El diseño ha proporcionado soluciones contra la propagación de las epidemias en la historia y esta no es una excepción, pero con criterio. Arquitectura, arte y ciencia se unen para dar un mensaje: la desinformación es la peor de las pandemias.
A la izquierda, uno de los retratos de la serie ‘Cómo sobrevivir a un virus global mortal’, con la que el artista Max Siedentogf llama a la calma. A la derecha, el prototipo del escudo ‘Be A Batman’, del arquitecto chino Sun Dayong, que no solo evita el contagio, sino que mantiene la temperatura en la que el virus muere.
El coronavirus, llamado en términos médicos COVID-19, todavía no ha sido declarado pandemia, pero su expansión imparable por todo el mundo hace crecer la paranoia alimentada por el ciclo diabólico de las noticias. Las imágenes de ciudades enteras en cuarentena, aeropuertos cerrados, supermercados vacíos y la cancelación de los eventos internacionales empezaron en Asia, continuaron por Europa, con Milán como centro neurálgico, y amenazan ahora a Estados Unidos. El futuro apocalíptico de las películas de ciencia ficción se palpa en esos lugares.
Desde Leonardo Da Vinci en el siglo XV hasta la actualidad, los diseñadores han buscado soluciones para prevenir la propagación de las plagas con ideas que reflejan las fobias y los miedos humanos más profundos. Pero que también crean una estética de la pandemia, ya sea con hospitales de campaña levantados en tiempo récord, mascarillas como código de vestimenta obligatorio o aparatos de alta tecnología como drones y mapas interactivos de su avance. O el curioso caddie –un híbrido entre el Papa-móvil y el sillón Retreat Pod, de Roger Dean– con el que evacúan a las personas con síntomas de coronavirus en los aeropuertos de China.
Pronto nos podríamos ver todos ataviados con el escudo Be A Batman (“sé un Batman”), creado por el arquitecto chino Sun Dayong a raíz de la aparición del coronavirus. Es un accesorio futurista inspirado en los murciélagos, una de las posibles fuentes del COVID-19, cuyas temperaturas corporales aumentan mientras vuelan, lo que les permite sobrevivir a pesar de tener la enfermedad.
Un posible paciente de coronavirus es evacuado en un aeropuerto de China el pasado enero. | XINYAN YU / TWITTER
Dayong, confundador del estudio Penda, ha utilizado un material de fibra de carbono para crear una membrana corporal que se cuelga como una mochila. Tiene una película de PVC con unos cables incrustados que calientan el plástico a una temperatura lo suficientemente elevada para matar al patógeno.
Este traje de protección es todavía un prototipo, pero su creador espera encontrar un patrocinador y ofrece sus servicios de forma gratuita. Después de contener una epidemia, piensa que el escudo se podría actualizar con la tecnología de Google Glass, o simplemente usarse como un “espacio móvil privado único para las personas”.
La cuarentena es, por el momento, el método más eficaz y más antiguo para luchar contra virus como el de Wuhan. Leonardo Da Vinci, tras sobrevivir a las plagas bubónicas que azotaron Milán entre 1484 y 1485, diseñó una ciudad futura de tres niveles que eliminaba los barrios abarrotados y separaba el comercio, la vivienda y el transporte. Nunca se llegó a construir.
Plano de Leonardo da Vinci para la ciudad ideal, diseñada tras las plagas bubónicas que azotaron Milán entre 1484 y 1485.
Fue el primer proyecto de planificación urbanística pensado con ideas de higiene y prevención de enfermedades. Ya en el siglo XIX, la tuberculosis impulsó la construcción de sanatorios, como el famoso Paimio, del arquitecto finlandés Alvar Aalto en el sudoeste de Finlandia. En esta ocasión, China ha logrado una hazaña de la arquitectura y la ingeniería de cuarentena defensiva con la construcción en diez días de un hospital de 34.000 metros cuadrados y mil camas en Wuhan, epicentro del brote. Y espera abrir el segundo para 1.500 enfermos en los próximos días.
Una realidad distópica de humanos con sus propios rostros impresos en unas máscaras es el efecto que provoca la creación de Danielle Baskin. Diseñadora de producto, emprendedora y artista visual a partes iguales de 32 años, ha inventado estos accesorios que permiten desbloquear los teléfonos que funcionan por reconocimiento facial y seguir utilizándolos mientras se lucha contra el virus.
La diseñadora Danielle Baskin muestra su prototipo de máscara de rtostro humano que permite desbloquear la pantalla del teléfono con reconocimiento facial. | DANIELLE BASKIN
Cuando un tuitero le preguntó si era una broma, Baskin contestó: “Si. No. No estamos seguros. Los virus no son una broma. Lávate las manos cuando puedas. Y vacúnate cuando puedas”. Los ha probado en el modelo N95, uno de los antifaces más comunes, pero no estarán disponibles durante la actual crisis vírica por la imposibilidad de cubrir el alto número de pedidos que ha recibido.
La desinformación es la verdadera amenaza
Un chiste parecen las múltiples soluciones caseras que los ciudadanos lucen estos días por las calles de las principales urbes del mundo. La crisis del coronavirus ha agudizado el ingenio. Cuentas de Instagram como la neoyorquina Subway creatures o la china Shanghai Observed recogen los modelos más disparatados hechos ad hoc que se ven estos días en las calles.
El miedo irracional al coronavirus ha llevado al diseñador y artista germano-namibio Max Siedentopf, residente en Londres, a crear una docena de retratos provocativos con personas ataviadas con mascarillas hechas con ropa interior, una hoja de lechuga, una botella de plástico o una compresa.
