Insights of curatorial work
Before starting my curatorial practice, I has been practicing as a fine artist. Since then it has been a remarkable experience. Being an artist we are only aware about our own work whereas as a curator I learned to look at the whole picture which is actually a bigger one. A display area is a canvas full of several artworks for curators. Since my student's life I preferred to play with display of my artwork. As a curator, I took the liberty to experiment with other artists’ work. I learned to look at the big picture. Every art work has its own place where it can give its impact and attract audience. The number of responsibilities has increased including all the paperwork, leading the team and executing a good display where every artwork's placement has been justified. It has burst my own bubble of being able to understand my own work only. It has enhanced my understanding for my own artistic practice in terms of conceptual approach. While working with several artists of different stages including fresh, emerging and established ones, I am learning a great deal of understanding unlimited approaches of one piece. There is no good or bad work, I believe, it depends on what curators want or need according to the concept of exhibition. It works both ways for me. Being a visual artist, I understand the process behind the execution of artwork.
We need more than producing artwork such as funding for projects, involving high profile organizations (government) and government, engaging general public, attracting visitors and above all presenting a good show.
I have started as a guest curator at gallery Alliance Francaise, Karachi. I have been exploring and experimenting with large scale shows with quite a few approaches. I can share some insights of my recent project ‘Karachi Art Summit’2017, which is totally site-specific and made me understood my area of interest. Site-specific artwork as well as sculptures had been placed at 12 different sites of Karachi. This has happened for the first time in our art scene and this has been an amazing experience. I have a preference to introduce and engage general public with new prospects of showcasing a show. I fell in love with Karachi, all over again while curating KAS’17. I have realized that I revel in to involve public and explore new possibilities. An exhibition is not only meant inside gallery walls, it can be anywhere depending on execution. Curators and artists work together, it works both ways. Installations and performances has been my forte so far. During KAS’17, we did two performances at a disputed landmark for the first time. I have worked with a good team so far who has been striving and determined towards conceptual art.
Since 2015, I have been working on a culture exchange different four countries with a fellow curator in Netherlands whom I will meet in two weeks in Alkmaar. That will increase the scale of my practice furthermore.
It has been a splendid involvement of working with so many diverse individuals. It has been providing me numerous practices.
Please check my work on my website and Karachi Art Summit on my page ;
My curatorial work can be seen on my website ; www.mehreenhashmi.com
This blog was written during my participation for AIRO residency in June 2017.
https://www.coldbench.com/airoforum/notas/insights-of-curatorial-work
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