My Notes | Curation as Pedagogy

Over the last few years, I have had the privilege of engaging with students of the Department of Art History at Maharaja Sayajirao University (MSU), Baroda through a series of curatorial workshops. These workshops, have aimed to develop a pedagogy for curating that departs from traditional exhibition practices and explores the convergence of art history and curation.It is a blessing to be able to keep a critical pedagogical connection with my alma mater. I am grateful to Dr. Jayaram Poduval and Dr. Rita Shoda, along with the Faculty of Fine Arts Alumni Association, for making these engagements possible. These workshops, such as "Research and Storytelling" and "Curation as Praxis," have provided students with a platform to engage with art history in a dynamic and interactive manner, challenging traditional notions of curatorship and exhibition practices.

The "Curation as Praxis" workshop, held in February 2016, took a practice-focused approach to examining the facets of curatorial practice. Over five days, we explored the diverse cultural functions of curation, examined formal and thematic aspects, and investigated the connections between curating, site, art, making, and visual culture. This workshop provided an organized method for understanding curatorial practice, with a focus on audience participation, narrative development, and research. By blending theoretical aspects with practical activities, the "Curation as Praxis" workshop encouraged students to question conventional concepts of exhibition design and curatorship.

The "Research and Storytelling" workshop, which I led in February 2024, took a theoretical approach that challenged the typical display and showcasing use of an exhibit space. Rather than serving as an area of passive absorption, we focused on analyzing the dissertations of second-year Masters students, examining how curatorial methodologies could be applied as art historical research tools. By departing from traditional exhibition practices and exploring curation as a pedagogical tool, we aimed to rethink curatorial practice and its role in art historical research. Throughout the five-day workshop, students worked on various projects within an experimental process. First-year Masters students curated notes based on second-year students' dissertations, while seniors collaborated with juniors to identify narrative loopholes in their research.

A key emphasis of the workshop was on examining images through an art historical lens, considering the multiple layers of meaning and connotations they contain. Students engaged in activities to create new, unexplored narratives using archival materials, highlighting the concept of intertextuality between words and images and the importance of considering audience interpretation. Throughout the five-day workshop, students worked on various projects within an experimental process, with first-year Masters students curating notes based on second-year students' dissertations and seniors collaborating with juniors to identify narrative loopholes in their research. 

Through these workshops, I aimed to challenge the traditional separation between theory and practice in curatorial education. By emphasizing praxis, we positioned curation as a dynamic, interactive process that requires critical thinking, creativity, and meaningful engagement with art, history, and cultural narratives. The workshops provided a framework for rethinking curatorial methodologies, encouraging students to explore the intricacies of narrative construction, intertextuality, and audience interpretation in the context of art historical research and exhibition design.

By incorporating mind maps into the workshop activities, students were able to visually represent the relationships between different concepts, artworks, and historical contexts, facilitating a deeper understanding of the complexities of art historical research and exhibition design. Mind mapping served as a creative and effective tool for students to brainstorm, organize, and present their ideas in a visually engaging and structured manner, enhancing their ability to communicate complex art historical narratives and curatorial concepts. The student projects and curations demonstrate the potential of curatorial pedagogy to inspire critical engagement with art historical research, cultural identity, and the sociopolitical contexts that shape artistic production. By departing from traditional exhibition practices and embracing curation as a tool for art historical inquiry, these workshops have opened up new avenues for students to explore the complexities of visual culture and its relationship to broader social and cultural narratives. 

As an educator, I believe that these curatorial workshops have the potential to transform the way we approach art education and curatorial practice. By fostering a culture of critical thinking, creativity, and interdisciplinary collaboration, we can empower students to become active agents in shaping the future of art and design.