About the author

Adrian George is Deputy Director and Senior Curator for the UK Government Art Collection.
He leads a team of curators who deliver education , interpretation and publishing projects
ranging from public programmes to specialist arts events and he lectures extensively on
curating and commissioning contemporary art. He has commissioned site-related work
in Belgium , the Philippines, Qatar , Spain , the UK and the Yemen and curated exhibitions
in locations including Hong Kong , Dublin , London , Skopje, New York and Taipei. He has
previously held curatorial posts at Tate Liverpool; Tate Modern , London; and the New
Museum of Contemporary Art, New York.

Acknowledgments

A special thank you must go to Eros Chen who told me I should write this book. Further
debts of gratitude are owed to all the artists, friends , curators, registrars and assorted
museum colleagues from across the globe who gave their time and their expertise without
hesitation when asked . Thanks also to Thames & Hudson , Jacky Klein, Celia White,
Tamsin Perrett and Lisa lfsits who worked patiently with me to take the book from draft
to reality; and finally, to Kang Chun Lin who gave me continual support , along with the
space and time l needed to focus.

First published in the United Kingdom in 2015 by

Thames & Hudson Ltd, 181AHigh Holborn, London wcrv 7Qx

ca TheCurator'sHandbook© 2015 Adrian George

>
Designed by Lisa lfsits

All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any
form or by any means , electronic or mechanical , including photocopy , recording or any
other information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from
the publisher.

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A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

fSBN 978-0-500-23928-5

Printed and bound in China by Everbest Printing Co. Ltd

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 How to turn good ideas into real exhibitions

Whether you are thinking about a major museum exhibition , small

display, commissioned project or perhaps a unique art fair stand
(for ease everything will be termed exhibition from this point on),
once you have settled on the concept, the first thing to do is to create
an exhibition outline document . Completing this will help you to ..
n
-=-
define your ideas and spot any potential problems. Try to determine if i
there has already been an exhibition similar to yours anywhere in the "'
world. If so, when? At what scale? Which institution? Which works
were included and how many? It is very easy to end up presenting the ::t1
.., same works of art over and over again, simply repackaged under a dif-
0
3
0
3
a: ferent exhibition title. ..
a:
....
....
CD

0
It is not a huge issue if your project has a precursor, it just means
that as the curator you will need to refine your concept in order to ....
0
::0
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CD
!!.
make your project unique. An excellent example is 'Surrealism: Desire 1
~- Unbound' at Tate Modern, London (September 2001 to January 2002),
curated by Vincent Gilles with Jennifer Mundy and Dawn Ades. There
have been many exhibitions on international Surrealism. The differ-
ence with this exhibition was its focus on Surrealist desire, ranging
from the sublime to the transgressive, allowing visitors to look at the
works of art on display from an unusual and unique perspective - an
extremely popular exhibition.
If no similar exhibition has been produced, this can be positive
but it may also bring challenges . You may have a unique product, one
that might attract a great deal of public and critical attention. If this is
the case then you will need to be very confident in what you are doing
and have the theory, research, arguments and justifications to back up
your position or angle on the subject. Your project may be new and
interesting but if it, and perhaps you (if you are at the beginning of
your career), are untested you will need to convince people of your skill
and ability in delivering the project as well as the value of the project
itself, both critical and fiscal. If you are trying something new in terms
of the exhibition concept, structure, display or design then you might
encounter practical or logistical hurdles that only come to light as the
project develops . However, proper planning- space, design, potential
touring opportunities - at the start is invaluable.

57
56
 The exhibition outline document Potential tour venues: who might be your collaborators?

A good way to begin planning your exhibition, which will perhaps Details of any publication: is one planned and do you have a list
allow you to spot potential issues, is to write an exhibition outline of potential authors/ contributors?
document. It might include the following:
Proposed publisher: do you have a trade publisher in mind or
Name of curator or curators (if working collaboratively) and will the institution print and publish?
contact details;
Initial list of artists and works to be included;
• Date of the document;
.., Short biography of each artist (unless very famous) along with ..,
0 Proposed venue: gallery/ space/ location; birth date (death if applicable) and nationality; 0
3 3
......
ii
Rationale for this choice (unless you are employed by the exhi- Short biographies of members of the curatorial team (if their
..
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..
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!.
bition venue); profile is important).
..
:II
!.
~· Proposed start date for the exhibition. Once you have your idea sketched out and have done some initial ~
research, you may consider discussing the concept with a trusted
• Expected scale: how much space will this exhibition take up? colleague or mentor , who might be in a position to flag up any issues
or suggest avenues for further investigation. At the same time, it is
• Type of work to be included: are you just showing 2D work or good to produce a logged (dated) document that evidences the moment
will you also include sculpture, installation, audio-visual ele- your idea was first manifested (this could be useful as evidence of your
ments, archives or display cases? intellectual rights, that is, your ownership of your idea).
This document can be as succinct as you need it to be. Start off
Exhibition concept: is this a linear, narrative exhibition or open with a relatively brief text that you can then develop as you continue
access, i.e. visitors do not have to follow a prescribed route? to research and pin down key works. This document forms the core,
not only of any future documentation produced to pitch the idea, but
Rationale for this timing: why should this exhibition take place also of your future exhibition planning/ organizational structure
at the time you propose ... does it need to coincide with another (see opposite, The exhibition outline document 58). It has already
event or anniversary? been said that curators should not (and do not) work in isolation and at
some point you will have to share most, ifnot all, of the information in
Contemporary relevance: how, if at all, will you make it relevant this document - with a potential venue, tour venue, a co-curator/ col-
to contemporary culture? laborator or an assistant- so it is valuable to make your hard copy files
and shared electronic files as clear and useable as possible for other
• The last comparable exhibition: when was it; how does your people. If you are the only one who knows that loan request letters
exhibition differ? are filed under reference 'LRL', then anyone other than you trying to
find those letters might need to do a lot of detective work in order to
Potential audience: who are you aiming this exhibition at? track one down. This can be frustrating and could mean time lost in

58 59
 the schedu le, if for some reason you are not available. So, if you like to • Courtesy line/ credit line
use acrony m s then make a list spelling out what each means and make
sure it's easily accessible . Crating and shipping materials; storage of these duri ng display

Ins tallation and maintenance during the exhibition

Refining the theme of your show
and compiling a list of works • Additional staff required for the above

Once you have an outline document you may decide to refine the Couriers required
theme of your show . This may be out of choice or necessity. Review
.., the concept and ask friends and/ or colleagues to respond to it. You A high-resolution image
0 may discover that your ideas are not as clearly expressed in the written ~
0
3 3
..
ii form as you thought they were. Once you have done this and made
any necessary revisions, review your list of works and start to bring
Image copyright details
..
..
ii
0 ...
..
:n together information about where each work is held. Are works part
of a museum collection, a corporate collection or do they belong to an
When compiling lists of dimensions, check to make sure you have
..
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1
< individua l - a private collection? Begin to compile a list of works , with
all the measurements in the same units - so either centimetres , mil- ~
:c
limetres, or inches ... make sure you don't mix them up, otherwise you
as much detail about each work as possible, along with the lender 's will think works are smaller or larger than they are! Millimetres are
contact information. Some larger organizations will have bespoke the standard unit for architects and designers , so increasingly that 's
software to help you do this (see Chapter 8, Maintaining mailing the unit used most often (although it is worth noting that some coun -
lists 225) but it is possible to do this in Microsoft Excel or Word, or tries , notably the USA, still prefer imperial measures: feet and inches).
similar word processing software. Your list for each work has three Make sure that you have the dimensions correctly listed and in the
elements: information about the work itself; practical considerations correct order: normally object measurements are given as height first ,
for getting the work to and from the exhibition , its installation and width , then depth, but it is good to check that your lender is following
maintenance during the show (and all associated costs); and det ails of the same standard.
lenders and copyright holders. Your list should include: For each work , check the shipping and packing requirements.
Does the work already have a transit frame (T-frame) or shipping
Lender name and contact details crate? If not, are you expected to commission one? If so , does the
lender expect to keep the new crate at the end of the exhibition? An
Title of work / series title/ portfolio title art transit crate is usually constructed of wood, with foam padding
inside and a plywood exterior . The work of art is att ached to the inside,
Date of work perhaps wrapped in tissue and plastic; the foam is cut to encase the
work , ensuring that it doesn't move and has protection from impact.
Edition number/ version The exterior ply protects it to some extent from moisture. Crates can
be constructed to hold more than one work. A T-frame is essent ially
Medium the inner part of a crate, to which the work is attached. It is unlikely
to have any foam packing , but instead the entire T-frame is wrapped
• Dimensions and weight of the work in plastic. T-frames are generally liS"hter and cheaper to produce but

60 61
 do not offer as much protection. Youwill also need to consider where Youmight then discover that you cannot, or you do not want to, include
you will store the T-frames and / or crates while works are on display. that work. This could lead to awkward conversations with the lender
Ensure that your venue (all your tour venues) have storage space for and may jeopardize future loans from that individual. It is a waste of
these , otherwise you will need to consider commercial storage, or time for otryer institutions if you approach them for a loan, then retract
destroying the crates and re-making at each venue. Both options will the request, only to put in a last-minute request if you realize that you
cannot obtain another loan. This can also make you look disorgan-
have cost implications on your budget.
(") Next on your list, think about how the work will be installed. ized , indecisive and unprofessional. Try to avoid any commitment or
;r
QI
Is the work you want to borrow defined as an installation, and if so even implied commitment at this stage.
'S
~ are there minimum space requirements or can it be modified to fit Next to each work of art you should consider a contingency work,
N
the space available? Does the work you want to borrow need additional possibly even more than one contingency, and try to bring together
equipment (monitors, projectors) or does it come with the equipment as much of the above information as you can on the second-option
,, work(s), again without contacting any lender. These works are there ::r
0
a needed to show it? If so, what? ls the local power supply compatible 3
3
ii
(see Chapter 7, Technology and new media 165)? Will the installa- just in case you discover that you are unable to obtain the first loan.
You should not contact a lender for a 'second option', as asking for
..
....
ii
z tion require constant maintenance? For instance, if it includes living
;;
..
:1:1
elements (butterflies, flowers) that might need to be replaced periodi-
cally- someone will have to schedule this and someone will have to do
something 'just in case' could be taken as an insult. However, in some
instances, what is initially thought of as a second option might turn
..
0
:1:1

!!.
out to be the ideal work for inclusion in the long run.
j
~ it, which will affect your budget.
Does it require specialist installation staff? Does the lender supply For example, the exhibition 'Art, Lies and Videotape: Exposing
the staff , if not what skills are needed and can you source those skills Performance', presented by Tate Liverpool (November 2003 to January
in the country you are working? Are they of an acceptable standard to 2004), was initially to include Robert Rauschenberg's sculpture
the lender? Do you have to pay a fee to the installation staff, as well Monogram (1955-59), an assemblage with a taxidermy goat and a car
as provide travel and subsistence (accommodation and food costs)? tyre, held in the collection of the Moderna Museet, Stockholm. On
Does the work require a courier (see Chapter 7, Loan agreements initial contact it was discovered that the sculpture was undergoing
and special conditions 200)? What costs do you have to cover for the conservation treatment and as a result would not be available for loan.
courier? When do they have to be there and what is their role to be? The search began for another Rauschenberg sculpture that made the
Does a digital image of the work of art exist (see Chapter 6, picture same connection with other works in the exhibition. An important
collection , copyright , courtesy lines and clearance 136)? Is the lender aspect of Monogramwas the car tyre, part of the assemblage of objects
of the work of art the owner of copyright in the image, or someone - its inclusion in this sculpture preceded Rauschenberg's use of car
else? If you can bring this information together early on in the process tyres in his performance Pelican(with Caroline Brown and Alex Hay)
it will help you, or your picture researcher, later on. from 1963, also in the planned exhibition. After further research cura-
Try to bring together as much of this information as you can tors tracked down and secured the loan of AutomobileTire Print, 1953,
without contacting the owner/ lender of the work at this early stage. a set of twenty monoprints mounted on a fabric scroll, from the San
A huge amount of information is available from authoritative Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA). Monogram is a well-
online sources, including details of auction house sales and cata- known work by Rauschenberg; the tyre print from SFMOMA is also an
logues, other museum websites, and even monographs. Sometimes, important work, but came with an added benefit that it had rarely been
if you contact a lender for details of an artwork it plants the idea in the seen in Europe. Also it linked much more directly to the exhibition
mind of the lender that you will definitely be approaching them for concept and gestured to other works in the show: the SFMOMA work
a loan and that you will likely include their work in your exhibition. made a great deal more sense as part of the exhibition.

63
62
 The list of works you draw together will also allow you to determine suit your exhibition project and why. Having produced a rough (or
the balance of ethnicities and / or gender , in your exhibition. You perhaps more refined) list of works it should then be possible to esti-
(or your funders, see Chapter 4, Funding / sponsorship / sponsor- mate the amount of space your exhibition might need.
ship in kind roo) may consider equal representation a requirement, A good place to start is by making a rough calculation of the
or you may simply accept that it is not possible to make a balance, or 'running wall space' that might be needed. Running wall space is the
not possible to do so within the confines of your exhibition concept. linear wall space required to install the two-dimensional wall-based
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However, you do need to have thought about this in advance so that
you can justify your decision if challenged. You will not look terribly
works and / or project video or film works (the size of the projected
image or screen, not the space needed for projectors or other equip-
~
professional if someone asks you why you have no female artists in ment). Sculpture and installations, in relation to wall-based works,
"'
your exhibition, or why you have only Caucasian artists, and it is only labels , manifestations and exhibition graphics will all, in the long
at that point that you realize it! term, affect the running wall space, but for now try the following
-n
0 The list of works will also flag up if your exhibition is too heavily formula as a very rough starting point :
3
dependent on one lender (not an issue if you are intentionally
..
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showing work from one collection or the greatest or best works are (Width of all artworks added together in cm) + (number of art-
from one place), whether there is too much emphasis on documents works x roo cm) + (roo cm) = total cm
..
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and/ or archival material or whether you have an exhibition that is
< entirely focused on one medium. Maybe you suddenly realize you have Example, based on just five works of art:
only photographs , for instance. If your intention is to make a photo-
graphy show then this is fine; however , if you're making a general Work A: width 40 cm;
exhibition around a theme then you might wish to consider having a Work B: width 160 cm;
range of media (paintings, photographs, sculptures, archival mate- WorkC: width 233 cm;
rial , film and/ or video, etc.) as this will help you to build rhythm and Work D: width 45 cm;
dynamics into the exhibition and create a more engaging experience Work E: width 92 cm
for the viewer , as well as demonstrating the importance of your theme
across arts practice. (40 + 160 + 233 + 45 + 92) + (5 X IOO) + IOO = II70 cm
At this point you may find yourself starting to think about the route
a visitor might take through the space. Early consideration of space Round up your total figure. To hang these five works of art, as a rough
planning/ exhibition design will allow you to decide whether or not estimate II70 centimetres (around 12 metres) would be the minimum
you want your audience to stick with a prescribed route , whether to running wall space required. This allows you to separate each work by
build some sort of narrative - perhaps a chronological progression roo centimetres and leave roo centimetres either side of the works at
- or whether to try something different that might challenge the each end.
expectations of your visitors. One could assume that small works take up less room, but some-
times small works of art are very powerful or perhaps very delicate and
need space around them to 'frame' the work. Works can be grouped,
Space planning or hung closer together, but it is hard to make such decisions without
having a real sense of the impact of the works and the space they are
If you are not working within an institution, you might at this stage in. So everything you do until you have all the works in the space is, to
begin to think about which galleries/ museums/ venues might best a greater or lesser degree, a draft layout plan.

64 65
 If you are very competent with software such as Sketch Up 1se1
you can make a much more accurate space-p lanning estimate by drop-
ping scaled digital images of works of art into 'gallery' boxes or even
a precise 3D model of the gallery you plan to work with. Generally,
this exercise is simply a way of determining in broad terms how much
space your exhibition might need and whether you are looking at a
..
(')
'::I' small gallery show or display, or a large-sca le museum exhibition . It
will also help you in compi ling your list of potential tour venues, as
i
N you can shortlist those spaces that could conceivably accommodate
your exhibition .
,,
0
3
a: Touring opportunities
..
:
0 It is worthwhile thinking about potential touring opportunities even at
..
::ll
this early stage. Once you have the list of works, and an estimate of the
J amount of space you might need to mount the exhibition, you might
want to think about whether your exhibition has a particular link to a
country or city. For example, the exhibition 'Blooming in the Shadows:
Unofficial Chinese Art 1974-1985' was organized by two USA-based
curators and initially presented at New York's China Institute in 2 0 n.
The exhibition had a second incarnation in 2013, expanded and reti -
tled: 'Light Before Dawn: Unofficial Chinese Art 1974-1985' was held
at Asia Society Hong Kong.
Then you will need to determine if your proposed touring venues
have enough space and, if they do, when they might have a gap in their
exhibition programme. Bear in mind that most major galleries plan
their programme three t o five years ahead for large-scale exhibi-
tions - although it is not unknown for exhibitions to fall through, at
which point directors and the heads of exhibitions sometimes start a
search for an exhibition of a suitable size that can fill the now empty
slot in their programme (see Chapter 5, Scheduling an exhibition n9 ).

66
 Targeting an initial proposal

Approaching museums or galleries (or any venue for that matter) with
an exhibition idea is one of the biggest curatorial challenges. Try to
avoid a scattergun approach. Museums often find the same proposal
has been sent to every member of its curatorial team. This can cause a
lot of extra work for those individuals and is often unnecessary. Most
museums will process each proposal they receive in the same way
regardless of how many people have been sent it. A 'mail everyone'
strategy can also be detrimental, as it implies that the proposal is not
specifically targeted and that perhaps you are desperate and willing to
accept any option anywhere. This may or may not be the case, but you
~ ~

0 do not want to come across that way. 0

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Pitching an exhibition requires personal resilience. You may have
to deal with rejection; even if your proposal is accepted you may face
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questions that cross-examine not just your concept, but your exper- ?
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very carefully about the many possible formats of your pitch. Even ..
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of factors: =·
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• The stage of development of your project: is it at concept stage

only, is it a detailed idea without much practical information, or
is your project fully developed and financed?

• The type of venue you are looking for: an initiating venue or a

tour venue?

The timing of your proposal: is your proposal unsolicited or

are you responding to a call for proposals? If the latter , you may
have to complete some standard paperwork or forms sent by
the venue.

Your personal relationships at the institution: are you respond-

ing to a formal or informal invitation to curate; do you know the
institution and / or the individual you are pitching to?

70 71
 Independent curator Caroline Hancock makes it very clear why the informally if the scale of space available matches your project and
proposal process is such a challenge and how and why you should your ambitions. These conversations may find you a supportive cura-
consider, and then tailor, your pitch very carefully: torial ally - and it is these allies who will become key in winning an
exhibition slot.
In making a pitch you are effectively sending out your resume or submitting a job The processes for considering proposals vary between institu-
application, so my advice is to keep it concise and as clear as possible. However, tions. At Tate Modern, London, proposals are discussed among the
depending on what you are pitching , and to whom, the amount of work needed to curatorial team, which includes Helen Sainsbury, Head of Programme
prepare will vary. 61 Realization, after which, she says 'serious contenders will go onto the
agenda for the exhibitions meeting - the forum for deciding which
You will need to consider whether you are applying to an inde- projects make it onto the programme'. 6, In June 2or 3 Jennifer Russell,
pendent body, a public institution, a privately owned public space Associate Director for Exhibitions at The Metropolitan Museum of
or a commercial space. If you are approaching a commercial gallery, Art, New York, commented that their approach was at that time 'fairly
,:,
0 you may be obliged, or make a strategic decision, to include an artist informal, we don't have an exhibition committee ... if someone from
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represented by th at gallery (a 'gallery artist '). You may also need to outside the museum wants to have a proposal considered, it must be
~ demonstrate early on that you are aware of the commerci al implica- supported by a curator here and that curator would be the coordinating
in tions of your exhibition - on sales, for example. If you are approaching curator' though a more formal process has now been put in place. 153
:,-
5· a museum with its own collection, you may be planning to include Researching the processes specific to an institution is therefore
..
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some of the collection in your exhibition. This might be positive , or invaluable. Your informal discussions can also provide you with infor-
,:, it might not (if, for example, the museum is keen to show something mation that can help you to tailor you proposal. Perhaps a programme
iii' different rather than another re-display of its holdings). slot is available for a smaller project than the one you had planned . If
:,
:,
;;· this is the case you may decide to slim down your project in order to
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Another consider ation is th at while some venues will want to contribute to the pitch your idea to that particular institution for that particular slot. You
thinking and structurin g of an exhibition , others will want a prep ared package may want to weigh up the pros and cons of whether a small, focused
handed to them on a platter . Your challenge will be that you may not know in project in a key location is better than a large-scale project in a poor
advance what is wa nted. You will have to be responsive and communicate that you location at an unsuitable moment in the calendar. You may also find
can adapt yourself a nd your plans to either situation. out from your informal conversation what the pitch process is like for
that institution. There is no global standard and each organization
What Hancock's advice above implies is that it is important to try to and venue will have its own method, procedures and possibly even
find out as much as possible about the people and organization to template documents that will have to be completed.
whom / which you are pitching. Once you have your exhibition idea Elizabeth Ann MacGregor, Director of the Museum of Contem-
refined to a suitable point , it is worthwhile trying to engage in informal porary Art Australia (MCA), Sydney, has an internal curatorial team
conversations with museum or gallery directors , senior curators or that shares ideas, supporting and collaborating on projects that they
anyone within the exhibitions team of the institution you are planning then blend into a three- to five-year programme. When it comes to
to approach. The intention of these conversations is to gauge inter- external approaches, there is no formal process and her advice is
est in your subject, ascertain what the future exhibition programme similar to that ofJennifer Russell:
of that institution might be, find out if there is a relevant future slot
(or a slot that might open) in the current programme that seems suit- If we receive a proposal for an exhibition from an external curator, that outline is
able for your exhibition theme and content. You may also determine circulated and then discussed amongst tp e curatorial team that includes all the

72 73
 curators, educators and the marketing team. For it to progress someo ne needs to
champion it. 641

Your informal conversations might uncover that over the course of

Try to capture your idea in no more than a year there is a specific trajectory for the institution you would like
to work with. This could mean you have to consider adjusting your
one page of text. If you can, have someone
exhibition idea to amplify some aspects, tailoring it to the overall exhi-
else read it before you send it off. bition programme. Or you may wish to delay or move forward your
plans. For example, suppose you are developing an exhibition that
Be realistic, though: if you are an
includes both Asian and French or French-Asian contemporary artists
unknown curator, working with unknown and that you are looking for international venues - you might want
to time your exhibition to coincide with 'Le French May', an annual .,,
~ artists, getting an exhibition into the
0 arts festival promoting French arts and creativity in Hong Kong. You 0
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programme of a major museum is going may find a responsive gallery in Hong Kong looking for a project ..
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F
.,, to coincide with the festival. The festival itself, or its links with the F
to be an almost impossible challenge. .,,
~ French cultural offices at the French Consulate, may be able to assist ~
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5· If you are an unknown curator working in obtaining sponsors or support. At the very least it might gener-
':1'
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:i with well-known artists, and you ate PR through articles relating to the festival and might encourage ..
Cl

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Q.
a broader range of visitors who will be there for the festival (food, .,,
Q.

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have a strong idea and an interesting music, film) but might not have been inclined to visit your exhibition ii
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5· otherwise. Or, you may want to ignore this altogether and specifically 5·
Cl approach, then you stand more of a Cl
avoid such links.
chance. Particularly if you have done your
research and know that the museum
Making your exhibition pitch
you're pitching to has an interest in that
By this stage you will have had any number of informal conversations
artist already. So you should research
about your exhibition proposal with any number of potential venues.
the programme of that institution. Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Be sure to arrange parallel dis-
cussions with at least two separate institutions, but at some point in
Elizabeth Ann MacGregor, Director, your discussions you will need to inform both that you are also having
Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney conversations with another organization. This is a risky strategy- you
may frustrate and annoy both parties. Alternatively, if your exhibition
proposal is strong, the strategy might encourage one, the other, or
both to make a quick decision. They may even consider collaborating,
or one becoming a tour venue.
From those conversations you may be invited to submit a slightly
more fo rmal lett er of approach . Your letter should be quite broad,

74 75
referring to the informal conversations you may have had (relevant if might make it difficult to share, but secondly, separate documents
they were at a reasonably senior level), outlining in one or two para- and attachments allow the staff (possibly even different departments)
graphs (perhaps just rno-150 words) the very basic intention of the to review the relevant parts of your proposal without having to trawl
exhibition and perhaps offering a working title followed by a request through a huge document.
to visit the institution and make a more formal presentation. If you are You may then be asked to submit more details or possibly to make
sending out your proposal letter to a number of institutions at once a presentation , a 'pitch' in person, to the exhibitions team at the
then it is vital to proofread carefully. Helen Sainsbury explains why: venue in question. The team is likely to include the director and/ or
the head of exhibitions (if there is one), possibly other collection
It is surprising how often we receive letters addressed to Tate Modern telling us and / or exhibition curators, education / public programme curators
why it would be great if the show could be seen at the Hayward Gallery or Royal and representatives from finance, development, press and marketing.
Academy. Easily done but hardly likely to convince anyone that you should be If you have received an invitation to pitch your exhibition you might
trusted with a precious three-month programme slot. consider contacting the institution in advance to find out who will be
at the presentation, what sort of content is expected, how long you
If your letter is well received you are likely to be invited to make a more have to pitch, what material you should bring (laptop, models, etc.)
detailed submi ssion. The following should be included: and if they have a preferred or set format.
Once you have an idea of who will be sitting on the panel you must
Your name and the date; begin working on your presentation, ensuring that you cover the areas
that will be ofinterest to the various department representatives on the
Precis of the exhibition concept; panel. If the press office will be there, you will need to give one or two
suggestions about potential press angles or marketing opportunities,
For group shows, key artists to be included; for example. If there is a representative from the public programming
team, you should have some ideas ready about what might be possible
A small selection of images, labelled; in relation to your exhibition proposal, and so on (bearing in mind
curator Caroline Hancock's advice to be careful to leave space in your
Approximate number and type of works; proposal for other voices and ideas to feed in). Helen Sainsbury:

Approximate running wall space required; Obviously the strength of the curatorial concept is the prime consideration but a
number of other factors are looked at when assessing the suitability of a project,
Any restrictions on dates (e.g. to fit with an existing tour, to co- including the timeframe, size and scope of the exhibition, relevance to Tate
incide with another event or anniversary, earliest date available); Modem's audience and programme strategies, cost and practicality. It seems
obvious , but it is vital that the proposal gives due consideration to the visitor. The
Brief resume of your relevant curatorial expertise and informa- academic thesis of the show may be ground-breaking, but you should try to com-

tion on other partners in the project; municate what the practical experience of visiting the exhibition will be like.

Any other confirmed venues. If you have been given a set appointment time at which to make the
presentation, make sure that you are there on time (give yourself extra
If you send this material electronically it is a good idea to split up time if you need to set anything up) and ensure that you do not run
the documents rather than making one large one. First, the file size over - it can be very testing to those on the panel and can push the

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 day's schedule out, leaving the panel feeling tired and irritable. Some
exhibition panels can be very strict and if you have not reached your
concluding argument in time, you may not be allowed to. It is critical,
therefore, to rehearse your presentation and ensure that you can get
through it at a reasonable pace taking into account possib le interrup-
tions and questions, either during or at the end of your presentation.
You do not want to sound frantic or rushed. If someone asks you a
question you can't simply ignore it because you're against the clock;
it can be awkward to delay your answer until the end. Although it is ..
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a presentation, your pitch is also a conversation with your potential

future collaborators and colleagues.
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Bear in mind that as well as presenting your exhibition idea you
are also presenting yourself ... so you should try to develop a strong
sense of your identity as a curator. Do you consider yourse lf a spe-
cialist? Or is your signature that you are broad-ranging and creative,
perhaps experimental in your approach? Perhaps you want to work
exclusively with commercia l galleries or focus on commissioning as
part of your project. These decisions are entirely up to the individual
but what is crucial in pitching your exhibition is that you define your
unique selling point.
If you are at the beginning of your career, the team you are pitching
to may not know you or any work you've done. As a result you may
need to provide your biography, background information and / or a list
of previous projects, as well as examples of your writing (particularly
if it has been presented in well-known publications). You may even
consider showing images of previous exhibitions you've curated and
having press cuttings of positive reviews available if needed.
You will need to dress appropriately and follow standard etiquette
for meetings relating to the country you are in. Remember that your
presentation skills are also being assessed. If your idea is accepted you
may be expected to appear in front of a public audience or the press at
some point. So the panel you are pitching to will, consciously or not,
also assess you personally and how well you perform in front of them.
Evidence of planning and research - as well as presenting the
concept for the show and its draft contents, you may also need to evi-
dence that you've thought about the balance of works / media, gender
equality, racial diversity and accessibi lity. You will need to show
images, provide information on the artists and the works of art and