Bajo el título Cómo sobrevivir a un virus global mortal, Siedentogf pretende ofrecer “soluciones útiles para usar objetos cotidianos simples para protegerse”. Una crítica a la desesperación por comprar máscaras, a pesar de que los médicos hayan advertido de su eficacia limitada. El mensaje, con el que el artista pretendía “sacarnos de nuestra zona de confort”, no ha sido recibido como esperaba y Siedentogf ha tenido que pedir disculpas a las decenas de personas que escribieron sintiéndose ofendidas por este trabajo.
‘Cómo sobrevivir a un virus global mortal’, la serie de retratos del artista Max Siedentopf, en los que utiliza objetos cotidianos como máscaras antivirus. | MAX SIEDENTOPF‘Cómo sobrevivir a un virus global mortal’. | MAX SIEDENTOPF
Aun así, lo más útil en estas circunstancias es no dejarse llevar por el pánico. La desinformación es la amenaza real. Con los precedentes de respuestas mal calculadas en casos como el VIH o el ébola, los investigadores de la Universidad de Johns Hopkins de Baltimore (Maryland) han desarrollado un mapa donde se puede seguir en vivo la propagación de la epidemia. Su objetivo es impulsar la comprensión científica y aumentar la percepción pública del riesgo: de los 95.748 casos totales detectados hasta el momento de la publicación de este artículo, 53.422 se han recuperado.
Con este enfoque, el Museo Americano de Historia Natural de Nueva York organizó dos exposiciones: Epidemia (1999) y Cuenta atrás para cero (2015-2017) sobre el desarrollo de las pandemias buscando neutralizar los temores, fomentar la empatía con las víctimas y la importancia de la ciencia. En definitiva: el diseño, la crítica, el arte y la ciencia unidas en un solo mensaje: que no cunda el pánico.
Premier Art Fairs in Cologne, Buenos Aires, Dallas Postponed Over Coronavirus Concerns
With more and more governments across the world calling for large-scale gatherings of people to be canceled and postponed in face of the continued spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19), three major art fairs—one in Buenos Aires that is considered to be among Latin America’s premier fairs; one in Cologne, Germany, that is a destination for collectors; and one in Texas—said they would postpone this year’s editions.
Art Cologne, the world’s oldest art fair, said it would postpone this year’s edition until November 19–22. It had originally been slated to run April 23–26. The fair was to convene more than 170 galleries from around the world.
“The health of all trade fair participants is our top priority,” the fair said in a statement. While the government that oversees Cologne had banned gatherings with more 1,000 until April 10, the fair said it was postponing this year’s edition because its organizers were expecting the ban to be prolonged.
coronavirus protection suit
In a statement sent to ARTnews, the organizers of arteBA, the fair in Argentina’s capital, said that they had no choice but to postpone the upcoming main fair and its satellite event, “Utopia 2020,” both scheduled for April 16–19, after the government of Buenos Aires suspended all major gatherings. ArteBA said that each year the fair receives around 90,000 visitors during its run.
The arteBA statement reads, “The measure is in line with the recommendations of authorities and specialists and with the efforts that the main actors of the art world are making on a global level in the face of this problem.… The organizers of arteBA stress that their first priority is to ensure the well-being and health of all those who are in one way or another linked to the fair, especially in an extremely delicate context such as the current one.”
ArteBA said it did not immediately have new dates, and that the timing for this year’s fair would be determined “once the conditions for the fair to run in an absolutely safe way.” The statement added that “special consideration” would be given to the “opinions and interests” of the participating exhibitors, sponsors, artist-run spaces, and more that contribute to the fair.
The organizers of the Dallas Art Fair in Texas also said that it would postpone the upcoming edition. Originally set to run April 16-19, it will now take place October 1–4. The fair said it would honor all tickets that had been purchased for the April dates.
In a statement, Kelly Cornell, the Dallas Art Fair’s director, said “While the decision was not made easily, the health and wellbeing of the Dallas Art Fair’s gallerists, visitors, and staff are our top priority and the fair must make every effort to contain the spread of the virus.”
Across the world, several art fairs have also recently called off their scheduled editions running this month and next, including the L.A. Art Book Fair and Paris Photo New York, which said on Wednesday, March 11 that they would not go on as planned.
To minimize health risks during the coronavirus outbreak, LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes is closed until further notice. We have canceled or postponed public programs and rentals through mid-May. School hands-on workshops, tours and teacher training are cancelled or postponed throughout March, April and mid-May.
Keep up-to-date on developments on our website and on our social media pages.
Thank you for your support.
Saturday, March 14, 2020 – 10:00am
To minimize health risks during the coronavirus outbreak, LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes is closed until further notice. We have canceled or postponed public programs and rentals throughout March. School hands-on workshops, tours and teacher training are cancelled or postponed throughout March and April.
Keep up-to-date on developments on our website and on our social media pages.
Thank you for your support.
Thursday, March 12, 2020 – 4:40pm
While the situation with the coronavirus COVID-19 is rapidly evolving, our highest priority is the health, safety, and well-being of our staff, visitors and LA Plaza community.
We are committed to following the recommendations of local health officials, including the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
To minimize health risks during the coronavirus outbreak, LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes is taking the following measures:
• Our galleries and LA Tienda museum gift store will close to the public beginning March 16 until further notice.
• We have increased the cleaning and disinfecting of our facilities and have ample prevention supplies on hand, including sinks with soap, hand sanitizers, and tissues.
• LA Plaza’s public programs and rentals through March are cancelled or postponed. Programs will be rescheduled and/or livestreamed as appropriate.
• Guided School Group Visits, Hands-on Workshops and Teacher Trainings are cancelled for the months of March and April.
• Our staff will be on a limited work schedule.
If you have already purchased tickets for any of our paid events, you will receive a separate notification via email with additional information related to your reservation.
We appreciate your understanding and collaboration as we respond to this public health challenge. Please be assured that we are assessing new developments in this rapidly evolving situation, in order to assure the safety of our community and visitors.
