Notes on Projects

Curatorial Workshop- Notes
First module: Curation as Praxis - Research and Text
5 September 2016
Day 1, We people had a general discussion about the different kinds of curation and their relevant methodologies.
In this workshop, we are understanding the roles which a curator occupies within visual arts through various case studies.

GROUP DISCUSSIONS 

The focus is on the research and textual aspects of curation.

• Understanding the meaning of the object in a curatorial context; i.e.; what could be the different objects through which text can be shown.
• Various ideas had been discussed like the relationship between spaces, objects, notions, values, and types.
• Spaces like public space, white cube space for an exhibition.
• The idea of value; i.e.; something related to aesthetics and ethics from which we can decide what is good or bad in context to the art object in a particular structure.
• When the structure changes the notion of an artwork itself changes.
• Thematic and formal aspects of curation.
• Exploring curatorial research and the modus operandi; i.e.; what could be the curatorial research and what will the approach.

Framework of the curation

• Space;
• Visual time of the show;
• Audience;
• Understanding the curatorial texts to different kinds of texts and the methods of generating relevant communication.

At the end of the discussion; we people broke into groups in such a manner that the MVA II year art history students will be curating their dissertation topics and MVA I year students would be assisting them.

Group 1: Bilash Sardar and Gangotree Das Gupta
Topic: Early Modernism in Baroda Sculpture, in early-mid 20th century.
Idea: How the concept changes from 19th century to contemporary Baroda sculptors mainly in the essence of modernism. How the sculptural tradition is changing in the ideology, language of sculptures in Baroda school.

Feedback: Gangotree has to do independent research on this topic about the artists.

Group 2: Chitralekha Singh and Bapan Ruidas
Topic: Bharat Bhavan according to J. Swaminathan vision.
Idea: Focus is on J. Swaminathan's ideologies socio-political situation during that period (the 1980s); movement affecting his principles and Bharat Bhavan and idea of indigenous in the formation of Bharat Bhavan.

Feedback: They have to research more about Bharat Bhavan, and to find out what aspect they want to show in this curation.

Find out the linkage between Shantiniketan and Bharat Bhavan; Jawahar Kala Kendra, Jyoti Bhatt (Swaminathan' contemporary);

the connection between craft and fine art (K.G. Subramaniam); to find about the identity politics(the 1980s); and about Dalit and tribal communities.

Group 3: Shramona Maiti and Shriraj Sagara

Topic: Materiality -its framework and practice. Taking Baroda as

a case study and about interest in conceptual art.

Idea: Trace about the padagogy; Artist who was aware where material is not just a medium; brought to contemporary artist.

Talked about Vivan Sundaram and Anita Dubey; Searched artist from Exhibition like Matter Vision and Maya.

Feedback : They have tosearch about the first lily conceptual artist Kiran Subahiya; andother artists and to find about Maxmiler Bhavan.

Group 4: Tarushikha Shaktawat and Madhubanti Chanda

Topic: Pre-Rashtrakuta Art; Experimentation done with the small rulers; Not looking as dynasty but as identity.

Idea: Focus was on the historical background of Rashtrakuta period; pre-imperialism; Linear tradition of art history; rock cut architecture and its aesthetic practice; talk about Vasavi, Dosa, khorsa, Kutus, Mandappas, Vijayawada , Amruta cave; etc.

Feedback: To trace what aspect they want to show in the context of this curation;

To find about the theoretical definition of term identity; post modernism post colonial period; how identity forms what people is claiming;

to figure out the approachof identity, whether, to show guild or dynastical thing.

Group 5: Naomi Noronha and Chandni Guha Roy 

Topic: Internet art

Idea: Dealing with a contemporary subject;talked about art net.art movement; started from 1980's and 1994; talks about Shilpa Gupta who has used internet art as her art medium in 2003; talks about concept art related to craft; concept of on and off.

Feedback: Search about “Self refrenciality of art” (how art history is internally generated);

Also search about internetart in different countries like Philippines, Mexico, South Africa,Argentina , Brazil, China; etc.

Group 6: Rahul Majumder and Priyanka Kundu

Topic: Pata paintings (formulation more about stylistic concept according to Bengal).

Idea: Historiography of pata paintings have been studied; how the visuals comes into narrative; methodological theories.

Feedback: To search outwhich concern they want to explore in this workshop (more likecritical appreciation of the dissertation topic).

Group 7: Sarang Sharma and Meghavi Saini

Topic: Islamic Chahar-Bagh garden; how it is related to Sufism philosophy; concern about Islamic architecture.

Idea: Chahar-Bagh garden layout has already been there in middle eastern countries before Islam and many Sufism philosophies is there; i.e.;philosophy travelling; Styles which people pick up during that time while they are travelling; how it adapts to Islam. (Mecca, Arab, Iran, Afghanistan, India; etc)

Feedback: Search about themaps showing the journies of sufis; their timeline and of Chahar-Bagh.

Group 8: Shubhankar Chakraborty and Maradona Daniel

Topic: Methodology approach and Colonial aspect in iconography in Bengal Terracotta Temples (Artpur)

Idea: Search about Marxism in Art History; Marxist reading over Bengal terracotta temples decoratives; socio-political culture of that particular time.

Feedback: To see visualsrelated to the topics (Bengali Culture; contemporary bazaar art ).

Group 9: Antony Joseph Nangelimalil and Shreya Harsole

Topic: Retables of St. Thomas Christian Church; Works on architecture and churches of Kerala.

Idea: Discussion about sects of Christianity, when and why the churches made; Split in Kerala after the arrival of Portuguese;

Feedback: To find about the historical timeline of Christianity in Kerala; how the christian churches were divided into Portuguese, protestant, catholic;

How Kerala culture migrates, as religion comes in country by number of ways;ritualistic; decorative context; and also search about stylistic concern.

Group 10: Sharmita Das and Ramyia Arry

Topic : Research on the Bengal Artist Partha Pratim Deb

Idea: Influence of pop art and dadaism in the works of Partha Pratim's works; no particular subject matter of his artworks.

Feedback: Search about histimeline, visuals and other artists who have been influenced byPartha Pratim.

Group 11: Siddhi Parikh and Sarika Kumari

Topic:Craft Revival (Arts & Craft Movement)

Idea: Dis ciphering the colonial identity: in respect to Dr. Bhau Daji Museum. Focus is on the Craft Revival (Arts & Craft Movement) in England, USA, and in India; How are the people coming up; Why and When.

6 September 2016

We, people had a general discussion about the significant terms of curation

• Intertextuality: In curational aspect, intertextualilty refers to building relationship between to texts. It is a backbone of curation. In context to art, it is similiar to cross referring to history to build narrative to form a contemporary life.
  It is more like bringing visual into art history. Intertextualilty is created from past to present. Its like to frame that text can also be a visual.
  Narrative can be build by putting individual painting next to each other; and by placing certain things like:
• Wall text,
• Tittle of the artwork;
• Focusing mainly on the framing of the work;
• Technical things like how would be the lightning;

The primary responsibilities of the Curator are:

• Care,
• Presentation,
• Interpretation;
• Acquisition;

As curator's responsibility was not only to display objects but also to take care of it while taking the artwork from one exhibition; or gallery; to another. Its like curator should have intimate relationship with the objects.

• Conflict of Interest: By this term, we mean ending up something which is against the professional ethics and interest of job.

Modes of Production By Karl Marx was also been dicussed;

• Labour,
• Capital,
• Land,
• Technology.

In group dicussions, it has been decided to search about

• Key research concern;
• What will they be implementing in this curation;
• they should do their textual reading and visual analyzing;
• What are the notion of indentity according to their topic.