[artinfo] Polyphony of Voices

[e-Flux]

Polyphony of Voices
Contemporary Curatorial Strategies and Practices / Artist-Curator / Methods=
=20
of Working with Artists - Conference

Where: BUNKIER SZTUKI Contemporary Art Gallery,
Poland, Krak=F3w, pl. Szczepa=F1ski 3a, tel (+48/12) 422 40 21; 422 10 52;=
 fax=20
(+48/12) 422 83 08=20
<http://www.bunkier.com.pl/polyphony>http://www.bunkier.com.pl/polyphony
When: October 20-23, 2002

Conference curator: Adam Budak - BUNKIER SZTUKI, Krak=F3w=
 (budak@bunkier.com.pl)



Soren Andreasen, Azorro, Caroline Bachmann, Bart de Baere, Monika Bakke,=20
Stefan Banz, Aaron Betsky, Miros=B3aw Ba=B3ka, Waling Boers, Paula=
 Boettcher,=20
Monica Bonvicini, Iara Boubnova, Andrew Brighton, Mariola Brillowska, Adam=
=20
Budak, Neil Cummings, Hubert Czerepok, Catherine David, Joshua Decter,=20
Christoph Doswald, Charles Esche, Bruce Ferguson, Andrea Fraser, Ewa=20
Gorz=B9dek, Ryszard G=F3recki, Hou Hanru, Joerg Heiser, Matthias Herrmann,=
 Jan=20
Hoet, Grzegorz Klaman, Ryszard W. Kluszczy=F1ski, Izabela Kowalczyk,=
 Wojciech=20
Koz=B3owski, Katarzyna Kozyra, Piotr Krajewski, Michael Kroeger, Lars Bang=
=20
Larsen, Marysia Lewandowska, Zbigniew Libera, Maria Lind, Enrico Lunghi,=20
Beauvais Lyons, Chus Martinez, Suzanna Milevska, Bernd Milla, Robert C.=20
Morgan, Frances Morris, Maria Morzuch, Vanessa Joan Mueller, Joanna=20
Mytkowska, Warren Nies=B3uchowski, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Brian O=92Doherty,=
 Olu=20
Oguibe, Jerzy Onuch, Piotr Piotrowski, Pawel Polit, Maria Anna Potocka,=20
Andrzej Przywara, Raster, Andrew Renton, Anda Rottenberg, Robert Rumas,=20
Piotr Rypson, Adam Rzepecki, Henrik Schrat, Nedko Solakov, Christopher=20
Sperandio, Barbara Steiner, Stach Szab=B3owski, Aneta Szy=B3ak, Adam=
 Szymczyk,=20
Christoph Tannert, Marta Tarabu=B3a, Marek Wasilewski, Scott Watson, Rein=20
Wolfs, Hanka Wr=F3blewska, Jan Verwoert



POLYPHONY OF VOICES is focused on the problematics of contemporary=20
curatorial practices and its artistic, social and political implications.=20
It is a second (and larger in-scale) attempt at introducing these issues to=
=20
Polish audience and the contemporary art context after the session entitled=
=20
=93Four (instant) Voices. Gallery: Vivisection Of A Discourse=94 which was=
 held=20
at Bunkier Sztuki Gallery in January 2002 on the occasion of the exhibition=
=20
=93Four Rooms=94 with contribution from Elmgreen&Dragset,
Dominik Lejman, Piotr Luty=F1ski, Attila Menesi/Christoph Rauch and the film=
=20
programme (including works of Marysia Lewandowska/Neil Cummings, Andrea=20
Fraser, Azorro Group, Christian Jankowski and Mariola Brillowska). Whereas=
=20
the FOUR (instant) VOICES session (with participation from Renee Green,=20
Marysia Lewandowska and Jens Hoffmann) concentrated on the discourses=20
related to the very institution of museums or galleries and their=20
functioning mechanisms, the POLYPHONY OF VOICES conference aims to approach=
=20
the complexity of the relationship between artist and curator. As its=20
structural point of departure, this event wishes to refer to the Bachtinian=
=20
model of a polyphonic discourse in order to achieve the Brechtian=20
=93alienation=94 effect through the role reversal and subsequent pattern=
 shake:=20
the primary organising principle of the conference invites artists to=20
=93curate=94 the curators. Curators, hence are transformed into a more=20
ambigious and thus more obviously =93creative=94 position. Adapting such a=
=20
convention, the conference=92s performative aspect oscillates somewhere=20
between Andrea Fraser=92s =93May I Help You=94 stylistics of guided tour and=
 Fred=20
Wilson=92s =93Mining the Museum=94 attempts and objectives... Questions=
 which=20
arise from this negociated space include: What is the arena of artist=20
/curator co-existence? What is the division of labour? In such a=20
masquarade-like atmosphere of alerted attention to artist-versus-curator=20
roles, the conference=92s further primary aim is to juxtapose and foreground=
=20
different strategies of curatorial practice, art criticism and functions of=
=20
the art institution (looking at German, French, British and American models=
=20
- from an art historical perspective through to sociological, philosophical=
=20
and purely curatorial positions...). What are the formative processes which=
=20
contribute to our curatorial methods and tactics? How does one BECOME a=20
curator? The phenomenon of =93curatorial practice=94 as both an intellectual=
=20
discourse and the priviledged position of the curator will be tested in=20
this framework of discussion. The conference will address a number of=20
self-proclaimed descriptions, tags and schools (from the moderator and=20
translator through to the notion of a =93cultural communicator=94, =93broker=
 of=20
cultural goods=94, visual anthropologist and the exhibition auteur - new=20
arbiter of taste).

If according to the Oxford Advanced Learner=92s Dictionary of Current=20
English, curator is =93an official in charge=94, what is then he/she really=
=20
responsible for? What is the ethics of curatorial decisions if we accept a=
=20
very process of curating as an =93identity-affirming=94 experience? The main=
=20
territories of the POLYPHONY OF VOICES conference may be structured into=20
the following sections: a) examining the received ideas (or much ado about=
=20
nothing): borderland spaces and limited areas b) curators=92 background and=
=20
backstage/searching for departures c) roles and models/role models (do we=20
need any ideology for it at all?): play of dominance and autonomy? d)=20
curating: moderating, translating or filtrating? e) curating: crossing the=
=20
line of a public service (clearing up misunderstandings and confusions) f)=
=20
case Studies: master (exhibition) bits & pieces / perfect marriages and=20
misalliances + special: everything you would like to know about the curator=
=20
but you are afraid to ask.


Sponsors and Partners:
American Center Foundation, The British Council, Goethe Institut Inter=20
Nationes, US Consulate General Krakow, PRO HELVETIA, Deutsche Bank, Polish=
=20
Airlines LOT, ORBIS Hotel Cracovia, Jagellonian University Institute of=20
Arts History, Czas Kultury