Curation & Innovative Exhibitions

Think about a single blockbuster exhibition you attended where the curation presented a famous artist’s works says Ivan Barnett of Serious Play.  You know the ones where there is continual buzz and energy around a moment in time.  When the Guggenheim museum staged its infamous “Art of the Motorcycle Exhibition,” the lines were almost endless.  Or what about the Chicago Art Institute’s exhibition “My New Yorks,”  by Georgia O’Keeffe?

Serious Play will discuss strategies that your gallery or even yourself can institute that take on a life of their own.  Their entire philosophy, grounded in attempting something that seems almost impossible, creates “a stir.”  Surprise, mystery, intrigue, and the word unexpected often are words Ivan Barnett would use here.  Plan events or themes months ahead of time and often use them as a promotional launch of something new. 

Maximize Your Gallery’s Visibility

Properly orchestrated, you can jump start your career. Make a splash to the point of notice in a way you have never been before.  Barnett will discuss the arch of your career and see if there is a place to do this.  In some occasions an overnight success story can arise. The recent new movie, A Complete Unknown, about the early years of Bob Dylan recounts this phenomena. Patina Gallery did this under Barnett’s direction when it opened in 1999.  Out of nowhere, Santa Fe’s newest gallery did things never tried before, and they worked.

Moving forward, leverage these “one-off” type of occasions to define a career for years to come.  There is not one way to approach this.  Ultimately, your gallery and its artists would be at the center of this kind of happening. They will act as the conduit for the excitement, and could improve your bottom line.  Properly aligned, you will set your gallery “apart.” When repeated, you become that “place where cool things happen,” where magic happens!  

Serious Play says the point of curation is to not simply open “just another exhibition.” Regardless of how talented you are, you would be saying “hey, look at me and what I’ve been working on.”  Do not miss seeing this, or you will be left out.  Done properly, your patron’s social capital changes forever.