Issue No. 59, Fall 2008
Death of the Curator: A Forensic Analysis of Curatorial PracticeWhenever there is a rupture in the traditional fabric of cultural production, it is not unusual to cry hypothetical wolf. The death of the author, the death of the object, the cyclical zombification of painting, the collapse of the power of the critic: aphorisms abound and rebound, eventually comforting us through inevitable reification. But what if we were to shelve the ivory ping-pong paddles and take up, for instance, full contact paintball? It would certainly liven up the debate—and the playing field. In this spirit, Art Lies,in conjunction with Guest Editorial Contributor Julieta Aranda, hereby announces the Death of the Curator. This is not a coup d'état , mind you, just a “modest proposal” of sorts. Why a forensic analysis…because of its clinical connotation—because of the folds, overlaps and sutures that complicate the distinction between current curatorial and artistic practices.
— Anjali Gupta, Editor, Art Lies
Art Lies, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization established in 1993, publishes a contemporary art quarterly that provides a forum for the critical exploration and examination of current art production, practice and theory. Art Lies is funded in part by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, The Houston Endowment, The Brown Foundation, The Tocker Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Texas Commission on the Arts, Houston Arts Alliance and our members.
Art Lies | PO Box 1408 | Houston, Texas | 77251-1408 | 832 366 1388 | info@artlies.org.
Source: Art Lies
