Where’s the Artist Here?:"Vermittlung," Curation, Usurpation and Power

First published May 23, 2007

I just received yet another invitation to a symposium (the preferred form of communication in the Consensoriat) concerning the Role of Exhibition Development in the Contemporary Artworld. I have a proposal.

In these set pieces, usually curators lecture the audience on their own importance, pretend to field a few polite questions from the public (who usually consists of artists wishing to get the attention of the Powermakers Present).

Never even once have I seen one of these endless self-congratulatory symposiums / multi-day panel-discussions wherein anyone speaks who is CRITICAL of the contemporary power structure favoring curators over artists. (As an aside — as much as I disagree with his book, we need a Tom Wolfe-like Painted Word attack on this situation.)

Therefore, I am (not so) humbly offering my services. Whenever anyone reading this is part of the planning process of such a symposium or panel discussion, I will gladly present an entertaining, informative, hard-hitting critique of the current situation – and most of all its self-delusions – in a speech I tentatively title “Where’s the Artist Here?: “Vermittlung,” Curation, Usurpation and Power.” Fly me in. I’m certain I can generate real discussion. And it is drastically needed.