#OpenCurating

The #OpenCurating research project examined how the dynamics of participation, transparency, and collaboration promoted by Web 2.0, along with the ten principles of open journalism, are transforming the field of contemporary art and exhibition-making. The project drew inspiration from the ten speculative principles proposed by Alan Rusbridger, Editor-in-Chief of the British newspaper The Guardian, and the concerns explored in our earlier project The Last Newspaper (New Museum, 2010). The research analysed how these expectations might redefine the role of curators, the relationships between audiences, artists, and artworks, as well as traditional formats of production and mediation in art.

The project is based on the idea of applying the principles of open journalism – collaboration, accessibility, and the incorporation of multiple voices – to the curatorial field. It explores how curatorial practices can go beyond the conventional "exhibition + catalogue" model to offer new forms of interaction and dialogue. These changes involve rethinking the role of the curator, traditionally seen as an expert who validates and presents content (a monological approach), toward a more inclusive and participatory model where artists, curators, and audiences engage in dialogue. Who creates and distributes content? What are the possibilities and challenges associated with the expectations for participation and transparency that arise?

#OpenCurating was structured in three parts: a series of ten interviews with curators, artists, writers, and online experts, published progressively as freely downloadable digital editions; a Twitter thread around the hashtag #OpenCurating; and finally, an open live conversation with Yasmil Raymond (Curator, Dia Art Foundation, New York) held at the auditorium of the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA).