Exhibitions with No Audience
Every curator loves to see his/her exhibition attracting a lot of audiences. For many, it’s a way to measure the success of an exhibition, and that’s why all the arts administrators take marketing and publicity seriously. However, there are always exceptions. There are times when …
The Mystery of an Antique Thing
Image source: https://www.youlinmagazine.com/story/shanghai-museum/ Years ago, a construction worker found an antique object while working underground in Mongkok. The discovery generated some excitement among the public as well as the media, for it opened a little-known chapter of ancient Hong Kong history. Interestingly it also triggered …
Fund! More Fund! What for?
Here is a story I like: Once upon a time, there was an old man living by himself. In front of his house there was an open field. Every morning he enjoyed having a cup of coffee in front of that field, staring at the …
Defining Art History
Image source: https://londonvisitors.wordpress.com/ At the National Gallery in London this summer, there was a major exhibition called “Inventing Modern Art”. I love the title. For many, Modern Art is something pretty much recognized and established in most art history books in a similar framework. It …
Funding Funding
When cultural managers meet, one of the most common conversations topics is getting funding. Even if you have an excellent programme, you can do nothing if you don’t have adequate funding to make it a reality. If you are an arts administrator or curator, …
When Curation Fails
Curation is an essential part of cultural mediation. When the curation is unable to communicate properly, such mediation fails. This sounds simple, but if you look deeper into it, this ‘communication’ is extremely complex. What does this ’properly’ mean? How can you ‘properly’ present an …
About Mediation
I have never liked the term ‘cultural management’, for culture does not need to be managed. ‘Managing’ culture implies some sorts of totalitarian control and manipulation of culture. When I first taught a course on curatorship at the Hong Kong Arts Centre in 2004, I …
Composing the Programme
After inaugurating the Museum of Contemporary Art in Shanghai in 2004, I quitted my job as its director. It marked a significant end of a long career in curation and museum management since 1988. I was exhausted and desperately needed a break. Soon I was …