Last updated: March 14, 2020, 3:20 p.m.
Argentina
ArteBA, which was slated to take place in the country’s capital city from April 16–19, postponed its upcoming edition after the government of Buenos Aires suspended all major gatherings. The fair was also forced to postpone its satellite event titled “Utopia 2020.” ArteBA did not immediately provide new dates for its event, but said in a statement that it would be decided with “special consideration” of the “opinions and interests” of the participating exhibitors, sponsors, and other contributors.
Austria
Several museums in Austria have closed, and others have said they would allow only 100 people at any given time. The Albertina, the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, the Kunsthaus Wien, the Leopold Museum, and all three locations managed by the Belvedere said on March 11 that they would remain closed until further notice. The Museum der Moderne Salzburg and the Kunsthalle Wien in Vienna said they would stay open and admit only 100 visitors at a time in accordance with the government’s ban of indoor gatherings of more than 100 people.
Brazil
While coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the country, no major museums or fairs have altered their programming. The SP-Arte fair has confirmed that it will go on as planned, running from April 1–5.
China
China, where the coronavirus was first recognized, has been among the countries most deeply affected by the outbreak. Museums, biennials, and fairs took prompt action, closing their doors within days after it became clear that it was becoming difficult to contain the pathogen.
The National Art Museum of China in Beijing, the Guangdong Art Museum in Guangzhou, and the Union Art Museum in Wuhan are among the institutions that have closed their doors indefinitely. China’s UCCA Center for Contemporary Art was forced to postpone three exhibitions as a result of officials’ recommendations. The He Art Museum, a new private museum located in the Shunde district of Foshan, in Guangdong Province, also said it will postpone its grand opening, originally set for March 21.
Gallery Weekend Beijing, which was scheduled for this month, decided it would delay its 2020 edition, with tentative plans to hold it in mid-April—and to potentially cancel altogether, if conditions have not improved by mid-March. Meanwhile, the March opening of Beijing’s X Museum, a 26,000-square-foot private museum from collector Michael Xufu Huang and businesswoman Theresa Tse, was postponed. And the inaugural edition of CAFAM Techne Triennial, which had been slated to open February 20 at the CAFA Art Museum in Beijing, was postponed last month, with no new opening date announced. The Design Shanghai fair, which was slated for March, has been moved to late May.
France
French president Emmanuel Macron has warned that the outbreak of the coronavirus in his country “will last weeks and perhaps months.” In response, the government has banned all gatherings of more than 5,000 people. Though that does not apply to museums, one of the world’s biggest museums briefly closed: the Louvre in Paris, whose staff made the decision to shutter the museum for several days to discuss how best to respond to the coronavirus’s spread. The museum reopened after France’s Minister of Culture and Ministry of Health assured staff that is safe to continue to run business as usual, though it said on March 4 that it would no longer accept cash for tickets so as to prevent the virus from spreading within its staff. On March 9, the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay said they would stay open, but their workers would limit the amount of people who could visit at a given time.
On March 14, the Louvre in Paris announced that it would close indefinitely. The Musée d’Orsay and Musée de l’Orangerie are among the other major institutions that have also closed.
Denmark
The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebaek will be closed through March 27, and the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen will be shuttered until at least March 30. The number of cases in Denmark rose over 300 on March 11.
Germany
Art Cologne, the oldest art fair in the world, announced that it would postpone this year’s edition until November. It had been set to take place from April 23 to 26, with some 170 galleries participating. Berlin’s state-run museums also announced closures.
The Berlin State Museums—a group that includes the Altes Museum, Gemäldegalerie, Pergamonmuseum, Neue Nationalgalerie, and Museum für Fotografie—said that they would be closed from March 14 onwards. The Jewish Museum and the KW Institute for Contemporary Art in Berlin have also announced closures.
The Haus der Kunst in Munich will be closed until April 20, and the Museum Ludwig in Cologne will be shuttered through April 19.
Hong Kong
In what some have said could be a boon for business in the territory, Art Basel Hong Kong canceled its 2020 edition entirely. The fair instead offered some galleries the opportunity to sell their wares via an online viewing room, where sales will be live from March 20 to 25 with preview days on March 18 and 19. Public museums in Hong Kong were among the first to be forced to close in January. In response to the crisis, Sotheby’s has relocated its modern and contemporary Hong Kong sales to New York in April.
On March 11, several public museums—including Hong Kong Museum of Art and Hong Kong Heritage Museum—partially reopened.
Ireland
The Irish Museum of Modern Art said that after, the museum closed to visitors on March 12, it would remain shuttered through at least March 15.
Italy
Museums in northern Italy experienced closures in February but began reopening in early March. Affected institutions included the Peggy Guggenheim Collection and ARTnews Top 200 collector François Pinault’s Palazzo Grassi, both in Venice; the Fondazione Prada in Milan; and the Castello di Rivoli in Turin. The Duomo di Milano also closed temporarily, and the Venice galleries Alma Zevi and Victoria Miro were impacted as well. The Venice Architecture Biennale announced on March 4 that it would postpone its 2020 edition, originally scheduled to open in May, until August. After some museums in Italy’s Lombardy region briefly reopened in early March, they shuttered once again, as part of an order from the country’s government to close all institutions. Among the institutions to close was Rome’s Scuderie del Quirinale, which was opened a blockbuster Raphael show in early March, only to shutter it days later. Many galleries in the country’s northern region—including Cassina Projects, Massimo De Carlo, and Monica de Cardenas—were forced to close. Monitor, which has spaces in Rome and Pereto, closed its locations and had to delay the opening of an exhibition at its Lisbon location.
Japan
Institutions across Japan have said they would be closed until mid-March. Among them are the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo, the Kyoto National Museum, and the National Museum of Art in Osaka. Blum & Poe gallery was forced to postpone several exhibitions in its Tokyo space and adjust its hours of operation. Tokyo’s National Museum of Western Art, which will remain closed through March 16, was set to open an exhibition of major loans from the National Gallery in London on March 3.
Netherlands
The European Fine Art Fair in Maastricht had said that it would go on as planned from March 7 to 15, even after three exhibitors—Wildenstein and Co. (of New York), Fergus McCaffrey (New York), and Galerie Monbrison (Paris)—dropped out. The fair, which convened some 280 galleries, said in a statement that it would increase “precautionary measures, such as additional all-day cleaning services and distribution and placement of hand sanitizers at the fair.” On March 11, after the Art Newspaper reported that an exhibitor tested positive for the virus, the fair closed several days early.
On March 12, major museums in the Netherlands announced temporary closures. The Rijksmuseum and the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam said they would remain closed until March 31. The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and the Mauritshuis Museum in the Hague will also be shuttered through the end of March.
South Korea
In response to what South Korean president Moon Jae-in has called “a grave turning point” for the country, the Leeum Samsung Museum of Art, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, and the National Museum of Korea, all of them located in Seoul, have been closed until further notice. Gyeongbokgung Palace, one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions, has suspended all official guided tours “until further notice,” according to the palace’s website.
Spain
Spain’s Ministry of Culture and Sports ordered 13 national museums—including the Prado, Reina Sofía, and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid—to close on March 12. These institutions, however, are providing some online offers for visitors. The Thyssen-Bornemisza created a virtual tour of its exhibition “Rembrandt and Portraiture in Amsterdam, 1590–1670” that can be accessed online, and the Prado posted a 20-minute talk, given by its director, Miguel Falomir, on Tintoretto’s Christ Washing the Disciples’ Feet.
United Arab Emirates
Art Dubai has postponed its 2020 fair, which was originally scheduled for late March. A new opening date has not been set, though the fair has announced it will organize a program in the city during the event’s planned dates. The Sharjah Art Foundation will postpone an arts summit slated to run from March 21–23 until further notice; its exhibition spaces will continue to remain open during regular public hours. Other Emirati arts organizations, including the Jameel Arts Centre, the Alserkal Avenue organization, and the Louvre Abu Dhabi, have not yet announced any plans to close or cancel events.
United States
No major American institutions have temporarily shuttered yet in response to the coronavirus, though many are beginning to take precautions. Nearly a dozen New York museums reached by ARTnews—including the Guggenheim, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Morgan Library & Museum, and the Frick Collection—said that they are monitoring the situation closely. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Times reported that the Getty Trust has formed a coronavirus task force to keep its employees, volunteers, and visitors safe; the institution has also canceled all employee travel to Italy, China, and South Korea. The city’s Museum of Contemporary Art has established a task force as well, and the Art Institute of Chicago has limited staff travel. Meanwhile, the fairs held in New York during Armory Week—the ADAA Art Show, the Armory Show, the Independent, and the Spring/Break Art Show—went on as planned, albeit with more sanitizer than usual.
In mid-March, news of the first major exhibition postponements starting coming in. Gagosian and Pace Gallery, both in New York, indefinitely delayed their planned exhibitions of works from the Donald Marron collection, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. said a blockbuster with work by Genoese Baroque artists would not happen in May as planned.
On Mach 11, the L.A. Art Book Fair, which was scheduled to take place at the Geffen Contemporary space of L.A.’s Museum of Contemporary Art from April 3 to 5, was canceled. That same day, Paris Photo New York, which had been set to run from April 2 to 5 at Pier 94, announced that it would would be postponed, with new dates to be announced as soon as possible.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art became the first major New York institution to announce that it would close temporarily in an attempt to mitigate the spread of the virus. Starting on Friday, March 13, the museum will close all three of its locations. At the time the news broke, the museum had not announced a reopening date. The Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum, the Brooklyn Museum, the Bronx Museum of the Arts, the Jewish Museum, and the New Museum were also among those who announced closures. In Boston, four museums—the Harvard Art Museums, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the Institute of Contemporary Art, and the Museum of Fine Arts—also announced that they would indefinitely close.
Three mega-galleries also said they would temporarily close some American locations. David Zwirner has plans to close two out of three of its New York spaces, Hauser & Wirth will close its New York and Los Angeles galleries, and Pace Gallery will shutter its New York flagship.
The Dallas Art Fair in Texas said that it would postpone its 2020 edition, which had been scheduled from April 16–19. It plans to take place from October 1–4, honoring tickets purchased for the April dates.
The Getty Museum and Getty Villa in Los Angeles announced that they would be closed beginning March 14. The museum said in a statement issued on March 12 that “given the fluidity and uncertainty of the current crisis, Getty cannot determine the duration of the closure at this time.”
On March 18, Frieze New York announced that it would cancel its 2020 edition, scheduled for early May, and that it would begin work on its 2021 edition.
Meaghan Ritchey’s long and wide-ranging conversation with Dr. Daniel A. Siedell, an art historian and curator living in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
At The Curator, we “seek to encourage, promote, and uncover artifacts of culture” by publishing reviews, critiques, poems, and personal stories. Tell us about your work as a museum curator (e.g. your many years of observing artists’ studio practice, organizing exhibitions, and managing an art museum collection).
I create space. As an art historian, I create historical space that allows the artists, curators, and critics in the past to come alive as human beings and restore the integrity of their work as responses to a particular historical moment. As an art critic, I create imaginative space for a work of art to be experienced through my sentences. And as a curator, I create a literal (exhibition) space for art to breathe in front of a viewer.
When people think of fine art activity in the US, the coasts come to mind—especially Los Angeles and New York. How did working in Nebraska for many years affect your curatorial philosophy?
