Course Syllabus

JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "AH 275"
COURSE NAME: "Curating: History, Theories and Practices"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Fall 2025

SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Adrienne Drake
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: MW 10:00 AM 11:15 AM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: One previous course in Art History
OFFICE HOURS:

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The course examines the history, theories and practices of curating; central to this inquiry is the figure of the professional curator. The course addresses the development of curation and the professionalization of the curator in the modern era and examines the diversity of practices that characterize these in contemporary global contexts. It explores different curatorial methodologies, from earlier approaches focused on connoisseurship to today’s experimental practices that challenge institutional norms and engage anew with social, political, and technological concerns. Through critical engagement with the authorship of exhibition design, the course will highlight how curatorial decisions shape audience understanding and experiences, craft the stories that artworks tell, and engage with contemporary discourses.

SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
The course will explore both a selection of celebrated exhibitions as pivotal moments that have shaped curatorial thinking, and influential curators who, with the rise of the singular exhibition-maker after World War II, have expanded, redefined, and introduced new possibilities in curation. A significant focus will be placed on the responsibilities of curators, not only toward artists and collections but also toward diverse publics, encouraging students to consider questions of ethics, inclusivity, and representation. Themes in contemporary curatorial practices, such as decolonial strategies, participatory curating, and intersectionality, will be central to the discussions. Through readings and case studies, students will critically analyze how curators conceive and realize exhibitions, as well as how curatorial choices impact cultural discourse and public engagement with objects.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

• Develop an understanding of the development, chronology and range of curatorial practices, from early collecting traditions to contemporary curatorship.

• Recognize the varieties of institutional frameworks in which curators operate, such as museums, galleries, biennials, and alternative spaces.

• Examine the role of the curator as a mediator between artists, institutions, and audiences.

• Assess ethical issues related to curatorial practice, including representation, cultural appropriation, and accessibility.

• Understand how curating has socio-political and aesthetic functions.

• Critically engage with foundational and contemporary curatorial theories and texts.

• Acquire a comprehensive vocabulary and use terminology relevant to exhibition-making practices.

• Develop skills in the critical analysis of visual culture and writings pertaining to art history and curation.

TEXTBOOK:

NONE

REQUIRED RESERVED READING:

NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:

NONE

GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:

Assignment	Guidelines	Weight
Attendance and participation	Active participation is essential to each student’s success in the course. This includes on-time attendance, contributing to class discussions, and the sharing of ideas.	15%
Introductory writing reflection	A short 400-word reflection on the role of the curator in contemporary society.	10%
Midterm exam	An in-class exam consisting of short answer questions that pertain to issues discussed, or curators and exhibitions we have examined, both in class and in the assigned readings.	25%
Group presentation on key theoretical texts	Working in small groups, students will develop 15-minute presentations about selected texts from the required readings. Intended to spark discussion, the presentations must summarize the main arguments or key ideas, draw attention to the variety of positions in curation, and conclude with discussion questions posed to the class. Presentation notes must be submitted to the Professor on or before the day of the presentation.	20%
Research paper	A research paper of c.1500-2000 words on an historically significant exhibition, analyzed through a theoretical lens. The essay must address precise research questions, and contain complete captions if images are included, in addition to a full bibliography (not included in the word-count). Note 25% for the term paper and 5% for the abstract, which must include an outline and brief bibliography.	30%

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.

-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS AND EXAMINATION POLICY
You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed. The final exam period runs until ____________

ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.

STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.

SCHEDULE

COURSE SCHEDULE:

Week 1:

Class 1. Course presentation, scope and requirements

Class 2. Introduction to curatorial practice

Defining curation: from connoisseurship and public taste to cultural mediation.

Week 2:

Class 1. Curation as a profession in flux: from “keeper” to curator to educator

Class 2. A history of exhibition strategies and display

From the Salon to Universal Expositions to the independent art exhibition.

Writing reflection due

Week 3:

Class 1. Exhibition innovations in the early 20^th century avant-garde

Artists as the driving force of curatorial decisions.

Class 2. Exhibition innovations in the early 20^th century avant-garde

Case studies: Sonderbund, Cologne, 1912; The Armory Show, New York, 1913

Week 4:

Class 1. Modernist curating

Curator in focus: Alfred H. Barr, Jr., MoMA’s founding director.

