White Cube: exercises in curation for children
Authors: Natasha Chychasova and Valeriia Buradzhyieva
The last edition of Laboratory of Contemporary Art is dedicated to the history of curatorial activity and the white cube: the sterile white gallery space, which our eye is now accustomed to, with walls painted neutral colours and artificial (although not always) lighting. It is the white cube that most often arises in the imagination when we hear the phrase ‘contemporary art’. The booklet will describe, in an accessible format, how this exhibition concept appeared and how it was criticised, and how it can be used for a workshop on curatorial activity for children*.The printed version of the booklet will contain an interactive poster with stencils of a white cube, created in partnership with the independent art and culture publication VONO.
During the online seminar the authors of this edition, Natasha Chichasova and Valeria Buradzhyieva, will share practical advice: how can you improvise a white cube in the classroom, creative space or simply at home? How can you develop the curatorial imagination of children and adolescents with the assistance of curatorial exercises for rethinking objects (readymades)? What is a curatorial text and how can you write about a display when it has been created?
The seminar and the publication could be useful to representatives of educational initiatives, Houses of Culture, Centres for Child and Youth Creativity, creative space, parents and all those who are interested in basic education and curatorial work.
*The White Cube workshop was one of the most popular activities from the first season of trips made by the Gurtobus, a mobile cultural centre by the IZOLYATSIA. Foundation.