I turned my somewhat marginalized location into an advantage. I was given the freedom at the Sheldon Museum of Art at the University of Nebraska to experiment, and so, I could offer artists the space to take risks, to explore aspects of their work that their dealer in New York or LA couldn’t allow them to take in their gallery shows. I knew I had a beautifully designed museum with well-proportioned exhibition spaces, and with a respected permanent collection of 19th and 20th century American art to serve as an historical context, I could give artists a lot to work with.
My contemporary art project spaces functioned like a back-room laboratory, allowing me to experiment, to explore approaches to work that I might not have been able to try on the coasts, where the pressure to conform is great because the sheer density of competitors. I didn’t have much funding to do these projects, but that also became an advantage, allowing me to fly under the radar screen of my director and board, and if I could raise a little extra money here and there, I could purchase even more freedom.
So what does all that mean for an artist’s relationship to a gallery/museum, respectively?
When the art world crashed in 2008, it revealed that artists have to take control of all of the decisions involving their work, that they cannot simply assume that a gallery or dealer can take care of all of the decisions made outside the studio while the artist only has to care about making their work. It’s the artist’s business to learn the business of art, to learn how art as an institutional practice (and sociological dynamic) works, and to think through every aspect of the life their work will have if it leaves the studio and goes out into the world. The decisions an artist makes outside the studio are just as important as those she makes inside.
How does your interaction with an artist evolve from your initial encounter with their work, to studio visit, and then to the realization of a museum exhibition?
My particular way of working with artists is deeply personal. I have to like the artists I work with—respect who they are as human beings, and how they approach their work as artists. There is also usually something about their work that pushes up against my approach to art that tests my understanding of artistic practice, and poses a question that I want to answer through their work. I also want to work with an artist who’s interested in my approach to their work, who believes that my approach enriches their practice. How we collaborate might take different forms: a publication, an acquisition, artist’s lecture, participation in a group or thematic show, or a solo project. I hope that years down the road the artist will consider our project to be somehow significant in her development, not only as an artist, but as a person.
You’ve spent a lot of time in artists’ studios. What have you observed? How are studio practices formative?
Although an artist is free do and make anything in the studio, she has a responsibility to do something. And that requires tremendous discipline and the willingness to ask the most fundamental questions. Each day she goes into the studio asking: “Who am I?”—”Who am I in relationship to this blank canvas, to the world outside the studio, to Nature, History, or a God who judges me?” In addition, the artist has to ask another closely related question, “What kind of artist am I?” And often that entails discovering of what kind of artist they don’t want to be. As the artist leaves the studio at the end of each workday, she has answered those questions, whether she knows it or not, at least for that day. And most artists, I think, know it. They also know that they have to answer those same questions again, tomorrow.
Given the nature of their work, then, most artists I’ve worked with have developed a set of intentional practices and habits, spanning the profound to the mundane, the complex to the simple, that give a liturgical form to their work. These are very similar to the liturgies and spiritual disciplines of various religious traditions that include a sensitivity to their lived space, meticulous attention to their materials, certain postures, and, I might add, contemplation and meditation: a willingness to spend long hours just sitting in a chair looking at their work. Like the spiritual disciplines, these studio practices create the space to be active and passive, proactive and receptive. The artists I’ve worked with know that being an artist is much more than producing certain artifacts, it’s about becoming a certain kind of human being.
Before I got to know fine artists well, before I wanted to know how/why they made what they made, I encountered artwork like it just always “was”, or something. I didn’t consider how it was made (e.g. where it came from, the difficult spatial restrictions, material costs—all of these variables). I had no empathy for the conceptual difficulty of setting out to make something that no one has ever made before! Once artistic practices and processes are understood, it opens up a type of appreciation. A curator can help with that.
I think that’s right. Being human means dealing with limitations. I think that the overly romantic idea that somehow creativity only takes place when you’re free of restrictions keeps a lot of good art from entering the world—or, perhaps, it actually prevents a lot of bad work from entering the world…What makes the existence of art in the world so remarkable is that it comes at great cost, sometimes through enormous challenges, but almost always through the slow drip of inconveniences, frustrations, and self-doubt.
This is why I am fascinated by what happens in the studio as the artist devotes her life to making artifacts that have no apparent use in the world, artifacts that are often ignored and misunderstood, especially in the church. Artists lean into that fear that every human being has—that the work we do doesn’t matter.
I’m attracted to artists who, on a daily basis, are making the commitment to be a particular kind of artist, in spite of the challenges and the limitations of their life situation—artists who have the faith to keep doing what they’re doing. They don’t have it all worked out—doubting their sanity and the wisdom of their choices. But in faith, they go to the studio and work. In the process they’re strengthening my faith in art, offering me assurance, and serving as a means of grace to me as I struggle with the wisdom of devoting my life to looking at smelly pigments smeared on a scrap of canvas amidst all of the very difficult challenges and responsibilities in my life.
You sound like an artist.
My work as an art historian, curator, and critic is my studio practice. I’m working with artists because I’m searching for my own answers, trying to put some balm on my own wounds, find something to cling to that can clarify my relationship to God and the world. Artists often function as my spiritual directors, and they’re not even aware of it. Artists don’t make work to express what they already know about themselves and the world; they make work to explore what they don’t know. My work as a curator is similar.
Why did you write God in the Gallery?
I wrote it as a theological reflection on my passion for modern & contemporary art. But instead of beginning where most Christian approaches to art do, in the seminar room or lecture hall, I began where I was living: neck deep in the art world—in artist’s studios, organizing exhibitions, and writing catalog essays. I live my life in the church as someone who devotes his life to modern art, and I live out my vocation as a curator in the art world as a Christian. I wanted to give voice to the richness and complexity of that experience, which I hoped would be an encouragement to other outliers like me.
What about your training permitted you to move freely in and out of what were seemingly dichotomous worlds?
I fear that if I’d read H.R. Rookmaaker’s Modern Art and the Death of a Culture as an undergraduate I’d have been forced to either give up art or give up my faith, quite frankly. I’ve spent a lot of time on the campuses of Christian colleges and universities and I observe a tremendous need for art history and art criticism. Art students get theology and philosophy, but they need history—modern art history. Art is an historical concept before it is a philosophical one.
What’s the first step in addressing this? And separately, what can universities do to foster conversation between fine arts students and business students so that the folks can, at a young age, understand what it means to be patrons?
Modern art history has to be taught, and taught by someone who loves it—not uncritically, swallowing it feathers and all. But presented in a way that reveals that it’s the living tradition within which every artist works today and that God is at work in and through it.
In addition to art history, Christian listeners can be developed by putting students in front of works of art—not just those in art museums, but those works that their fellow students are making. Christians move too quickly from the particular to the abstract, from the specific work of art they encounter to theological and philosophical categories like “Beauty” that, in reality, do violence to the integrity of the work of art and the artist who made it.
Most Christians who claim to like art like the theological and philosophical categories—they like art in “theory.” They are much less able to express their love of art in and through particular artifacts. But art doesn’t exist as an abstract category. It exists as this painting and that sculpture; this drawing and that performance. And I think this has relevance not just for art, but also as a means to help the church do what the church does, glorify God and love their neighbor.
Moreover, that nursing or business student who is comfortable standing in front of a work of art, not only gains insight into and empathy for the challenges of making art but might also become more inclined to go to art museums and see the humanity in those works that hang on the wall, or sit on pedestals, or move on the screen before them, and be changed in the process.
History & Mission
Founded in 2008 by Alissa Wilkinson through Makoto Fujimura’s International Arts Movement, The Curator showcased that organization’s commitment to the intersection of arts and faith. As founding editor Alissa Wilkinson put it, The Curator was designed to be
aggressively omnivorous, which would merrily ignore the established periodical wisdom of “timeliness” and simply go after culture in an exuberant, wide-ranging celebration of the best things humans make and do.
Over the years, though five editors have come and gone, though The Curator has sometimes slowed its publication schedule, and sometimes ceased outright, the mission has remained the same: to celebrate the best things humans make and do.
Contact Us Questions? Comments? Ideas? Send an email to [email protected].
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Top 5 curator interview questions with detailed tips for both hiring managers and candidates.
Curators collect, catalog, and display art and artifacts for museums and other organizations. Successful candidates will be creative, organized, and focused. Avoid those who lack time management or communication skills.
Interview Questions for Curators
1. What do you like about our current displays? What improvements would you make?
Shows preparedness and creativity.
2. Explain how you negotiate a loan or purchase terms. What planning goes into that process?
Demonstrates negotiation skills.
3. Describe your experience with researching pieces and maintaining catalogues.
Shows thoroughness and organization skills.
4. When planning a display, what tasks do you handle? What do you delegate? How do you facilitate teamwork?
Demonstrates management skills and job expectations.
5. How would you promote our events and exhibitions? Use examples from your most successful event to support your answer.
Biennale Wynwood es un evento creado por un equipo de gente comprometida con el arte, que en su primera edición reúne a artistas de excelente trayectoria internacional de 25 países, con el propósito de resaltar la diversidad cultural que caracteriza a la ciudad de Miami.
Es un espacio extraordinario para apreciar y adquirir obras de alto nivel internacional en el que artistas y visitantes tendrán la oportunidad de relacionarse con coleccionistas y amantes del arte, con Arquitectos y Diseñadores de Miami, y con el Cuerpo Diplomático y Político de la ciudad.
La primera edición de Biennale Wynwood se realizará del 2 al 5 de abril de 2020, en el Distrito de Arte de Wynwood
Programación durante los días de exhibición:
Gala VIP de Inauguración de Biennale Wynwood, jueves 2 de abril de 7:00 a 10:00 pm.
Noche Diplomática, viernes 3 de abril de 7:00 a 10:00 pm
Encuentro con Asociación Interamericana de Diseñadores y Arquitectos, sábado 4 de abril de 7:00 a 10:00 pm
Charlas con personalidades del medio artístico y político en Miami, Domingo 5 de abril de 1:00 a 4:00 pm.
Abierto al público en el siguiente horario: viernes 3 y sábado 4 de abril 10:00 am a 10:00 pm. y domingo 5 de abril 10:00 am a 6:00 pm.
Dirección: 145 NW 36 Street, Miami Florida 33127
Para más información, visita www.biennalewynwood.com.
La intérprete y compositora colombiana, nominada al Latin Grammy, lanza el tema “La canción del Wassapp”. “Tiene un ritmo tropical con un toque urbano”, afirmó la artista sobre su flamante creación, que cuenta con humor una historia de amor frustrado.
“La canción del Wassapp” ya está disponible en plataformas como Spotify y Apple, y cuenta con su correspondiente videoclip en Youtube.
Este es el tercer tema que Juliana da a conocer en los últimos meses: los otros fueron “Sin tu amor no sale el sol” y “Quiéreme”. “La canción del Wassapp” fue compuesta por Juliana, y producida por los prestigiosos músicos Fredy Camelo y Ahmed Barroso. Juliana nació en Cali, Colombia. Es graduada de Berklee College of Music, de Boston. Radica en Miami. Enlace para escuchar la canción en Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/2QDGSYFZhxulqGS0odEPxj?si=lZqU6Xq0S6CSZ4pXlo9EmwEnlace para ver el videoclip de “La canción del Wassapp” en Youtube: https://youtu.be/cgDTl639jWc
Juliana online: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julianabarrios_music/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/juliana.barrios.54 www.julianabarrios.com Ficha técnica de “La canción del Wassapp”: Letra y música by Juliana Barrios @julianabarrios_music Producción musical: Fredy Camelo/Ahmed Barroso Ingeniero de mezcla: Shafik PalisIngeniero de Master: Michael Fuller Editora: Mangabiche Music LLC Portada: Deviento & papel @devientoypapelVideo: Mangabiche Music LLC
Cultural Arts Partnership Program at the Sandrell Rivers Theater (CAP@SRT). Through a competitive process, this program allows new and upcoming artists and arts organizations to present their work at the Sandrell Rivers Theater. We are starting this season with 4 relevant projects:
MUSIC: “10,000 Strong Black Leadership Summit” by The Circle of Brotherhood; March 28, 2020, at 6 p.m. One evening of dynamic black leaders and Entrepreneurs from different industries. Together under one roof, one mind, one vision. To empower our community economically. Followed by a comedy show, music concert, and networking mix & mingle.
THEATER: “Unfold: The Pride Plays” (The Silver Tongues Stages) by Ricky J. Martinez; Apr 2 and 3, 2020, at 8 p.m. A collection of three Latino-centric, LGBTQ2 case studies realizing the complexities of our “identity decade.”
DANCE: “Boys Will Be Boys” by Randolph Tyrone Ward, Jr.; May 1, 2020, at 6:30 p.m., and May 3, 2020, at 1:30 p.m. Dance work that dissects and investigates the effects of toxic masculinity on American boyhood.
THEATER: “The Short and Short of It” by Bruce Karp; Sept. 11 and 12, 2020, at 8 p.m., and Sept. 13, 2020, at 3 p.m. Several short comedies and dramatic plays that will touch on many facets of human interaction, family dysfunction embracing LGBTQ, social, family, HIV, homelessness, kindness, and friendship themes, and even some Hip Hop.
Attached find our press release with additional details. I can also provide more info, photos and arrange interviews with any of the 2019-2020 awardees, if you’d like.
Do you think Art Miami Lifestyle may be interested in attending and covering any of these performances? There will be some great inspiring stories, as well as photo opportunities, that I know would be meaningful to our community.
I will follow up in a few days to see if you might want to attend. Thank you very much!
Rommel Arellan-Marinas │ Associate Artistic Director
Fantasy Theatre Factory at the Sandrell Rivers Theater
El cantante y compositor chileno MARIO GUERRERO se asoma al mercado internacional de la mano de FANNY LU, con quien grabó a dúo la canción “CORAZONES ROTOS”
El tema fue escrito por Mario y por su colega Antony Albert, es leit motiv de la telenovela chilena del momento, “Edificio corona”, y el correspondiente videoclip ya supera el millón de views
“El apoyo de una estrella como Fanny me genera muchas expectativas y el tema ya tiene buena repercusión en Chile, Perú y varios países centroamericanos”, comentó Guerrero, surgido del programa más exitoso de la televisión chilena en décadas recientes, “Rojo fama contra fama” “Fanny es fantástica y generosa”, sostuvo el joven. Entretanto, la intérprete de “No te pido flores” y “Tú no eres para mí” manifestó que Guerrero “escribe y canta bello” y que “Corazones rotos” es un tema que “tiene mucho de Colombia y también de Mario”. Sobre la letra apuntó que “siempre habrá nostalgia del amor que se acaba”.
Fanny es una figura de nivel continental. Nació en Cali. Antes de triunfar como cantante fue actriz y modelo. Ha sido jurado en programas como “La Voz Colombia” y “La Voz Kids”. Guerrero es una estrella en su país; se presentó dos veces en el Festival de Viña del Mar; ha compartido escenario con Franco de Vita y el dúo Río Roma; y ha compuesto para Pedro Fernández y otras figuras Videoclip oficial. Mario con Fanny Lu, “Corazones rotos” :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAK19Zbcbuw
Mario Online:
Instagram @guerreromario Facebook: @guerreromario oficial Twitter: @guerreromario www.marioguerrero.cl
Culture Shock Miami, the audience development program of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, is designed to introduce the next generation of audience members to live arts and cultural experiences at the age when they are beginning to make their own entertainment decisions. Based on research that shows most people begin their appreciation for the arts at a young age, Culture Shock Miami is founded on the premise that when teens and young adults make the arts a regular entertainment choice, they are more likely to become full-price ticket buyers and subscribers in the future. Through our website teens and young adults (ages 13-22), can purchase $5 tickets to top music, theatre, and dance performances, as well as admission to museums, landmarks, and cultural destinations in and around Miami-Dade County. With the purchase of one $5 ticket for a 13-22 year old, a second $5 ticket can be purchased for someone of any age to accompany them.
Culture Shock Miami Presents, a series dedicated to presenting nationally and internationally renowned artists that appeal specifically to the 13-22 year old age range, was created in 2013 and presents more than a dozen performances each season to the public and through free school field trips. Culture Shock Miami Presents was recognized with a 2018 Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties (NACo).
Culture Shock Miami is made possible with the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners.
About Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs
The Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council develop cultural excellence, diversity, access and participation throughout Miami-Dade County by strategically creating and promoting equitable opportunities for artists and cultural organizations, and our residents and visitors who are their audiences. Through staff, board and programmatic resources, the Department, the Council and the Trust promote, coordinate and support Miami-Dade County’s more than 1,000 not-for-profit cultural organizations as well as thousands of resident artists through grants, technical assistance, public information and interactive community planning. The Department receives funding through the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners, The Children’s Trust, the National Endowment for the Arts, the State of Florida through the Florida Department of State, Florida Division of Arts and Culture and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Peacock Foundation, Inc. and The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation at The Miami Foundation. Other support and services are provided by TicketWeb for the Culture Shock Miami program, the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, the South Florida Cultural Consortium and the Tourist Development Council.
News Miami New Times calls The Real James Bond…Was Dominican, one of the top 15 things to do in Miami this weekend Friday, February 25th, 2022 El Neuvo Herald-El verdadero James Bond… era dominicano by Jorge Herrera Monroy Wednesday, February 23rd, 2022 Miami’s Community News: Culture Shock Miami Presents, ‘The Real James Bond… Was Dominican’ Tuesday, February 22nd, 2022 ARTBURST MIAMI: EL VERDADERO JAMES BOND ERA DOMINICANO By Jorge Herrera-Monroy Wednesday, February 16th, 2022 Hiplet brings in a mix of ballet and hip-hop to South Florida – featured on DECO DRIVE Wednesday, January 12th, 2022 Haitian Heritage Month Comes to Classrooms – The Miami Times Wednesday, May 5th, 2021 Celebrate Haitian Heritage month with performance for students by Inez Barlatier Tuesday, April 13th, 2021 Miami-Haitian, Inez Barlatier honors her heritage by sharing music, stories in virtual field trip this spring Friday, March 19th, 2021 Ballet Hispánico participates in Miami-Dade Arts Education Collective virtual field trip program this Spring Wednesday, February 17th, 2021 Miami-Dade Cultural Class Trips Go Online Amid Pandemic Tuesday, January 5th, 2021 Miami Herald: Arts groups to showcase their work to Miami Dade students, teachers Friday, December 4th, 2020 Four Miami-Dade Arts Organizations Partner to Form the Miami-Dade Arts Education Collective Thursday, November 19th, 2020 Take Back Time short film by Courageous Creatives featured on NBC6 Wednesday, September 9th, 2020 Art Apart, Art Together: How a miami power couple in the arts world is spending their quarantine time Monday, April 27th, 2020 Miami Today: Miami-Dade puts 60 free arts sites on display via web Wednesday, April 1st, 2020 Culture Shock Miami Continues to Develop Young Audiences in Times of Social Distancing Friday, March 27th, 2020 ArtBurst Miami: CULTURE SHOCK MIAMI: EXPERIENCE PERFORMANCES, MUSEUM TOURS AND ART EXHIBITS ONLINE Friday, March 27th, 2020 Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs’ Culture Shock Miami launches Cultural Online Experiences Thursday, March 26th, 2020 Sun Sentinel: Virtual and streaming experiences, from pilates and museum tours to magic and art classes Thursday, March 26th, 2020 Miami Times profiles Turning 15: This adaptation tells the story of the power that young people possess. Wednesday, February 5th, 2020 Culture Shock Miami Presents Jason Bishop, America’s Hottest Illusionist, Feb. 1st at the South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center Wednesday, January 29th, 2020 ARTBURST MIAMI: SHANE KOYCZAN, “CREATIVE HURRICANE,” COMES TO MIAMI SEPT. 28 Thursday, September 26th, 2019 Due to preparations for Hurricane Dorian, some cultural organizations may modify their hours. Please verify hours with museums before planning a visit over Labor Day Weekend. Check miamidade.gov for storm updates. Friday, August 30th, 2019 ArtBurst features Culture Shock Miami Tuesday, August 27th, 2019 Culture Shock Miami Presents Announces 2019-2020 season Tuesday, August 20th, 2019 IN TO AMERICA EMOTIONALLY TRACKS THE HISTORY OF IMMIGRANCE IN THE U.S. Thursday, May 2nd, 2019 Culture Shock Miami featured in Nova Southeastern University’s The Current Tuesday, February 5th, 2019 Culture Shock Miami Fosters The Next Generation Of Arts Patrons With The Launch Of Its 14Th Season Of Affordable Programming Directed To Younger Audiences Monday, November 5th, 2018 Miami theater tickets for $5? Here’s how teens and young adults can score them
Titled “Take Back Time” and coordinated to be part of National Arts in Education week, the film premiered virtually on Wednesday, September 16, 2020 and was followed by a panel discussion moderated by Natalie Schere, Executive Director, of PATH: Preserving, Archiving & Teaching Hiphop, Inc., featuring members of the Courageous Creatives cohort and leaders of Miami-Dade cultural organizations including:
AnaMaria Correa, PhD – Chief Community Engagement Officer, Miami City Ballet
Anthony Durden – Executive Member, Circle of Brotherhood
“Take Back Time” was selected for the 2020 National Young Artists Summit! With the theme An Artistic Youth Revolution, the 2-day Summit, entirely designed and led by young people, showcased young artists 13 -24 years old from a range of artistic disciplines, to connect, create, and celebrate, in order to kick start a revolution. The National Young Artists Summit took place November 7-8.
ABOUT COURAGEOUS CREATIVES
Sponsored by Culture Shock Miami and led by Miami-based creative and educator, Miriam L. King, Courageous Creatives launched during the summer of 2020 as a safe space for young artists between the ages of 16-22 to participate in complex discussions about social justice and to reimagine change through the arts and activism. This cohort of 24 socially-minded artists and future leaders, collaborated over the course of 5 weeks resulting in the creation of a short-film, charting a path of 526 ways to move towards an equitable and just society. The number 526 represents the final seconds of George Floyd’s life.
To stay informed about Courageous Creatives and to be notified about future sessions, please sign up for our newsletter, and follow us on Instagram @cultureshockmia
About Miriam King, Courageous Creatives Facilitator
Miriam ‘Mimi’ King is an education consultant and artist. She advocates for the arts, and holds space for others to create their own pathways to self-advocacy activism. Her entire professional career has been dedicated to literacy and arts education, self-advocacy and academic resource development for youth, educators, arts programs and institutions.
King facilitates healing through restorative justice programming that supports active listening, social experimentation, critical dialogue and thinking. Miriam is a native of Miami, Florida and has deep ties to several of its communities, youth and their families. She is well loved and respected by her students, colleagues and peers, and known for her sharp wit, wisdom and sense of humor.
Learning is fun everyday with Ms. Mimi because she teaches us about life! Z.J., former student
