustpartoftheresearch

process.

EscheandKortunsconceptcanbeseenasaretorttotheaccusationthatbiennials

operatemerelyasstopoversontheinternationalcircuitforthefrequentflyertribeof

artistsandartcognoscentithatbiennialshavelittleornolastingimpactonthe

inhabitantsorculturallifeoftheirhostcities.Insteadthecocuratorsofstanbul

positedengagementwiththecityastheprimarymotivatingforcefortheirexhibition

(albeitstillwithinthesignifyingsystemoftheglobalarteconomy).stanbul,they

maintained,asametaphor,asaprediction,asalivedreality,andaninspirationhas

manystoriestotellandtheBiennialwillattempttotapdirectlyintothisrichhistoryand

possibility.5

Thepredominanceofplaceasthesubjectforcuratorialinitiativesofthiskindhas

emergedfromthe convergenceofthreecommissioningmodels:thescatteredsite

internationalexhibitionwhichprecededtherecentswellofbiennials,governedbythe

organisingprincipleofplace(fromTyneInternationalandTSWAintheUKto

Skulptur.ProjekteMnsterandthepublicartprojectsofMaryJaneJacobin

Charleston,ChicagoandAtlanta)theresearchbasedprojectprogramme(Locus+,

Casco,Artangel)andtheresidencymodelwithitsconcentrationonengagement,

processandencounter.Locationseemstoofferasuitablyboundedspaceinwhich

thesecommissioningmodelscancometogetherandconsequentlymeaningis

producedthroughresearchbasedprojectsandresponsiveprogrammingincontext.

Overtenyearsago,BruceW.Ferguson,ReesaGreenbergandSandyNairne

identifiedtheharnessingofthiscuratorialstrategyforaregionseconomicandpolitical

gainintheirarticleMappingInternationalExhibitions,

Thelocaleofanexhibitionisembracedinitstitleasarhetoricalmanoeuvreto

appropriateculturalstatus,themeaningsandthemythsthatattendthecollective

imaginationattachedtothecity,regionorcountrynamed6

Sincethemid1990s,thecontextspecificinternationalexhibitionhasbecomealliedto

urbanregenerationandculturaltourism,whereby theculturaleventbecomesanideal

cipherforthemeetingofinternationalandlocalhenceanythematictitletendstobe

supersededbythecitysnamefollowedbythewordbiennialorinternationalandin

somecases,asinstanbul,areoneandthesame.Thedilemmasofculturaltourism

versuscriticalitynotwithstanding,thepromotionofplaceasbothsubjectandsitefor

internationalexhibitionsalsorunstheriskofsubjugatingarttoanotionofplacethatis

outofdate.

Consideringtheprogressivenotionsofplaceadvancedbygeographerssuchas

DoreenMasseyandDavidHarveyintheearly1990s,

howcancuratorssupportartisticengagementswithplaceswhichcanbeseen

tobeconstructedoutofaparticularconstellationofsocialrelations?7

Ifwesubscribetoanotionofplaceasanintersectionofsocial,economicand

politicalrelations,ratherthanaboundedgeographiclocation,whereandhow

doesartisticengagementwiththecontextoftheexhibitionstart?

Howdosuchworkscoalescetoformameaningfulexhibitionforthebiennial

visitorwhentheexperienceofplaceitselfisaneventinprogress?

Doestheemphasisonengagementleadtotheprivilegingofprocessbased,

participatoryprojectsovermateriality?

Andfurthermore,howdocontextspecificprojectsandartworksbecome

meaningfuloutsidethesignifyingcontextoftheexhibition?

