Thinking Contemporary Curating is the first book to offer an in-depth analysis of the volatile territory of international curatorial practice and the thinking—or insight—that underpins it.

By News Editor 10 Sep 2012

“Do curators think in ways that are unique to their profession? Can curatorial thought be distinguished from the thinking processes within the myriad of closely related practices—especially art criticism, art history, and art making—and from curating within other kinds of museum or display spaces, public and private?”
–Terry Smith

In five essays, renowned art historian and critic Terry Smith describes how today curators take on roles far beyond exhibition making, to include reimagining museums; writing the history of curating; creating discursive platforms and undertaking social or political activism, as well as rethinking spectatorship.

In the chapter “Biennials and Infrastructure Shift” Terry Smith analyses the role of the mega-exhibitions within the exhibitionary complex.

The catalyst for the publication was “The Now Museum” conference that ICI produced in collaboration with the CUNY Graduate Center and the New Museum in New York in 2011. In panel discussions and lectures over 30 leading artists, art historians, curators, and museum directors, such as art historian Claire Bishop, Okwui Enwezor (Director, Haus der Kunst), Massimiliano Gioni (Associate Director and Director of Exhibitions, New Museum), Lu Jie (Director, Long March), Maria Lind (Director, Tensta Konsthall) and Terry Smith discussed the diversification of the notion of the “museum of contemporary art,” providing intergenerational perspectives on recent developments across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. This spurred a year-long journey for Smith, responding to ideas, events, and encounters in the artworld in the process of questioning what “curating” is today, which forms the heart of this publication.

Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Independent Curators Inc (31. Oktober 2012)
Language: Englisch
ISBN-10: 0916365867
ISBN-13: 978-0916365868

Book Launch & Reading with Terry Smith
Tuesday, September 18, 7–9pm
New York University
RSVP to [email protected]

Terry Smith in conversation with Sofia Hernández Chong Cuy
Sunday, September 30, 3–4pm
New York Art Book Fair
MoMA PS1

Terry Smith in conversation with Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev
Sunday, October 14, 3–4pm
The New Museum

Terry Smith in conversation with Jens Hoffmann
Tuesday, October 23, 7–9pm
Wattis Institute for Contemporary Art
California College of the Arts

Terry Smith in conversation with Mary Jane Jacob
Sunday, November 18, 1–3pm
The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago