From of, to with, to and? Anti-disciplinary exhibition making with art and anthropology.

Clarke, Jen

Abstract

As lines between 'social practice' in art and social research blur, anthropologists are increasingly taking on curatorial roles in contemporary art settings and/or employing artistic methodologies in exhibition-making. This chapter explores some dynamics of anthropology and art practice in this broad context by discussing specific experiences of being 'curator' and being 'curated', looking at forms of identity, knowledge and, warily, aesthetics. The exhibition Speculative Ground included different forms of curation. Collaborations with anthropology should begin by questioning existing relations. It is precisely the fact that anthropology is constituted by knowledge that is responsible for its 'underdeveloped aesthetic'. Convergences in art and anthropology can be seen in terms of inter- or transdisciplinarity. There are many definitions related to integrating or exchanging knowledge across subject boundaries. Developing clearer understandings of 'resistances' as well as the convergences would help establish the ground for a 'hybrid' work.

Citation

CLARKE, J. 2020. From of, to with, to and? Anti-disciplinary exhibition making with art and anthropology. In Sansi, R. (ed.) The anthropologist as curator. Abingdon: Routledge [online], chapter 8, pages 133-146. Available from: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003086819-8

• Online Publication Date: Dec 26, 2019
• Publication Date: May 27, 2020
• Deposit Date: Feb 5, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 27, 2021
• Publisher: Routledge
• Pages: 133-146
• Book Title: The anthropologist as curator
• Chapter Number: 8
• ISBN: 9781350081901
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003086819-8
• Keywords: Contemporary art; Anthropology; Ethnography; Artists; Museums
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/844867
• Contract Date: Aug 20, 2019