Toconsiderthesequestions,wemightlooktotheetymologyofthetermcuratorand

speculatethatthesamedutyofcarebornebythecustodianofthecollection,governs

thecuratorofthecontextspecificinternationalexhibition.Theirresponsibilitiesmight

bebrokendownintotwoprimaryobjectives:

Tosupporttheartisttoproduceaprocess,projectorworkthatrespondsto

placeasamutableconcept,withdueconsiderationtothecontextofthegroup

dynamicthatistruetotheartistspractice,butwhichmovesbeyonda

replicationofpreviousworkthateventuallymayalsooperateoutsidethe

originatingcontext

Tosupportandengenderencountersrecruiting participants,engaging

viewers,interlocutorsandcollaboratorstoexperiencetheprojectsandworksas

autonomoussignificationswithinthelogicofanexhibitionprovoking

opportunitiesfornewunderstandingsandresponsestocontextandinitiating

potentialoutcomesbeyondtheeventexhibition.

Incontrasttotheresponsibilitiesofthecuratorproduceroftheartist/conceptledsolo

project,thecuratorofthecontextspecificinternationalexhibitionhastoengagewitha

progressivenotionofplacepriortotheselectionofartists.Thecomponentsofthe

biennialshorttermresidencies,researchbasedinvestigations,scatteredsitesand

distributionmechanisms,interdisciplinarycollaborations,urbaninterventionsand

criticalplatformsideallyfollowfromarigorousconsiderationofthebasisofthe

invitationplaceasanintersectionofmappedlocation,urbanmythology,power

dynamicsandsocialinteraction.

Oneofthemostusefulandcogentlyarguednewtheorisationsofplaceinrelationtothe

commissioningandproductionofcontemporaryartisMiwonKwonsOnePlaceAfter

Another:SiteSpecificArtandLocationalIdentity.Kwonsstudyisparticularlypertinent

foraconsiderationofcuratorialresponsibilityinplace.Sheraisessignificantquestions

aboutthemotivatingfactorsforparticipatoryprojects,critiquingtheessentialisingof

siteandcommunityincontextspecificprojects.

Kwontracesagenealogyofsitespecificitythroughthe70sand80sandsuggeststhat,

asartistsandcuratorshavebecomeinformedbyabroaderrangeofdisciplines

(includinganthropology,sociology,literarycriticism,psychology,naturalandcultural

histories,architectureandurbanism,politicaltheoryandphilosophy),soour

understandingofsitehasshiftedfromafixed,physicallocationtosomewhereor

somethingconstitutedthroughsocial,economic,culturalandpoliticalprocesses.8

Giventhattheplacesofthebiennialhavebeenreconsideredaspointsofexchange

andcollision,remadethroughintersectionsofsocial,economicandpoliticalrelations,it

isnotsurprisingthatthepredominantformstoemergefromthesecontextspecific

invitationsaresocial,spatialandinterdisciplinary.

SpeculatingontheimpactofGillesDeleuzeandFlixGuattaristheoriesof

deterritorializationandnomadism,Kwonarguesthatwithincreasedpressureto

conceiveprojectswhichengagelocallybutspeakglobally,comesatendencyto

essentializepotentialcommunitiesandtoconfinearttoasetagenda.Kwons

argumentisdevelopedthroughacritiqueofNewGenrePublicArtinthe1990s(in

particularCultureinAction),referringexplicitlytoHalFosterscriticalexaminationof

theArtistasEthnographer.Fostercritiquesthepseudoanthropologicalintentof

engagementswiththeethnographicparticipantobserverwhereby,theartistis

typicallyanoutsiderwhohastheinstitutionallysanctionedauthoritytoengagethe

localeintheproductionoftheir(self)representation,andwarns,[s]uchmappingmay

thusconfirmratherthancontesttheauthorityofmapperoversiteinawaythatreduces

thedesiredexchangeofdialogicalfieldwork.9Writinginthemid1990s,Fostersubmits

artistssuchasCleggandGuttmannandcuratorialprojectssuchasCultureinAction,

butwemightwellconsiderrecentbiennialprojectssuchasEskoMnnikksportraits

oftheresidentsofAltbridgeParkinLiverpool(2004)orBojanSarcevicsWorkers

FavouriteClothesWornWhileS/heWorked,anexperimentinBerlinwhichgaugedthe

behaviourofworkersonandoffduty(2004).Theconsiderationhereisnotsimplyhow

theartistsandcommissioningbiennialsmayhave delimitedtheparticipants,butalso

howthenatureofthecollaborativerelationshipmayhavebeenpredetermined.

Kwonsrejoinderistosuggestthatcommunitybasedartmightbeapproachedasa

projectiveenterprise,ratherthanadescriptiveoneandthatprojectsshouldunsettle,

activateandraisequestions.10Onemighttheorisetheavantgardestruggle,she

suggests,asakindofspatialpolitics,topressurethedefinitionandlegitimationofart

bylocatingitelsewhere,inplacesotherthanwhereitbelongs.11Hence,theintention

touncoverlosthistories,torevealwhatisunknowntoacitysinhabitants,isessentially

negated.Beingsituated,embedded,tofeelthatyoubelongoratleastknowaplaceis

notnecessarilyofartisticmerit.Thisaestheticsofthewrongplaceisclosetothe

playful,psychogeographicalnatureoftheSituationistdriveandcanbedetectedin

recentbiennialprojectssuchasTheOfficeofAlternativeUrbanPlanninginSan

SebastianduringManifesta5andNedkoSolakovsArt&Life(InMyPartoftheWorld)

inIstanbul.Theseareinterventionistgestures,remedialactionsandshiftsinthestatus

quo,whichresisttherepresentative/documentarytendency.

KwonsargumenthasbeendevelopedrecentlybyLondonbasedartcriticClaire

Bishop(withoutspecificreferencetothebiennial)whohassuggestedthatthesocial

turnincontemporaryarthaspromptedanethicalturninartcriticism.CitingJeremy

DellerandPhilCollinsasexemplars,Bishopsuggests,

Thebestcollaborativepracticesofthepasttenyearsaddressthecontradictory

pullbetweenautonomyandsocialintervention,andreflectonthisantinomyboth

inthestructureoftheworkandintheconditionsofitsreception.12

GrantH.Kesterwouldarguethatbypressingforworkwhichresists(asBishop

suggests)truthfulnessandeducationalefficacyinfavourofconfrontingdarker,more

painfullycomplicatedconsiderations,wewouldmisstheopportunityforartprojects

whichengageinactsofsolidarity.Kesterarguesforadialogicalorconversationalart

whichallowstheviewertospeakbacktotheartistincertainways,andinwhichthis

replybecomesineffectapartoftheworkitself.13

KesterdevelopsthisargumentandhisresponsetoMiwonKwonscontributioninhis

bookConversationPieces:CommunityandCommunicationinModernArt.HereKester

suggeststhatperhapsartistscanalsoworkfromapositionofsolidarityratherthan

simplyasprovocateurs,andthattheeffectivenessofthissolidaritydependsontheir

sensitivitytolocalpoliticaldynamics,historiesandculturesandthepossibilityofa

sustainedrelationshipwithparticipants.14

Thus,asparticipant,viewer,collaboratorandclienthavebecomekeyrolesforthe

audiencesofthebiennial,sothenatureofengagementhasbecomeincreasinglyunder

scrutinyleadingtoatensionbetweentheunsettling,provocativeandinterventionist

andthecomplicit,strategicandcollaborative.Theunravellingofthisdebateinrecent

years(complicatedsomewhatbyapervasivemisreadingofNicolasBourriauds

RelationalAestheticsandtheconsequentconfusionofrelationalwithsocial

engagement)hasprovidedaplatformforthecriticalappraisalofsociallyengagedand

participatoryartworksinthecontextspecificbiennial.Consequently,curatorial

initiativeswhichseektoengendersuchinteractionsmustbegintounpackthe

terminologiesweusetodistinguishoneprojectfromeachother.Forexample,those

artistswhoinviteparticipation,oftenthroughacomplicitengagementwiththeirsubject,

butwhoessentiallyremainthesignatoriesoftheirwork(ThomasHirschhorn,Phil

Collins,SantiagoSierra),fromthosewhothoseembedthemselveswithinthesocial

fabricofacitythroughintervention(FrancisAls, MinervaCuevas,RomanOndk),

fromthosewhoworkcollaborativelyeffectingakindofsocialsculpture(Superflex,

Wochenklasur).So,tospeakofcontextasametaphor,predictionandlivedreality

necessitateslessanemphasisontheethicsofartisticengagementthanona

differentiationbetweentypesofengagementandthepotentialforresonanceinthe

resultingexhibitionbeyondmetaphor,predictionorlivedreality.

Andthisleadsustoconsiderthequestionofqualityandsignificance.Theunstated

aimofanycuratorialendeavouristoproduceasituationlikenoother.Everybiennial

propositioncanbeseenasaresponsetoitspeersanditsprecedents.Significanceis

judgedagainstcultural,politicalandeconomicagendasclaimsaremadefor

audiencefigures,sustainability,consumertargets,graduateretention,economic

benefit,thelistgoeson...Butwhatifwejudgetheresultingexhibitionsandprojects

againstthestatedaimstoaddressandempowerplaceashavingvalue,toconceive

thecityasaprivilegedsocialsiteandcatalytictrigger,torespondbothtotheurban

locationandtheimaginativechargethatthiscityrepresentsfortheworld,howdothe

workswhichresultfromtheseambitious,complexandsophisticatedcuratorial

methodologiesandstructuresactuallyrespondtoplaceanddotheyresultinsignificant

andsurprisingencounters?

LookingatthecriticalresponsestotheLiverpoolBiennialin2004andstanbulin

2005,itappearsthatstanbulemergedasacriticalsuccessthoughattractedfewer

numbersofpeople.Criticsheraldedthelatterforitsarticulationofpleasureand

politics,aconfidentworldviewandunpretentioussenseoflocalplace,whilst

responsestotheLiverpoolBiennialweretemperedbytheallegeddegreeof

parochialismandarepetitiveriffing(orevenanunreflectivecapitalization)oncertain

politicallyorculturallychargedepisodesfromthecityshistory.15Thoughthe

exhibitionsdivergedfromoneanotherinselected sitesandaccompanying

programmes,bothweredevelopedthroughadialoguebetweenlocalandinternational

curators.ArtistsintheLiverpoolInternational04wereselectedbyfourcurator

researchersSabineBreitwieser,YuYeonKim,CuauhtmocMedinaandApinan

Poshyanandaandsupportedtoproducenewartworksbyahometeamofcuratorsat

TateLiverpool,FACT,BluecoatandOpenEyeGallerywhilstIstanbulemergedfroma

dialoguebetweenEindhovenbasedEscheandIstanbulbasedKortun.

Whatmaydistinguishcriticallyacclaimedbiennialsfromthemorequasi

anthropologicalistheircapacitytoallowprojectstoemergeovertimeindifferent

guisesindialoguewithexistingworksandcontexts.Ifweweretoconsidersomeofthe

mostsignificantartprojectstorespondtoplaceofthepastfiveyears,amongthem

JeremyDellersTheBattleofOrgreave(2001),WhenFaithMovesMountains(2002)

byFrancisAlsandJavierTellezsOneFlewOvertheVoidforInsite_05,wewould

seethattheyaremultifaceted,temporaryanddurationalexperientialandhighlyvisual

interdisciplinaryinvolvingnotonlyotherartforms,butotherfieldsofknowledgeand

lastly,spectacularlyengaging.16Theseprojectseffectasenseofthewrongplaceby

shiftingthestatusquo,byinterveninginthebordered,prescribedspacesoflocation

andconsequently,whenthe filmsofallthreeprojectshavecirculatedthroughtheart

economy,thesedislocationshavebeenmeaningfulbeyondthespecificsofLima,

OrgreaveandTijuana/SanDiego.

Iremainsomewhatsuspiciousaboutwhethertheinternationalscatteredsiteexhibition

isthemostappropriatecontextinwhichtoconsiderplacethroughthecommissioning

ofnewartworks.Recenthistoryhasshownthatthecuratorialemphasisonthecityas

researchsubject,interlocutor,socialcontextandphysicalsitemayleadtoexhibitions

whicharetoointerpretative,tooquasianthropologicalincharacter.Mostsignificant

placeresponsiveorcontextspecificprojects,whethertheyunsettleandprovokea

senseofthewrongplaceorworkcollaborativelytoeffectsocialchange,need flexible

timeframesandtendtoemergefromdifferentkindsofmotivationthanagroup

exhibitionrationale.Thatsaidthechallengetoproduceasituationinwhichsuch

projectsmightoccurindialoguewithoneanother, alongwithexistinghistoricaland

contemporaryworks,inthecontextofthedynamicintersectionsofplaceisstillhardto

resist.

ClaireDoherty.Thepersonusingtheresearchresourceonlinemayview,reproduceorstorecopiesofthispaperprovidingtheinformationisonlyfortheirindividualuse,andisnotusedforcommercialpurposes.Anycopiesofthispaper,inwholeorinpart,mustincludethecopyrightnoticeaboveandthecustomarybibliographiccitationgivenonthefrontpageofthispaper.

1Hicks,Dan.DaysattheZoo:ArchaeologicalPerspectivesonContext,NostalgiaandSiteSpecificity.2005. TheWrongPlaceRethinkingContextinContemporaryArtConference.Bristol.5February2005.2Biggs,LewisandDeclanMcGonagle.Foreword.International04.Ed.PaulDomela.Liverpool:LiverpoolBiennial,2004Manifesta5PressRelease.Manifesta.29March2004.GwangjuBiennaleExhibitionConcept.EFlux.8August2005..3 IstanbulBiennialPressRelease.October2004..4McGonagle,Declan.TerribleBeauty.International04.Ed.PaulDomela.Liverpool:LiverpoolBiennial,2004.5 ExhibitionConcept.12April2006..6ThisarticlewasoriginallypublishedinOntakinganormalsituationandretranslatingitintooverlappingandmultiplereadingsofconditionspastandpresent.Antwerp:MUKHA,1993:135152.ArevisedversionwaspublishedinHarding,Anna.Curating:TheContemporaryArtMuseumandBeyond.London:Art&Design,1997.7Massey,Doreen.AGlobalSenseofPlace.ReadingHumanGeography.Eds.TrevorBarnesandDerekGregory.London:Arnold,1997:315325.8Kwon,Miwon.OnePlaceafterAnother:SiteSpecificArtandLocationalIdentity.Cambridge,Mass:MITPress,2002.9Foster,Hal.TheArtistasEthnographer.TheReturnoftheReal.Cambridge,Mass:MIT,1996:19710Kwon,Miwon.PublicArtandUrbanIdentities.PublicArtStrategies:PublicArtandPublicSpace.Ed.CherylYounger.NewYork:NewYorkUniversity,1998:168.11Kwon,Miwon.OnePlaceOnePlaceafterAnother:SiteSpecificArtandLocationalIdentity.Cambridge,Mass:MITPress,2002:165.12Bishop,Claire.TheSocialTurn:CollaborationsanditsDiscontents.ArtforumFebruary2006:178183.13Kester,Grant,H.DialogicalAesthetics:ACriticalFrameworkforLittoralArt..12April2006.14Kester,Grant.H.ConversationPieces:CommunityandCommunicationinModernArt.BerkeleyandLosAngeles:UniversityofCaliforniaPress,2004.15PollyStapleinFrieze.Issue96.JanuaryFebruary,2006:113andTomMorton.LiverpoolBiennial04.Frieze.Issue87.NovemberDecember,2004:10816 TheBattleofOrgreavewasareenactmentofoneofthemostviolentconfrontationsoftheminersstrikein1984,whichtookplaceon17June2001.FrancisAls,CuandoIafmuevemontaas(Whenfaithmovesmountains),2002,incollaborationwithCuauhtmocMedinaandRafaelOrtega,Lima.Perutookplaceon11April2002.OneFlewOvertheVoidacollaborationbetweenJavierTellez,theBajaCaliforniaMentalHealthCenterinMexicoandhumancannonballDavidSmithtookplaceinAugust2005aspartofInsite_05.SmithwasfiredacrosstheUSMexicanborder fromTijuanatoaBorderFieldStateParkinSanDiego.