# How do you think one can intervene with a curatorial theoretical project when there is suddenly an excess of programmes/ events already “cultivating professional curators”?
According to us it is absolutely useful to have several events running parallel to each other attempting to ‘cultivate’ professional curators and redefine curatorial practices as such; given that each one has its own focus and purpose. In principle, these initiatives, as such can have certain reciprocity, and can develop interactive possibilities and may give rise to valuable understanding about the practices of curation. At the same time, one has to keep a productive skepticism about the sudden surge of lot of curatorial programs, supported by various agencies and institutions. The fact is that presently no university level educational institution in the country is offering any professional training in curation. But on the other hand due to various reasons curation as a specialized activity has come to exist in the Indian art scene since over about fifteen years. Our skepticism and critique of the nature of most of the on- going practices of curation in the country was central in the conceptualization while we are mooted the idea of a travelling workshop around curatorial theory. We think that most of the curatorial ventures, with very few exceptions, are merely about putting together an art exhibition. Most of these put-ups are largely for commercial purposes, and definitively lacked any critical or historical insights as such, and so we felt the need to think in the direction of inculcating art critical inputs into this rapidly growing cultural practice. Moreover, our academic interest in developing a curriculum for a university level course on critical curation is also a central factor of this initiative. It is because of this reason that we decided to pitch the workshop program at the level of a critical engagement with existing curatorial practices as well as theoretical developments.
# since its pronounced as a academic project how do you think the fine arts institutes in India would be responding(if at all) considering the obsolete condition of art historical departments in most of the institutes?
Well, we hope to draw some participants of each workshop from the fine arts institutes. Well, given the dismal conditions there off, it will be difficult to predict the interest from such quarters, or the impact or result of such short term program upon the institutions and their pedagogy. But, we hope that these series of workshop definitely would produce certain impact on the present academic scenario. In other words, this initiative itself can be read as an attempt to create alternative pedagogical spaces.
# Having provided a well researched, interesting, important reading material, Do you think the class room habits of reading, presenting, discussing and re-presenting the information provided and the concept notes would be creatively answering the professional and non academic needs of the practice.
First of all, one of the principle aims of these workshops is to develop the conceptual ambit of curatorial practices. It is central in redefining curatorial practices as critical cultural practices. To facilitate this, a thorough reading on the theoretical aspects of curatorial practices is introduced as a crucial component of these workshops. Having a specific reader for each workshop, insistence on reading, presenting, re-presenting and discussing, and again developing a curation-concept-note and it’s presenting, re-presenting and discussing, is basically an exercise that we consider as a crucial input necessary for developing self-sufficient curator professionals with inbuilt critical and historical knowledge. Our conviction is that if the academic/theoretical ground is sound, the practical aspects will evolve on its own. But, in any case the focus of the workshop is on the academic rigor and not the non- academic/practical issues. We may add that there are agencies like KHOJ and many different kinds of galleries in the country dealing with the non- academic/practical aspects, and the aspiring curators will need to negotiate and re-negotiate with what is possible and what is not, when they have to translate their ideas into reality. Moreover, there are also curatorial projects which are absolutely virtual (say using internet) which do not require to deal with the so called non- academic/practical/infrastructural issues.
# What were the short comings you felt with regard to the first workshop and how do you think of overcoming them particularly with regards to multi disciplinary practices/ participants?
The very first workshop that was held in Baroda was deliberately broad-based and that was it strength and its limitation. Strength because it generated discussions on varied areas and in that sense was exploratory. The limitation was that it was difficult to go deeper into some of the areas that were identified, which we hope will be addressed in the forthcoming events. Despite thematic focus envisaged in the forthcoming events, the aspect of multi disciplinary practices/ participants will be maintained, we hope.
# Considering the fact that the entire Indian art world is still not clear about the changes in the forms of artwork itself how do you think a curatorial theoretical programme would address the needs of the art-community.
The absence of a clear understanding about the rapid pace in which the idea of art work is constantly changing indicates certain crucial questions regarding curation and the field of artistic production in general. If curation is just a mere act of showcasing the art in the way in which we understand, define, and experience the ‘art work’ and a certain mode of contextualization then it would be difficult to define its political efficacy. On the contrary, if curation as a critical cultural practice is at par with redefining the existing modes of artistic production, dissemination and consumption then only it would able to redefine the normative and hegemonic conception about the art-community itself (considering the fact that the gallery- going and largely elite group defines and determines the community as such). Ideally, a critical curatorial practice should make sure the inoperativeness of this community; and in fact that should be the prime motto and mover of its critical spirit.
# other than organizing workshops what would be the function of this nodal center for curation theory.
Apart from the series of five workshops and one colloquium, we hope to develop a course structure/curriculum for curatorial studies at post-graduate level in the university.
# how did your experience of curating (beyond credos) and organizing (multitudes, tracing erasures and other shows) help while working on this project.
We don’t see any serious implication of these shows upon the workshop projects on curation. Our interest about this initiative is largely drawn from the academic and pedagogical dimensions of curation than our own curatorial or organizational experiences per se.
# What is the significance of selecting these places for conducting the workshop which is not within the ambit of the gallery centers so also about curations.
We observed that generally many arts related activities are happening in metropolises like Delhi and Mumbai and there is no need to add one more event in such places. One of the thematic focuses in the workshops is going to be exploring the regional identity questions in relation to national mainstream. Moreover, we wanted to explore the specific dynamics of art making and showing in relation to marginal regions say like Kerala, North East or Jammu and Kashmir. Art history of these regions are somehow been sidelined while writing or curating national histories. Then, there is also a question of how to frame/curate the seemingly backward art. Going by the developments in the recent past, each of these centers have a specific social and political history which needs to be seen in relation to artistic expressions. By having equal representation reserved for the local participants in each of these workshops we hope to understand the problematic of representing the issues that exists in these regional areas.
# Why do you think the topic of region, gender and sexualities is relevant for the workshop in Kerala?
Of course these thematic are important for any place. But at the same time, we hope such initiatives may strengthen the debates around these thematic in the Kerala public sphere. These observations we are making considering the fact that there are already a lot of debates are taking place in Kerala regarding these issues. For instance, the recent controversy over the repeated attack on a dalit women auto-rickshaw driver Chitralekha by the Left trade union (male) workers, and the subsequent debates about the nature of mainstream feminism and dalit feminist’s critique on them and discussions around the newer modes of patriarchal structures and their moral policing etc. illustrate these.
However, from the experience we have gathered from Baroda workshop these are areas that needed urgent focus in a general and broader level too. Region as a focus is possibly going to remain in the two more events; in Jammu as well in North East. Another topic of significance is with regard to Art Historical discipline and museum curation, curating popular culture, which hopefully we would be able to address in the Hyderabad event. There are also thematic like curation and new media art and photography, which would also be addressed in subsequent events. It is also closely linked to developing the curriculum through these series of intellectual engagement. By giving a special (but broader) thematic to each workshop would enable us to identify specific areas, which need unique attention in the academic curriculum.
# How have the galleries which are promoting the present mode of curations react to your project.
Apart from a few gallery owners showed interest in attending some of the open sessions which we have welcomed, there are no specific reactions from any of these quarters regarding the workshops. However, we hope to have certain inputs from them, which was the reason why we had invited Arshia Lokhandwala as a Resource Person in the Baroda workshop.
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