cfp.english.upenn.edu

CALL FOR PAPERS
ACADEMIC CONFERENCE: FRIDAY, MAY 14 2010
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA CRUZ

THE TASK OF THE CURATOR:
TRANSLATION, INTERVENTION, AND INNOVATION IN EXHIBITIONARY PRACTICE

Museum and Curatorial Studies (MACS) at UC-Santa Cruz brings together museum professionals and scholars from a variety of disciplines to study the poetics and politics of display. This year we are hosting a number of events related to the 2009-2010 research theme, "Critical Curations." We are pleased to welcome Griselda Pollock, Irit Rogoff, and Carolina Ponce de León for our annual Speaker Series. For more information about our organization and events, please visit: http://macs.ucsc.edu/

On May 14, 2010, our year of collaboration will culminate with a conference open to scholars from around the world. "The Task of the Curator" will explore the roles of curators in relation to how objects are displayed in museums and galleries, considering a variety of disciplinary and professional perspectives. The title, inspired by Walter Benjamin's theories of translation, brings attention to the often overlooked or naturalized labor of curators, which involves subtle but nonetheless transformative acts of framing and poetic interpretation. Presenters are encouraged to "look outside of the white box" toward new and alternative display methods. Proposals are due on February 5th, 2010 (instructions below).

A PDF of our CFP and updated information can be found at: http://macs.ucsc.edu/conferences.html

CONFIRMED PARTICIPANTS

Keynote Speaker:
MARY NOOTER ROBERTS
World Arts & Cultures, UCLA

Panel Moderators:
JAMES CLIFFORD
History of Consciousness, UCSC

JENNIFER GONZÁLEZ
History of Art & Visual Culture, UCSC

SHANNON JACKSON
Performance Studies & Rhetoric, UC-Berkeley

BETTI-SUE HERTZ
Visual Arts, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts

Opening Remarks:
LUCIAN GOMOLL
History of Consciousness, UCSC

Closing Remarks:
LISSETTE OLIVARES
History of Consciousness, UCSC

SUBMISSIONS:
Please send the following documents by Friday, February 5, 2010 via e-mail to: macs@ucsc.edu
* 350-500 word abstract
* Curriculum Vitae

We welcome and encourage early submissions. Papers will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the deadline.
Final Drafts will be due Friday, April 23, 2010 to macs@ucsc.edu

POSSIBLE TOPICS:
* Artist as Curator
* Exhibition as Translation
* Critical Histories of the Curator & Curatorial Practices
* Contemporary Approaches to the Art/artifact Debate
* Feminist/Queer Curating
* Radical Curating, Curatorial Interventions
* Marxist Museology, Archival Anarchy
* Curating Performance and/or Performance Art
* Para-Sites: Exhibiting in Alternative Spaces
* New Media & Display Practices
* Disciplining Objects in Museums & Galleries
* Comparative Studies of Exhibitions
* Strategies for Relaying Trauma in Museums & Galleries
* New Approaches to the Archives
* Collaboration and/or Curatorial Collectives
* Producing Virtual Collections & Displays
* Curating and Authorship
* Reflections on Biennale Projects
* Outsider Exhibition Proposals
* Dramaturgy of Display, Experience-Driven Practices
* Addressing Visitors, Imaginary Publics, Engaging Feedback
* Curatorial Mistakes
* Exhibitions & Pedagogy

This event is co-sponsored by The Center for Cultural Studies and the History of Consciousness Department at UC-Santa Cruz.

Submitted by:
Lucian Gomoll, Director
Museum and Curatorial Studies (MACS)
University of California, Santa Cruz