Class 2. “Incompetents, cheats and madmen": the assault on artistic experimentation

Instrumentalizing curatorial strategies for political and cultural propaganda.

Case study: “Degenerate Art”, Munich, 1937

Week 5:

Class 1. Post-War Curatorial Shifts

Institutions, curators, audiences: engagement in the aftermath of war

Case study: documenta, Kassel, 1955

Class 2. Post-War Curatorial Shifts, cont’d

The reconfiguration of world art centers and forward-looking exhibitions as sites of encounter and exchange.

Case studies: São Paulo Biennial, 1951; “This is Tomorrow”, Whitechapel Art Gallery, London, 1956

Week 6:

Class 1. Curation and authorship: the emergence of the singular exhibition-maker

Curators in focus: Harald Szeemann and Walter Hopps, and the redefining of the role of the curator.

Class 2. Critical curating: institutional critique and alternative spaces

Using self-reflexive models for inquiry, investigation, and innovation.

Week 7:

Class 1. Midterm review

Class 2. Midterm exam

Week 8:

Class 1. Curating the non-material: ephemeral art

Curator in focus: Seth Siegelaub, and groundbreaking explorations of the group exhibition in its most radical form.

Class 2. From conceptualism to feminism

Curator in focus: Lucy Lippard, on feminism, art, politics and place.

Week 9:

Class 1. Feminist and intersectional approaches to curating

Class 2. In-class presentations

Week 10:

Class 1. Globalization and the expanding exhibition circuit

Large-scale, multinational exhibitions establishing a new curatorial platform.

Class 2. Decentering Western perspectives in curatorial practice

Curator in focus: Okwui Enwezor, and the remapping of the art world.

Week 11:

Class 1. Decentering Western perspectives in curatorial practice, cont’d

Curator in focus: Hou Hanru, locality and institution within transnational communities.

Class 2. In-class presentations

Week 12:

Class 1. Curating social practice and community engagement

Class 2. Curating the non-material: live art

Curator in focus: RoseLee Goldberg, and the establishment of new models for exhibiting performance.

Abstract for research paper due

Week 13:

Class 1. The digital turn: curating in the age of virtual exhibitions and social media

Class 2. In-class presentations

Week 14:

Class 1. The future of curating: speculative curatorial practices

Class 2. Curator in focus: Koyo Kouoh, Curator of the 61^st Venice Biennale, 2026

Research paper due

Week 15:

In-class discussion of issues raised in research papers

OVERVIEW OF KEY BIBLIOGRAPHIC WORKS FOR THE COURSE

Aira, Rosa. Intersectional Feminism. Barcelona: Servei Civil Internacional de Catalunya, 2020.
Alberro, Alexander and Blake Stimson (eds). Conceptual Art: A Critical Anthology. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press, 1999

Alberro, Alexander and Blake Stimson (eds). Institutional critique: an anthology of artists’ writings. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press, 2011.

Altshuler, Bruce. Salon to Biennial: Exhibitions That Made Art History, 1863-1959. London: Phaidon Press, 2008.

Altshuler, Bruce. Biennials and Beyond: Exhibitions that Made Art History, 1962-2002. London: Phaidon Press, 2013.

Altshuler, Bruce. The Avant-Garde in Exhibition: New Art in the 20th Century. New York: Abrams, 1994.

Ault, Julie. Alternative art, New York, 1965-1985: a cultural politics book for the Social Text Collective. New York: Drawing Center, 2002.

Balzer, David. Curationism: How Curating Took Over the Art World and Everything Else, Coach House Books, Toronto, 2014.

Barker, Emma. Contemporary Cultures of Display, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1999.

Bauer, Dominique (ed). Ephemeral Spectacles, Exhibition Spaces and Museums 1750-1918. Amsterdam University Press, 2021.

Bayley, Lucy. “Curating and Collecting”. Tate, 2019. https://www.tate.org.uk/research/reshaping-the-collectible/research-approach-curating-collecting-museology

Bertrand, Stéphanie. Contemporary Curating, Artistic Reference and Public Reception. Routledge, 2021.

Bourriaud, Nicolas. Relational Aesthetics. Les Presse Du Reel, 1998.

