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International Journal of Cultural and Creative Industries The Curator is Present - [Ex]changing Roles of Curator and Artist: Hans Ulrich Obrist and Marina Abramović Elisabeth S. B. PILHOFER Elisabeth S. B. PILHOFER, freelance curator, Germany Elisabeth S. B. Pilhofer’s research focuses on historic and contempo- rary social networks built up by artists, with emphasis on the rela- tionship between curators and artists. After obtaining her Bachelor of Arts in Art in Social Contexts at the University of Applied Sciences in Ottersberg (Germany) she studied Art History and German Sign Language at the University of Hamburg (Germany). She is currently working as a freelance curator in Munich. Contact: [email protected] ABSTRACT roles of curators and artists since the 1960s? Can the performance of The Curator Is Present be seen as To what extent do the lives and works of Hans Ulrich Obrist and Marina Abramović reveal the changing The Curator Is Presentan example of an exchange of these roles? The works of Obrist and Abramović, especially some of their printed conversations (Abramović & Obrist, 2010), Abramović’s video-portrait of Obrist (Abramović, 2010), and the observations of their colleagues, in many disciplines, not just the art world, show the extent of the exchange and expandability of the roles of curator and artist. This brief review of some elements of the lives and works of Hans Ulrich Obrist and Marina Abramović investigates the traditional and contemporary roles of cura-tor and artist. Furthermore it reveals the extent to which Keywords:these roles are being changed in the field of Contemporary Art. Curator, Artist, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Marina Abramović 28 Volume 1 | Issue 3 | July 2014 1. INTRODUCTION view of these two magnificent individuals of the I think that the attempt to find out what art is contemporary art world is part of that ongoing is really the permanent process. If we had an process and part of my search for what art is. answer to this question, we’d probably stop 2. OF CURATOR AND ARTIST (Obrist, 2011b, p. 37). 2.1 Definition of Curator and Curator’s Relation to Artist curator The two questions which I use as the basis and works of Hans Ulrich Obrist and Marina the traditional area of this profession becomes for this essay are: To what extent do the lives If one looks at the Latin origin of the word , Abramovi cura is to care for or and artists since the 1960s? Can the performance ć reveal the changing roles of curators quite clear. The meaning of The Curator Is Present be seen as an example of an to maintain something. Further connotations in- clude to decorate and/or to clean something. This exchange of these roles? presents the curator as a caretaker, conservator, guardian and custodian (Stowasser, Petschening A very valuable resource for answering these & Skutsch, 1980; Pertsch, 1983). questions is a book Marina Abramović and Hans Urlich Obrist published in which eight of their The very basic role of the curator is to take care. conversations were printed as part of Obrist’s Taking care, however, requires something or Obrist defines the curator as “the caretaker of ob Conversation Series (Abramović & Obrist, 2010). someone that needs to be cared for. Hans Ulrich talks as a matter of course about her different During some of these interviews Abramović - jects in a museum” (TEDx Talks, 2011, 00:11ff.). experiences in curating. These interviews partly This not only defines the role of the curator but The Bloomsbury Guide to Art answer the question of whether an exchange of also names the object of care as being objects in roles between artists and curators is possible, a museum. (West, as it is a matter of fact that Abramović and other 1996) gives a further definition of the curator artists have already worked and continue to work and the objects of care, saying that the curator and furthermore “their appearance and relation in the field of curating quite regularly. Thus, the “investigates works of art” (West, 1996, p. 367) question of whether Marina Abramović’s video- - portrait of Hans Ulrich Obrist The Curator Is ship with each other” (West, 1996, p. 367). Ac- Present can be seen as such an exchange is more cording to this definition taking care is described or less redundant, since there are even more as a process of investigation and the objects to The Bloomsbury Guide distinctive examples than Abramović’s work in be investigated are works of art. Apart from the to Art the field of curating. Still, the lives and works of caretaking and the objects, Obrist and Abramović offer such a variety of fas- ’s definition also mentions other important cinating aspects that taking a closer look at them factors of the curator’s work: the members of an opens a whole new view of the exchange and the audience, the