We Have Never Been Here
We Have Never Been Here is proposed as a curatorial programme bringing emerging contemporary curators in Malta together to work collaboratively and self-critically, and under the mentorship of more experienced international curators. Over 18 months, the curators will work on a series of project-exhibitions which will serve as a vehicle for them to develop their skills, research and experience, broaden their outlook, and receive advice and support.
The project-exhibitions will be experimental in nature, allowing the curators to test their methodologies, and their relationship with the artists whose work they curate. The project will aim to work outside traditional institutions, and therefore the exhibitions will be placed in venues that do not normally host contemporary art. While the curators will be encouraged to explore topics which interest them personally, the project will adopt three broad themes addressing urgencies and realities in our contemporary world; for example, the post-colonial, the post-anthropocene, and the post-political.
The mentors will be asked to contribute a number of hours to group discussions, and to offer advice and support, but also to challenge proposed ideas. Each mentor will be asked to lead a certain number of sessions and assign tasks particularly towards the beginning of the project. As time goes on, the mentors’ role will shift; each mentor will be linked with a curator pair, to advise them during the execution of their project-exhibition.
The programme’s mentors will expose the local curators to theoretical and practical curatorial practices, and link them with international perspectives providing them with access to international networks and resources. The mentor’s primary background relates to curation however, they are also knowledgeable in project management, funding, production, critical writing, art handling and creative ideation, amongst others.
The curators will be asked to keep a working journal during the project; the curators will contribute to a publication documenting their research and the collaborative process. The curators and mentors will also be asked to contribute to a blog which will share the progress of the project. Additional events, such as public talks or curatorial workshops will also take place alongside the project’s activities.
The project-exhibitions will be experimental in nature, allowing the curators to test their methodologies, and their relationship with the artists whose work they curate. The project will aim to work outside traditional institutions, and therefore the exhibitions will be placed in venues that do not normally host contemporary art. While the curators will be encouraged to explore topics which interest them personally, the project will adopt three broad themes addressing urgencies and realities in our contemporary world; for example, the post-colonial, the post-anthropocene, and the post-political.
The mentors will be asked to contribute a number of hours to group discussions, and to offer advice and support, but also to challenge proposed ideas. Each mentor will be asked to lead a certain number of sessions and assign tasks particularly towards the beginning of the project. As time goes on, the mentors’ role will shift; each mentor will be linked with a curator pair, to advise them during the execution of their project-exhibition.
The programme’s mentors will expose the local curators to theoretical and practical curatorial practices, and link them with international perspectives providing them with access to international networks and resources. The mentor’s primary background relates to curation however, they are also knowledgeable in project management, funding, production, critical writing, art handling and creative ideation, amongst others.
The curators will be asked to keep a working journal during the project; the curators will contribute to a publication documenting their research and the collaborative process. The curators and mentors will also be asked to contribute to a blog which will share the progress of the project. Additional events, such as public talks or curatorial workshops will also take place alongside the project’s activities.
Motivation
This project has come about through a need to develop and explore the role of the curator in Malta, and the will to create a long-term collaboration between curators, contributing to local knowledge, sharing resources and insight, building international collaborations, and passing on knowledge to younger generations. It has also come about through the need for curators to discuss their work and research, to be self-critical and mutually critically-constructive – the nature of the curator’s role can be relatively isolated, with a curator working alone with a group of artists, and not much opportunity for discussion or collaboration.
This project aims to bring together a group of emerging curators to form a long-term supportive and collaborative group of professionals. Long-term, it aims to sow the seeds for the setting up of a curatorial platform in Malta, while reinforcing relationships between local curators.
This project has come about through a need to develop and explore the role of the curator in Malta, and the will to create a long-term collaboration between curators, contributing to local knowledge, sharing resources and insight, building international collaborations, and passing on knowledge to younger generations. It has also come about through the need for curators to discuss their work and research, to be self-critical and mutually critically-constructive – the nature of the curator’s role can be relatively isolated, with a curator working alone with a group of artists, and not much opportunity for discussion or collaboration.
This project aims to bring together a group of emerging curators to form a long-term supportive and collaborative group of professionals. Long-term, it aims to sow the seeds for the setting up of a curatorial platform in Malta, while reinforcing relationships between local curators.
Time-Line
The project will begin in July 2021, and over 18 months, will go through four phases; Dreaming, Doing, Showing, Telling.
July - November 2021
The Dreaming Phase will see the curators and mentors meet and exchange information and experiences. The curator-pairs will begin to formulate their first tentative ideas, while the mentors will give presentations and homework-tasks.
December 2021 - April 2022
The Doing Phase will see the curator-pairs work directly with their assigned mentors, to begin to materialise their exhibition ideas.
May - September 2022
The Showing Phase includes the production of the exhibitions themselves, along with a series of talks and presentations by the mentors and the curators.
October - November 2022
The Telling Phase is the closing stage of the programme, and will see the publication of its overall journal.
The project will begin in July 2021, and over 18 months, will go through four phases; Dreaming, Doing, Showing, Telling.
July - November 2021
The Dreaming Phase will see the curators and mentors meet and exchange information and experiences. The curator-pairs will begin to formulate their first tentative ideas, while the mentors will give presentations and homework-tasks.
December 2021 - April 2022
The Doing Phase will see the curator-pairs work directly with their assigned mentors, to begin to materialise their exhibition ideas.
May - September 2022
The Showing Phase includes the production of the exhibitions themselves, along with a series of talks and presentations by the mentors and the curators.
October - November 2022
The Telling Phase is the closing stage of the programme, and will see the publication of its overall journal.
The Curators
The participating curators should be willing to work in an open and sharing manner, and to collaborate with their matched curator. They should be available to attend all virtual meetings, and should be present in Malta at critical times during the development and set-up of their exhibition. The curators should be happy to take part in the long-term learning process envisaged by the programme, and should be willing to embark up it, in the spirit of the process-based project.
Curator's Brief
Each curator will be asked to;
Project-Exhibition Brief & Budget
Each curator-pair will be asked to conceptualise and produce one small-scale project exhibition together, guided by one mentor.
The project-exhibitions should be experimental in nature, and should be situated (both conceptually and physically) outside institutional spaces. Assistance will be provided in securing a venue for the exhibition, however the final responsibility rests with the curator-pair. While the curators will be encouraged to explore topics which interest them personally, the exhibitions should broadly address the programme’s themes of the post-colonial, the post-anthropocene, and the post-political.
Each curator-pair will work within an allocated budget of €4,500 (including all taxes and VAT), to cover all costs linked to the exhibition including artist fees, materials, artist travel & accommodation if necessary, venue rental etc. A minimum of 20 % of this total amount (i.e., €900) of this amount is to be sourced by the curators themselves. If the budget is not used, the remaining amount will be used for other expenses within the overall programme.
The exhibition artist(s) can be local or international – work exhibited can be existing or new work. The curator-pair can also choose to exhibit items or concepts which are not artist-made.
Overall communications and documentation will be managed by the programme however, the curator-pairs will be expected to contribute where possible.
Curator's Fee
Each curator is offered the sum of €1,200 euro for all of the above, including all taxes and VAT, payable against a fiscal invoice. The curator’s travel and accommodation expenses are not covered by the programme.
The participating curators should be willing to work in an open and sharing manner, and to collaborate with their matched curator. They should be available to attend all virtual meetings, and should be present in Malta at critical times during the development and set-up of their exhibition. The curators should be happy to take part in the long-term learning process envisaged by the programme, and should be willing to embark up it, in the spirit of the process-based project.
Curator's Brief
Each curator will be asked to;
- Be available and engaged for the duration of the programme (18 months in total);
- Attend all groups meetings and mentor talks;
- Complete any tasks assigned by the mentors within the programme;
- Be open to and supportive of the other participants of the programme, and the other exhibitions within it, remaining engaged for the duration of the programme;
- Work with one other curator to conceptualise and produce one small-scale project exhibition;
- Work within the allocated budget below, and abide by all administration (i.e., receipts & invoices) required by the project;
- Obtain 20% of exhibition costs from sources other than those provided by the programme (in keeping with Arts Council Malta’s guidelines);
- Keep a working journal of thoughts during the duration of the project, and to make its contents available – parts of which to be included in the programme’s final publication;
- Participate in the communication and dissemination of the programme in general and the exhibitions in particular;
- Contribute to a reasonable extent (up to 1,000 words, or 3 pages) to the programme’s publication;
- Contribute with at least four blogs (300 words each) to the programme’s online blog;
- Be flexible to a reasonable extent in case of disruptions caused by Covid-19 restrictions.
Project-Exhibition Brief & Budget
Each curator-pair will be asked to conceptualise and produce one small-scale project exhibition together, guided by one mentor.
The project-exhibitions should be experimental in nature, and should be situated (both conceptually and physically) outside institutional spaces. Assistance will be provided in securing a venue for the exhibition, however the final responsibility rests with the curator-pair. While the curators will be encouraged to explore topics which interest them personally, the exhibitions should broadly address the programme’s themes of the post-colonial, the post-anthropocene, and the post-political.
Each curator-pair will work within an allocated budget of €4,500 (including all taxes and VAT), to cover all costs linked to the exhibition including artist fees, materials, artist travel & accommodation if necessary, venue rental etc. A minimum of 20 % of this total amount (i.e., €900) of this amount is to be sourced by the curators themselves. If the budget is not used, the remaining amount will be used for other expenses within the overall programme.
The exhibition artist(s) can be local or international – work exhibited can be existing or new work. The curator-pair can also choose to exhibit items or concepts which are not artist-made.
Overall communications and documentation will be managed by the programme however, the curator-pairs will be expected to contribute where possible.
Curator's Fee
Each curator is offered the sum of €1,200 euro for all of the above, including all taxes and VAT, payable against a fiscal invoice. The curator’s travel and accommodation expenses are not covered by the programme.
Exhibition Budget
Each exhibition budget has been estimated presuming the following costs, but amounts are flexible depending on set-up, venue and artists, as long as the total does not exceed €4,500.
Each exhibition budget has been estimated presuming the following costs, but amounts are flexible depending on set-up, venue and artists, as long as the total does not exceed €4,500.
|
artist(s) fee
materials technical venue / permits transportation travel manning signage total |
€1,250
€900 €500 €500 €500 €250 €500 €100 €4,500 |
Mentors
The Mentors should be willing to share their knowledge and experience with the emerging curators. They should be supportive during the process, and willing to spend time with the curators in order to see their exhibition develop and be produced successfully. They should be willing to travel at least once to Malta, in the run-up to their curators’ exhibition (Covid permitting).
Mentors' Brief
Each mentor will be asked to;
Mentor's Fee
Each mentor is offered the sum of €800 euro for the above, including all taxes and VAT, payable against a fiscal invoice. Travel, accommodation and a small per diem will be provided by the programme.
The Mentors should be willing to share their knowledge and experience with the emerging curators. They should be supportive during the process, and willing to spend time with the curators in order to see their exhibition develop and be produced successfully. They should be willing to travel at least once to Malta, in the run-up to their curators’ exhibition (Covid permitting).
Mentors' Brief
Each mentor will be asked to;
- Be available to a reasonable extent during the length of the programme;
- Attend at least six group meetings with curators’ group and other mentors;
- Lead two tutorials with curators’ group, upon an agreed theme, presenting experiences and examples, and assigning a homework task to be carried out by the curators;
- Act as mentor, over a period of one year, to one pair of curators, providing guidance and advice as necessary;
- Travel to Malta on one occasion (covid-permitting) in advance of the project-exhibition to be produced by their assigned curator pair;
- While in Malta, to give one public talk, presenting their work and experience;
- Contribute to a reasonable extent (up to 1,000 words, or 3 pages) to the programme’s publication;
- Contribute with at least two blogs (300 words each) to the programme’s online blog;
- Be flexible to a reasonable extent in case of disruptions caused by Covid-19 restrictions.
Mentor's Fee
Each mentor is offered the sum of €800 euro for the above, including all taxes and VAT, payable against a fiscal invoice. Travel, accommodation and a small per diem will be provided by the programme.
Other Contributors
Other experts will be asked to contribute to the programme as below;
Bettina Hutschek - give one online talk to curators on site-specific project-making
Sabine Küper Busch - give one online talk to curators on arts activism festival-making
Raphael Vella – provide reflection contribution for publication
An Paenhuysen – provide reflection contribution for publication
Contributor’s fee:
Each contributor is offered the fee of €150 - €200 including all taxes and VAT, payable against a fiscal invoice
Other experts will be asked to contribute to the programme as below;
Bettina Hutschek - give one online talk to curators on site-specific project-making
Sabine Küper Busch - give one online talk to curators on arts activism festival-making
Raphael Vella – provide reflection contribution for publication
An Paenhuysen – provide reflection contribution for publication
Contributor’s fee:
Each contributor is offered the fee of €150 - €200 including all taxes and VAT, payable against a fiscal invoice
Publication
Nicole Bearman – editor
Nicole Bearman – editor
Final Covid-19 Note
Should the planned exhibitions become impossible as conceived due to covid-19 restrictions, the curators and mentors will work to show the exhibition in alternative formats. These formats should not be restricted to shifting online, but could include completely outdoor exhibitions, tiny-scale multiple-edition exhibitions, and other possibilities.
Should the planned exhibitions become impossible as conceived due to covid-19 restrictions, the curators and mentors will work to show the exhibition in alternative formats. These formats should not be restricted to shifting online, but could include completely outdoor exhibitions, tiny-scale multiple-edition exhibitions, and other possibilities.
