Curatorial Practice as Art?

Dr. Rossen Ventzislavov’s review of Sue Spaid’s The Philosophy of Curatorial Practice: Between Work and World was just published in the British Journal of Aesthetics — representing the culmination of 10 years of work examining curating.

In 2014, Dr. Ventzislavov published an article in the Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism that positioned curating as a form of art. Titled “Idle Arts: Reconsidering the Curator,” his piece made the case for curatorial practice as an extension of the artist’s creative process. Soon after, philosopher and practicing curator Sue Spaid offered a rebuttal of Dr. Ventzislavov’s thesis, distinguishing between the “performance” of an artwork within a curatorial setting and the artwork itself. Spaid’s article provoked a second rebuttal, and the two thinkers initiated a passionate debate at live events and in print.

Dr. Ventzislavov also chaired a philosophical roundtable on curating at the College Art Association’s annual meeting in February 2022, rounding out this decade-long engagement on the topic of curating and art practice.

Last Updated on October 7, 2022.