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 possibly show short video extracts. While it may take too long to run you are in a much stronger position to have the exhibition proposal
through all of this for each work in the exhibition, you should have all accepted.
the information at your fingertips. If you are asked for the dimensions If your proposal is rejected, then you should ask for feedback. It
or installation requirements of a specific work, you need to be able to may be very minimal - stating that your project was not suitable for
provide the answer. the venue at that time, or, better, it might give you very clear notes on
Having an idea of the space that might be needed, exhibition your ideas and / or your presentation. While rejection can be demoral-
design and additional media and having put some thought into izing it is also good experience and, if feedback is offered, a great way
expected costs / anticipated budgets is all useful. During the pitch you to develop and improve your skills.
could be asked questions about any and all aspects of the exhibition ...
so even if you don't know entirely, you should have some ideas about
what you want and why. Do you think your idea warrants a conference; Securing touring venues
a film programme; new education packs; or fun trails for families and
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0 schools? If so, why? It is important to identify clearly why this institu- If your pitch is successful, and you have the initiating venue, or first 0
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~ your exhibition. easier. Maybe the institution you are working with has partnership =
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5· ing ideas on the same day as you. The curators from the institution Some museums promote the touring potential of their exhibitions ':I'
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you are pitching to will be judging your presentation in terms of an through their own websites, for example in the USA the Smithsonian ..
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overall programme : they may also be looking for an exhibition slot Institute has a dedicated Traveling Exhibition Service (and website) Q.
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ii' and funds to support their own ideas. You should prepare thoroughly ii'
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that offers a range of pre-existing exhibitions that can be bought-in, ::,
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5· for tough, even aggressive, questioning. When pitching, you may find with exhibitions ranging from 1970s' photography ('Searching for the 5·
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yourself presenting ideas to a world-renowned subject specialist or Seventies: The DOCUMERICA Photography Project') to skateboard
famous art historian, while other people on the panel may have very culture ('Ramp It Up! Skateboard Culture in Native America'). Some
little idea of the art history you're talking about ... so you need to be large institutions establish national touring partners, for instance
prepared equally to explain something you thought was quite obvious, in the UK the Plus Tate partnership programme includes eighteen
or argue some very detailed point of art history or theory. Of course regional galleries that Tate commits to lending works, sometimes
it is not possible to prepare for every eventuality, so you should also entire displays, making more of Tate's national collection accessible
consider how you respond if you are asked a question that you cannot and drawing audiences to the regional venues.
immediately answer. Occasionally, having established your initiating venue, you may
Finally, it is increasingly the case that when pitching an exhibition find it is not that easy to arrange tour venues. You may uncover his-
project you will be expected to suggest potential funding opportu- torical issues over loans between the institutions that are unresolved,
nities, sponsors or partners . Again, these suggestions need to be a desire for independence that might make venue B not want to seek
reasonably realistic, but they do not have to be guaranteed, as in many partnerships ... or simply the fact that the venue B would have liked
large organizations the curator will likely be working with a develop- to have been venue A, or that they are always the second venue for
ment/ fundraising team, who will have their own ideas too. In smaller exhibitions that start at venue A. So when thinking about your tour
organizations you may end up being the person who approaches you should already be thinking about where the tour might go and if
a sponsor and asks for the support. Without doubt though, if you it would be appropriate. Check exhibition histories and if you know
can pitch an exhibition with some or all of the funding in place then anyone at the institution make an inf~rmal call for information.

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 The Touring Exhibitions Group (TEG) is a UK-based, independent IKT brings together curators from across the world, to meet, share
membership network of galleries, museums, libraries, art and science knowledge, exchange ideas and expand professional networks. The
centres and other organizations committed to exchanging exhibi- organization offers members the opportunity to find partners for the
tions as a means of sharing ideas, materials and resources. The TEG co-production of exhibitions, publications or other events.
website offers a list of exhibitions available to hire through members; Finally, and slightly on a tangent, there is the International
advice, information and professional development opportunities. Association of Art Critics (AICA), which was founded in 1950 with
As well as partnership programmes for institutions there are the aim of supporting art criticism in all its forms, worldwide, and
..
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also online forums for independent curators, where individuals can
promote themselves and their practice. These organizations usually
to keep pace with its changing disciplines. Although predominantly
an organization that supports critica l writing on modern and con- ..
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charge an annual membership fee, but in addition to offering the temporary art , many of its members are also curators who are able to ~
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potential for building your professional profile and relationships , they promote their practice through the AICA website and the organiza- "'
also provide a space to put forward exhibitions that are in develop- tion's extensive international networks.
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Independent Curators International (ICI) is a non-profit organi-
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~ zation based in New York. It defines itself as 'a catalyst for independent Proposal documents / exhibition planning
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We have already mentioned the foundation document in your exhibi-
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forms of collaboration.' Working across disciplines and histori- tion planning: the exhibition outline. Once you are in the process of
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cal precedents, the organization is 'a hub that provides access to the developing your ideas and looking for opportunities to pitch them you Q.
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people, ideas, and practices that are key to current developments in
the field, inspiring fresh ways of seeing and contextualizing contem-
should establish the filing/ archiving systems for your project. Most ..
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cc files (whether electronic or hard copy) are organized chronologically 5·
porary art'. ,91 - the older documents to the back of the file, or section of a file, and
IC

A section of the ICI website references current touring exhibitions the most recent at the front. 1101Within the chronology there is usually
(venues and dates) that have been initiated by the ICI team working an alphabetical filing protocol too. Many people find filing a chore,
with guest curators from the organization's membership. The various whether electronic or not, but it is a very important aspect of exhibi-
pages provide a biography of the curator or curatorial team, an outline tion management and archival practice.
of the exhibition concept along with some key practical information Surprisingly few people file things consistently (from here on
should a prospective host venue be looking for an exhibition at short 'filing' refers to both electronic and hard-copy files). No matter what
notice (it is titled 'booking info'): the number of artists or artists' the scale of the institution, having well-ordered files is critical and
groups, number of works , space required and a contact, including worth the effort. For those working in large organizations there are
email address and telephone number, for additional information and usually data management procedures, set ways for coding files, set
availability. locations for storing files and instructions about what to do when
Another international group is the Intern ational Association a project completes and files are closed and archived. If you are not
of Curator s of Conte mpor ary Art (IKT) established in 1973. Early working for an organization with established procedures then you are
members included such prominent curators as Eberhard Raters in the perhaps enviable position ofbeing able to develop a system that
(founding director of the Berlinische Galerie, 1975) and Harald suits your personal needs. However, in doing so you might want to
Szeemann (curator of the ground-breaking 1969 exhibition 'Live in take _into account the potential tha \ at some point in the future your
Your Head: When Attitudes Become Form' at the Kunsthalle Bern). archive may become part of a museum or library archive, or you may

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have to work with an organization that has a different system. So, • Events: private view/ event planning;
begin by thinking of what you both needto and should file -. what a
museum / gallery might need to know about your current project and • Daily I weekly check lists for after the exhibition opens.
(although it is strange to think abou t it) wha t the art histo_rian of the
future might want to know when looking back at your archives. You may want to label the spine of your (hard-copy) files with the tit le
An exhibition planning file might be structured as follows: and dates of your exhibitions and the venue or venues. If you are sto ring
your files electronically you should make sure that you have a separate,
Exhibition key contacts; backup copy of the files (not just a single set on one laptop that cou ld
be lost, damaged or sto len) and perhaps also could consider online
Exhibition outline document (see Chapter 2, 58); data storage options (such as Dropbox, iCloud or Google Drive).

Check list of works (database print-out);

Working with other curators / external ~
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Schedule / dates; curators / you as external curator ..

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Venues: correspondence/ touring contracts/ floorp lans / facili- Whether you are working as a curator within an institution, working ;?-
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as an external curator with another institution, or working as a free- ::r
ties reports; :i'
lance curator, it is important to know the basic structure for exhibition
tea'.11~·Generally the exhibition curator is a central information point,
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Lenders: correspondence/ loan agreement forms with sub- Q.
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sections that list works of art (per lender) / provenance research as it 1s usually their exhibition ideas that are being realized within a iii
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(proof of right to lend)/ valuations/ installation instructions I venue. As Nicholas Serota commented early on in this book, curators 3·
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conservation reports; are also managers and organizers, so again they tend to be key to most
- if not all - aspects of a particular exhibition project. (For a typical
Artists: correspondence/ any relevant contracts; organizational / project staff structure, see overleaf86)
This is why the curator's initial exhibition outline document
Interpretation: wall texts/ captions/ labels; is so important. It is probably best to keep an online version of that
document, which is active, dynamic and shared (password protected)
Education and public programme: talks/ lectures; ... so that it can be updated daily by each of the various departments
working on a specific exhibition project. Norma lly this Jive docu-
Publications: texts/ publisher information and contracts/ edi- ment is also produced as a hard-copy print-out at regular intervals or
tor's contracts / designer's contract; key stages, so that anyone can access the file and find out the current
status of any aspect of the exhibition project. This is essentially a
Communications: PR/ marketing / advertising / press / socia l project -management tool , and there are project-management soft-
media engagement; ware options available to help with this, but if you're working on a
small-scale project or with a small team, a shared document and a file
Budget: project outline/ running costs/ invoices; are all that is needed.
Establishing and maintaining personal and professional relation-
Development: fundraising / sponsorship; ships requires a great deal of senS;i_tivehand ling. In essence, if you are

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