Biomedical Art and Curatorial Care
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The Patient: Biomedical Art and Curatorial Care by Rebecca Dean, BFA (Hons) Submitted in part fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Art and Design August, 2018 Thesis/Dissertation Sheet Surname/Family Name : Dean Given Name/s : Rebecca Louise Abbreviation for degree as give in the University calendar : PhD Faculty : Art & Design UNSW School : Art & Design UNSW Thesis Title : The Patient: Biomedical Art and Curatorial Care Abstract 350 words maximum: (PLEASE TYPE) In this Curatorial Practice-Based Research (CPBR) project, I argue that Biomedical Art calls for a very particular expansion of the idea of curatorial care, to encompass care for artists and their collaborators as human subjects, lively materials, audiences, archives and legacies. I undertake this through the experimental curating and reflective analysis of the large-scale touring exhibition The Patient: The Medical Subject in Contemporary Art. The thesis identifies an emerging field of practice in Biomedical Art, which focuses on the medical patient experience of biomedicine, and crosses scientific, therapeutic and social contexts. An exhibition engaging with living with illness, adapting to bodily change and contending with death, the artists included in The Patient undertake multiple roles; as patients, subjects, objectified bodies, living biological material, researchers, collaborators, and themselves, carers. I detail my creation of an interdisciplinary exhibition environment, where facets of the museum, the laboratory and the clinic coalesce to support these diverse perspectives, experiences and needs. My research project, which is undertaken primarily through a long-term engagement with, and commissioning of contemporary practitioners, is articulated as embodied and attentive curatorial methodology in which I mobilise ‘care’ longitudinally, situationally, materially, conceptually, receptively and emotionally. Through reflective curatorial practice I argue that these forms of care for artists, lively materials and exhibition visitors productively support the complexities and challenges of Biomedical Art represented in The Patient. I offer two main contributions to knowledge through this research: the articulation of Biomedical Art as an emerging contemporary practice; and a new way of understanding curatorial care as an imperative expansion from the caretaking of objects, to care for the living. I present curatorial care for Biomedical Art as intersecting with, and contingent upon, the structures and networks of institutional and community care of which we are all part. Declaration relating to disposition of project thesis/dissertation I hereby grant to the University of New South Wales or its agents the right to archive and to make available my thesis or dissertation in whole or in part in the University libraries in all forms of media, now or here after known, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. I retain all property rights, such as patent rights. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis or dissertation. I also authorise University Microfilms to use the 350 word abstract of my thesis in Dissertation Abstracts International (this is applicable to doctoral theses only). ………………………………………………………… ……….…………31.8.2017…………...…….… Signature Witness Signature Date The University recognises that there may be exceptional circumstances requiring restrictions on copying or conditions on use. Requests for restriction for a period of up to 2 years must be made in writing. Requests for a longer period of restriction may be considered in exceptional circumstances and require the approval of the Dean of Graduate Research. FOR OFFICE USE ONLY Date of completion of requirements for Award: INCLUSION OF PUBLICATIONS STATEMENT UNSW is supportive of candidates publishing their research results during their candidature as detailed in the UNSW Thesis Examination Procedure. Publications can be used in their thesis in lieu of a Chapter if: • The student contributed greater than 50% of the content in the publication and is the “primary author”, ie. the student was responsible primarily for the planning, execution and preparation of the work for publication • The student has approval to include the publication in their thesis in lieu of a Chapter from their supervisor and Postgraduate Coordinator. • The publication is not subject to any obligations or contractual agreements with a third party that would constrain its inclusion in the thesis Please indicate whether this thesis contains published material or not. This thesis contains no publications, either published or submitted for publication ☐ (if this box is checked, you may delete all the material on page 2) Some of the work described in this thesis has been published and it has been documented in the relevant Chapters with acknowledgement (if this box is ☒ checked, you may delete all the material on page 2) This thesis has publications (either published or submitted for publication) ☐ incorporated into it in lieu of a chapter and the details are presented below CANDIDATE’S DECLARATION I declare that: • I have complied with the Thesis Examination Procedure • where I have used a publication in lieu of a Chapter, the listed publication(s) below meet(s) the requirements to be included in the thesis. Name Signature Date (dd/mm/yy) Rebecca Dean 31.8.18 Postgraduate Coordinator’s Declaration (to be filled in where publications are used in lieu of Chapters) I declare that: • the information below is accurate • where listed publication(s) have been used in lieu of Chapter(s), their use complies with the Thesis Examination Procedure • the minimum requirements for the format of the thesis have been met. PGC’s Name PGC’s Signature Date (dd/mm/yy) i COPYRIGHT STATEMENT 'I hereby grant the University of New South Wales or its agents the right to archive and to make available my thesis or dissertation in whole or part in the University libraries in all forms of media, now or here after known, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. I retain all proprietary rights, such as patent rights. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis or dissertation. I also authorise University Microfilms to use the 350 word abstract of my thesis in DissertationAbstract International (this is applicable to doctoral theses only). I have either used no substantial portions of copyright material in my thesis or I have obtained permission to use copyright material; where permission has not been granted I have applied/will apply for a partial restriction of the digital copy of my thesis or dissertation.' Signed Date ······\�·········. ·········3. ···2..0··········\·····� ···································· AUTHENTICITY STATEMENT 'I certify that the Library deposit digital copy is a direct equivalent of the final officially approved version of my thesis. No emendation of content has occurred and if there are any minor variations in formatting, they are the result of the conversion to digital format.' Date .J ..?. :.. -�· :.. � . � ..\ .1 ....................................... ORIGINALITY STATEMENT ‘I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and to the best of my knowledge it contains no material previously published or written by another person, or substantial proportions of material which have been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma at UNSW or any other educational institution, except where due acknowledgement is made in the thesis. Any contribution made to the research by others, with whom I have worked at UNSW or elsewhere, is explicitly acknowledged in the thesis. I also declare that the intellectual content of this thesis is the product of my own work, except to the extent that assistance from others in the project’s design or conception or in style, presentation and linguistic expression is acknowledged.’ Signed Date 18.3.19 i Abstract In this Curatorial Practice-Based Research (CPBR) project, I argue that Biomedical Art calls for a very particular expansion of the idea of curatorial care, to encompass care for artists and their collaborators as human subjects, lively materials, audiences, archives and legacies. I undertake this through the experimental curating and reflective analysis of the large-scale touring exhibition The Patient: The Medical Subject in Contemporary Art. The thesis identifies an emerging field of practice in Biomedical Art, which focuses on the medical patient experience of biomedicine, and crosses scientific, therapeutic and social contexts. An exhibition engaging with living with illness, adapting to bodily change and contending with death, the artists included in The Patient undertake multiple roles; as patients, subjects, objectified bodies, living biological material, researchers, collaborators, and themselves, carers. I detail my creation of an interdisciplinary exhibition environment, where facets of the museum, the laboratory and the clinic coalesce to support these diverse perspectives, experiences and needs. My research project, which is undertaken primarily through a long-term engagement with, and commissioning of contemporary practitioners, is articulated as embodied and attentive curatorial methodology in which I mobilise ‘care’ longitudinally, situationally, materially, conceptually, receptively and emotionally. Through reflective curatorial practice I argue that these forms of care for artists, lively materials