Curator

Who is a curator and what do they do?

A curator devises the concept of an exhibition and selects the works — today, in effect, a co-author of the exhibition. The choice of works is not left to chance: the curator looks for a common thread between them and joins them into a single whole. They work with theme, space and narrative, with the story the exhibition tells its visitors. In this way they give art a context and connect it with current social themes, with history or with philosophy.

What training does a curator have and where do they work?

The word curator comes from the Latin curare, to care for, and originally denoted someone who simply looked after museum collections. Today curators work in galleries and museums as well as independently on the free scene, and their role has shifted from custodian to author of exhibitions. In cultural institutions they also decide which works are acquired for the collection. It is precisely through such decisions that they can fundamentally influence a chosen artist's reputation.

How does a curator influence the value of a work and the art market?

A curator's work has a direct impact on the art market too, because a good exhibition can raise the value of an artist and their work. Inclusion in an exhibition under a respected curator, like acquisition into an institutional collection, can lift an artist's reputation and the market price of their work. It is no wonder, then, that this is one of the most influential roles in the art world. Whoever is given space in an exhibition is suddenly seen.

How do curators fare in the Czech context?

In the Czech context the curator's role strengthened markedly after 1989, when curators became key figures on the art scene. Among the field's international names, Harald Szeemann and Hans Ulrich Obrist are legends who changed how we understand exhibitions today. Here at home the curatorial profession has settled firmly into place over recent decades and become a natural part of the art world. Whoever prepares a significant exhibition today also shapes the way we look at art.

— Anna Pulkertová, founder of Art Part Club