Loved reading this, Pablo. Your early comparison of curators to conductors made me think about the mythology of individual genius. Whether it’s a score or essay, it’s hard to shake the hold of one’s own interpretation. As collaborators, we know that inclusion of multiple perspectives is a process of letting go. This is an important moment. Do curators continue the tightening based on antiquated models of museums as class gatekeepers? Or do they trust the messy process of collaboration which requires personal humility and trusting others.
Thanks for bringing up the changing nature of what might be today's curatorial job description. But I'm not sure about the comparison with contemporary conducting. Today's conductors often work with 3-4-5 orchestras and with many orchestras--such as the LA Phil's Gustavo Dudamel and previously Essa- Pekka--their principal conductors are extraordinarily civic-minded.
You are right Robert—contemporary conductors are very civic-minded, but I suspect you would agree that so are art curators. And curatorial working approaches have diversified just as much as those of conducting, with many curators often keeping their full-time museum jobs while also curating international biennials in not a dissimilar way to how some conductors wear many international hats. The challenge which I try to point at is that cultural leadership models (and not only in the visual arts or music), while it has evolved overall, it still leave much to be desired.
Loved reading this, Pablo. Your early comparison of curators to conductors made me think about the mythology of individual genius. Whether it’s a score or essay, it’s hard to shake the hold of one’s own interpretation. As collaborators, we know that inclusion of multiple perspectives is a process of letting go. This is an important moment. Do curators continue the tightening based on antiquated models of museums as class gatekeepers? Or do they trust the messy process of collaboration which requires personal humility and trusting others.
Thanks for bringing up the changing nature of what might be today's curatorial job description. But I'm not sure about the comparison with contemporary conducting. Today's conductors often work with 3-4-5 orchestras and with many orchestras--such as the LA Phil's Gustavo Dudamel and previously Essa- Pekka--their principal conductors are extraordinarily civic-minded.
You are right Robert—contemporary conductors are very civic-minded, but I suspect you would agree that so are art curators. And curatorial working approaches have diversified just as much as those of conducting, with many curators often keeping their full-time museum jobs while also curating international biennials in not a dissimilar way to how some conductors wear many international hats. The challenge which I try to point at is that cultural leadership models (and not only in the visual arts or music), while it has evolved overall, it still leave much to be desired.