CuratingArt Now is a timely reflection on the practice of curating and the role ofthe art curator during a period of rapid change. Curating has a pivotalposition in the art world: it is embedded in the identity and expertise ofthe museum and plays an ever-increasing role in the commercial art sectortoo. Current curatorial practice encompasses a wide range of activities, fromthe care of collections in museums to the presentation of large-scalecontemporary biennials, and from collaboration with artists to presentationsof work on digital platforms. Curating has grownsubstantially in the last decades, and in the early 2020s is undergoing asignificant period of transition as it grapples with some fundamentalquestions. How diverse and inclusive is curating as a profession, and howdoes that inform the art and artists who come to prominence? How possible isit to conduct exploratory and inclusive curatorial work in the challengingeconomic climate of the early 2020s? What is the extent of a curator’sautonomy within the various institutions and structures in which they work,and what power dynamics are at work between artists and curators? Finally,how might digital art and exhibition-making give way to hybrid forms ofpractice, and even challenge the face of traditional curating? LilianCameron’s lively review addresses all of these issues, and considers thefuture landscape of curating in an uncertain world.
