while in some cases, the artists shown knew or worked with each other, they’re often curated in relation to each other aesthetically or to represent a diversity of outputs rather than to engage with what culture the artists were attempting to enact by making the work. most often though, its safari

that’s why you’re seeing so many scattered exhibitions that are basically identity-over-time like WHOVILLE WHO? CONTEMPORARY WHOVILLEAN PAINTINGS FROM 1632-85. the only way these curators know how to engage with brown-ness is via role call not through the practice on its terms

these are the same curators who will flop really hard when its time to work with artists who come from histories of marginalization!! they will do so because they truly see diversity as an allowance or leakage inside of the canon or inside of the concept of artistic excellence

if your curator or producer specializes in an academic form or focus that you can’t prove is relevant to the constituency you operate in, you need to fire them. you don’t need to educate audiences or ‘do more outreach’ lmao you need to fire them

the major issue in cultural work right now is a skill issue on the part of institutions and gatekeepers—a lack of creative or cultural competency that allows them to actually see work. if your curator or producer has no mental agility in pop media or culturally-specific forms, you need to fire them