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Harbinger II: Subtle Collisions, Botanical Garden, Ghent University, 6–17 July 2019, curated by Atena Abrahimia, Johannes de Bruycker, Chris Dupuis, Lotte Egtberts, Monica Ruiz Loyola, Elisa Maupas, Laila Melchior, Lucie Ménard, Anna Stoppa, Mobina Tabar, Nasrin Tork, Gabriela Torres, Michiel Van Damme, Astrid Vereycken and Lenny Vervaeke. Photo: ©Ingel Vaikla.


Young Curators Programme, Belgian Pavilion, 2019 Venice Biennale, coordinated by Laila Melchior; pictured: YCP Fellows Yseult Gay (left) and Lenny Vervaeke (right). A collaboration between KASK-School of Arts, La Loge, Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles and Kunstenpunt.

Monologue Intérieur: een alternatieve rondleiding door het voormalige Karmelietenklooster, Kunsthal Gent, 11 August 2019, conceived by Lieselotte Egtberts; performed by Maïthé Truyens

Transborder Networks, part of Somewhere in Between, BOZAR, Brussels, 20 June–19 August 2018. Room curated by Christine Denamur & Nathalie Papillon and Hélène Jacques & Romuald Demidenko. Photo: © Yannick Sas.

Karaokebar, Boghossian Foundation-Villa Empain, Brussels, 7 October 2018, conceived by Erwin Van Doorn and Inge Nabuurs; performed by Laurens Otto, Astrid Vereycken, Elisa Maupas and Antony Hudek. Part of ZLS III feat. Mike Kelly/Franz West by Erwin Van Doorn and Inge Nabuurs. Photo: ©Laurent de Broca.

Discoteca Clandestina: an Eschatological Disco Survival Strategy Plan for The End Times, Kunsthal Gent, 25-26 May 2019, conceived by Paolo Danese and Algis Kaveckis, featuring Alessandro Parisi; curated by Anna Stoppa ahead of Harbinger I: First Signs, Kunsthal Gent, 31 May–16 June 2019.


What are we talking about when we talk about distribution?, de Brakke Grond, Amsterdam, 20 May 2019, with Karina Beumer, Brenda Tempelaar, Remco Torenbosch and Tirdad Zolghadr; initiated by Peter Lemmens and Laurens Otto; coordinated by Timo Demollin, Peter Lemmens, Laurens Otto, Nasrin Tork and Astrid Vereycken.


How far is the South?, performance by CHE GO EUN, Megan-Leigh Heilig and Hélène Jacques, part of Rites of Exchange, a collaboration between HISK, ISELP and Curatorial Studies, ISELP, Brussels, 12 May 2018. Photo: © Laure Cottin Stefanelli

Curatorial Studies at KASK


Who is this for?
Curatorial Studies at KASK is an intensive one-year English-language postgraduate course aimed at applicants with an MA or equivalent experience in the arts, humanities or sciences and a keen interest in contemporary art. Established in 1999, Curatorial Studies is the only postgraduate curatorial programme in Belgium, benefitting from a unique partnership between KASK, Ghent University, the Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art, Ghent (S.M.A.K.). On this course students become familiar with contemporary curatorial practices across a variety of contexts, such as museums, foundations, artist-run spaces and commissioning agencies. Curatorial Studies at KASK stands out among comparable European and North American programmes for the breadth of skills it covers, from conservation and exhibition history/theory to collection management and public mediation. Through this programme, students are equipped to excel in the curatorial field, in its practical as well as theoretical applications.

What will you be studying?

Curatorial Studies at KASK considers curation – from the Latin ‘cura’, to care for – to be a vital link between cultural production and the wider social sphere. In this expanded definition, the curatorial touches the entire spectrum of cultural production, including historical and artistic research, documentation and archival projects, and the organisation of public events. At KASK, Curatorial Studies students are confronted with the diverse possibilities of the curatorial, from the collection, conservation and study of modern and contemporary art to developing new ways of making art public through on- and off-line displays, publications, pedagogical, social and performative interventions. KASK’s Curatorial Studies programme not only encourages students to develop their personal curatorial practice through the making of exhibitions, publications and events, it also lays emphasis on collaborative forms of cultural agency with a final collective project acting as a culmination point.

Through a mix of lectures, seminars, workshops and independent research, students become conversant with the most up-to-date debates within the contemporary curatorial field, particularly as these intersect with social, political and ethical issues. Drawing on Ghent’s exceptional cultural history and resources, as well as its proximity to major European cities, the programme comprises numerous behind-the-scenes visits to key art institutions in Belgium and internationally.

The students’ experience is further enhanced by regular talks by prominent speakers. All KASK Curatorial Studies staff members are researchactive and recognised in their areas of specialisation, as conservation specialists, mediators, curators, and scholars. This expertise allows for an immersive experience, where students are immediately put into contact with real-world situations and professional challenges.

And then…

Equipped with the extensive knowledge and contacts acquired during the programme, students (re) enter the professional field in a position of strength. The programme’s alumnae/i find employment in the artistic sector upon graduation, in museums, galleries, non-profit art spaces, governmental agencies, biennials, artist studios, magazines and, not least, academia. Moreover, given the long history of the programme, Curatorial Studies graduates benefit from a large network of alumni/ae who remain active in the cultural field.

Values  

  • Exploring (un)common grounds: How do we engage with different perspectives from a broad and diverse network of artists, curators, institutions and initiatives? 

  • Recentering Attention: How do we create new habits of mind and counter ‘positive violence’ (over-achievement, overproduction, over-communication)? 

  • Rethinking terminology: How do we re-examine the role of language, terminology, communication and poetics in curatorial work?

  • Making Room: How do we provide new readings of collections, reinterpretations that open new notions of history, permanence and universality? 

  • Creating affinities: How do we think alongside artists rather than explain or present their work?

  • Playing it Fair: How do we incorporate fair practices in curatorial work?


  • Thinking speculatively: How do we anticipate situations that are yet unknown (e.g. questions of accessibility; how do we suddenly close and re-open; how do we curate proactively)?





The programme is taught in English.

For more information, please email curatorialstudies@hogent.be

Useful Links




Resources 


Curators Anonymous, is a non-profit, non-affiliated association of curators in Belgium, founded in 2019 offering a platform for exchange on pressing issues affecting curators – their socio-economic and legal status, professional environment and societal roles.
(what’s right is right) defines clear and fair principles and practices for collaborating in the arts sector, and gives you access to calculators, checklists, contract modules, diagrams and manuals.
State of the Arts Fairs Arts Almanac 2019 offers a critical reflection on fairness in the complex relationships between artistic, political and economic spheres.
is an artist-led movement tackling sexual harassment, sexism and abuse of power in the Belgian arts field. Caveat is a collective research into the ecology of artistic practice. It is initiated by Jubilee, in partnership with Open Source Publishing, No New Enemies and Été 78. Caveat tries to find more sustainable, balanced ways of operating within the existing legal frameworks.
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