making of decisions concerning the expandability of the roles of artist and curator. way the works of art are displayed (often in a gal- The search for the answer to the question of what lery space) and the responsibility for signage and interpretation in labels and catalogues. to find out who Hans Ulrich Obrist and Marina art is (q.v. Obrist, 2011b, p. 37) and the search Abramovi Haltloses Ausstellen: Politiken des Von Bismarck summarizes these factors clearly künstlerischen Kuratierens ć really are and what their roles as in her essay curator and artist include, are ongoing. This re- . For her the basis of 29 International Journal of Cultural and Creative Industries as important markers in the development of the curating is simply creating connections between highlight individual events that they emphasize objects, people, places, and contexts (Von Bis- marck, 2006). present day definition of curator and curating. The Combining the origin of the word curator and According to Obrist “curating always follows art, Bloomsbury Guide to Art the above-mentioned definitions of Obrist, it’s not the other way around” (TEDx Talks, 2011, and Von Bismarck, the 01:10ff.). As the caretaker depends on the object role of the curator is to take care by investigating and the curator on the artist’s work, curating or creating connections with and among four compulsorily has to follow art. Seeing this as a factors: 1) objects (in a museum, works of art), 2) fundamental idea of curating, Obrist explains that the erweiteter Kunstbegriff (“expanded notion of people (the audience), 3) places (museum, gallery in the 1960s Joseph Beuys developed the idea of space, exhibition space), and 4) contexts (inter- pretation, catalogues). art”), which in Obrist’s opinion had to lead to an The Bloomsbury Guide to Art does expanded notion of curating as well (TEDx Talks Unfortunately 2011). Thus, curating following art includes the not specifically mention any people other than fact that a change in art such as the expanded no- the audience nor does Von Bismarck give any de- tion of art forces curating to change or to expand. tailed annotations to people. However, one very selves – without which the curator would have no important aspect is missing: the objects them- Beuys’ extended notion of art takes art out of the ivory tower and brings it right into life itself of – would not exist without the person who cre purpose, as there would be nothing to take care (Harlan et al, 1984). If curating follows art, this - leads to the idea that curating and curators follow ates them, the artist. art into all different kinds of areas. Through the extended notion of art and the resulting extended The origin of the word curator alludes to the fact notion of curating, all four basic factors of curat- that, in the relationship between the artist and ing (objects, people, places and contexts) receive the curator, there is no chicken or egg question of a completely new dynamic dimension. which came first. An artist can form pieces of art without compulsorily needing a second person to However, before taking a closer look at this new take care of his or her work. However, a caretaker idea of the extended notion of art, other factors needs something or someone to take care of. Thus which lead to the change must be identified. the existence of curators is clearly dependent on Along with Obrist, Von Bismarck also sees two first was the rise of Conceptual Art and the sec the existence of artists and their artwork. This is essential developments in the (late) 1960s. The why the second factor of curating, people, should - include2.2 Changing not only Roles the audience and the Consequentbut also the artist. ond the formation of a new occupational group: Change of Relation the freelance or independent curator. Von Bismarck points out that Conceptual Art However, Obrist and Von Bismarck both observe moved art from object-centered to idea-centered, that massive changes within the art world have which seriously changed the relationship of led to a redefinition of curating that goes beyond author, (art)work and audience. One of the conse- its original meaning. Even if the beginning of this quences of this approach was to add the choosing, change cannot be seen in one particular event putting together, presenting, and communicating or one person, Obrist and Von Bismarck each or explaining pieces of art to the work of the 30 Volume 1 | Issue 3 | July 2014 artist. These processes all used to be associ- opment of today’s definition of a curator. They ated with or belong to the field of the curator or illustrate the movement in art since the 1960s, curating. The overlap of working areas means Beuys and Szeemann being only two examples that the roles of artist and curator are no longer who gave this development momentum.

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