Exhibition Discussions! Biography enlightens the work of an artist but, in rare occasions, it can obliterate it. A polemic curatorial choice in Ana Mendieta's exhibition at Tate Modern illustrates this puzzling question. This unexpected curatorial twist may lean into anti-feminism if we stay on the surface of the discourse. Dive into it with our host Joana P. R. Neves, a curator and an art writer. What decision did Valentina Umansky and Michael Wellen, the curators of the show make, and what third person, instrumental in delivering the work, helped them?
To tell or not to tell?
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Have you ever wondered what it's like to curate a big, blockbuster exhibition? If you have, this episode is for you. It unveils certain ethics of curatorial work, an extremely important aspects of the job, especially when the artist is no longer alive.
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Jingle: "Wunder", experimental poem by Joana P. R. Neves.
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Joana on Substack: https://joanaprneves.substack.com
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Created & Hosted by Dr. Joana P. R. Neves, art curator and writer with over 20 years of experience in the contemporary art field. Artistic director of Drawing Now Paris since 2018, she has worked across the industry, from the art market to education. She co-launched the art residency and project space Worlding in 2020. Exhibitionistas’ first year offered exhibition discussions with guest co-host Emily Harding; organically, it grew into a more experimental show exploring art topics, stories and interviews complemented by Joana’s publication Art Thinkosaurus on Substack. She champions ‘Art Wonderment’s’ embrace of complexity against the lure of ready-made opinions. A polyglot, she grew up in Lisbon, studied and lived in Paris, to finally settle in London with her artist husband, four children and two cats.