The Caring Curator : Exploring Conditions for Care in Curatorial Practices

Abstract: The concept of care has recently gained significant attention in cultural institutions and among artists. This trend was particularly evident in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement, which contributed to increased public programming focused on caring practices and the concept of care. One notable example is documenta fifteen, organized by ruangrupa, which used "lumbung" (a method of collectivity and sharing) as its core working method for both funding distribution and organization. Previous research has shown how the role of the curator has changed from one who takes care of artworks to one that is dependent on “social infrastructures and personal charm.” This study identifies problems and structures that hinder care practices among curators through interviews and an auto-ethnographic approach.