Bryan-Wilson, Julia. Art Workers: Radical Practice in the Vietnam War Era. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2009.

Clifford, James. The Predicament of Culture. Twentieth-Century Ethnography, Literature, and Art. Harvard University Press, 1988.

Derieux, Florence (ed). Harald Szeemann: Individual Methodology. JRP|Ringier, 2007.

Ferguson, Bruce, Greenberg, Reesa, Nairne, Sandy (eds). Thinking About Exhibitions. Routledge, 1996

Foster, Hal, Krauss, Rosalind, Bois, Yve-Alain, Buchloh, Benjamin H.D. Art Since 1900: Modernism Antimodernism Postmodernism. Thames & Hudson, 2004.

George, Adrian. The Curator’s Handbook: Museums, Commercial Galleries, Independent Spaces. Thames & Hudson, 2015.

Green, Charles. Biennials, Triennials, and documenta: The Exhibitions that Created Contemporary Art. Wiley Blackwell, 2016.

Guilbaut, Serge. How New York Stole the Idea of Modern Art. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 1983

Harrison, Charles. Looking Back, London: Ridinghouse, 2011.

Harrison, Charles, Paul, Wood. Art in Theory 1900-2000: An Anthology of Changing Ideas. Blackwell Pub, 2002.

Haskell, Francis. The Ephemeral Museum, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2000.

Hoffmann, Jens. Theater of Exhibitions. Sternberg Press, 2015.

Hoffman, Jens. Ten Fundamental Questions of Curating. Milan: Mousse Publishing, 2013.

hooks, bell. Ain’t I a Woman, Black Women and Feminism. London: Pluto Press, 1992.

hooks, bell. Art on My Mind Visual Politics. New York: The New Press, 1995.

Hopkins, David. After Modern Art 1945-2000. Oxford History of Art, 2000.

Jolles, Adam. The Curatorial Avant-Garde: Surrealism and Exhibition Practice in France, 1925-1941. Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 2013.

Jones, Amelia (ed). A Companion to Contemporary Art Since 1945. Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 2006.

Karp, Ivan and Steven Lavine. Exhibiting cultures: the poetics and politics of museum display. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1991.

Kocur, Zoya, Leung, Simon (eds). Theory in Contemporary Art since 1985. Blackwell, 2007 (2005).

Lunday, Elizabeth. The Modern Art Invasion: Picasso, Duchamp, and the 1913 Armory Show That Scandalized America, Connecticut: Lyons Press, 2013.

Marincola, Paula (ed). What Makes a Great Exhibition. Reaktion Books, 2007.

Martinon, Jean-Paul (ed). The Curatorial: A Philosophy of Curating. Bloomsbury Academic, 2013.

O’Doherty, Brian. Inside the White Cube: The Ideology of the Gallery Space. University of California Press, 2000.

O’Neill, Paul. The Culture of Curating, The Curating of Culture(s). Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2012.

O’Neill, Paul. The Curatorial Turn: From Practice to Discourse. Issues in Curating Contemporary Art and Performance. Intellect Ltd, 2007.

Obrist, Hans Ulrich. Ways of Curating, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2016.

Obrist, Hans Ulrich. A Brief History of Curating. JRP|Ringier, 2008.

Richter, Dorothee. Curating: Politics of Display, Politics of Site, Politics of Transfer and Translation, Politics of Knowledge Production. A Fragmented and Situated Theory of Curating. ONCURATING.org, 2023.

Sharmacharja, Shamita (ed). A Manual for the 21st Century Art Institution. London: Koenig Books, 2009.

Siegelaub, Seth. “Better Read than Dead” Writings and Interviews 1964-2013. Konig Books, 2020.

Sjoholm Skrubbe, Jessica. Curating Differently: Feminisms, Exhibitions and Curatorial Spaces. Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2016.

Smith, Terry. Thinking Contemporary Curating. Independent Curators International, 2012.

Staniszewski, Mary Anne. The Power of Display: A History of Exhibition Installations at the Museum of Modern Art. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press, 1998.

Stiles, Kristin, Selz, Peter (eds). Theories and Documents of Contemporary Art. UC Press, 2012.

Tymkiw, Michael. Nazi exhibition design and modernism. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2018.

Vergo, Peter. (ed). The New Museology, London: Reaktion Books, 1989.