[curatorial.net] beginning on line discussion

[Joasia]

Paul, 

Many thanks for your postings and taking time to introduce your current work
to the List.

I have yet to work through your interview with Seth Siegelaub but I wondered
about two issues you raised in your first posting:

> I have a BA in Fine Art, MA in Architecture and Spatial Culture and just
completed a theory-practice based PhD. 


I wondered about the phenomena of 'curatorial' practice based PhDs -   a
relatively recent phenomena that (much like the independent curatorial
practice itself) appears to have a precedence in artistic field, and also
appears to be a largely UK-specific model (but I may be wrong on this of
course).

I wondered more generally about 'value' of such curatorial PhDs, about
methodological models they adapt (in particular the grounded theory model),
and more specifically how they might contribute towards the more general
'curatorial theory'. Having been just completing one myself, I found the
theoretical discourse around curating per se somewhat limited. And
therefore, paraphrasing Victor Burgin, I say 'towards' rather than 'to' as
such overtly curatorial theory does not seem to exist yet; it has not been
fully developed although some of its components may already be identified in
other theoretical fields.

And on another point you make:

> Perhaps as a way of beginning a discussion, I could begin with some questions:
What recent or current place-based commissioning projects in the South-West,
nationally or internationally have played an important part in your work as
curators or commissioners and why? What site-responsive commissioning have you
been involved in as a curator?

I would like to add few examples of fairly recent site-responsive
commissions as a way of contrast to demonstrate different curatorial
approaches not only to the commissioning process but also to current
understanding of the notion of 'public art' (that might be described as
'extended'). 

All examples are from Plymouth (UK) and I should also declare that I have
been involved (along with a collective of three other curators) in one of
these projects:

Portland Square memorial http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/pages/view.asp?page=15800
Arch-OS 'software for buildings' http://www.arch-os.com/index.html
Social Hacking, series of temporary public art commission (for Plymouth)
http://www.kurator.org/wiki/main/read/Hack+Commissions

I wonder about other examples that might stretch the spectrum?

joasia