"The New Curation - 2023 Future Curators Symposium" hosted by the Future Museum Studio of ICCI and the West Bund Museum was successfully held at the West Bund Museum. More than ten young curators from home and abroad gathered to discuss the problems and thoughts in curating and envision the possibilities of future curation. The event was held both online and offline, with more than 23,000 viewers participating.

Young Curators Gather to Envision the Future of Curation: Highlights from the Symposium

As the public's demand for spiritual and cultural enrichment continues to grow, visiting art galleries and art exhibitions has become the preferred way to appreciate art. Curators, as the "directors" of exhibitions, not only coordinate with artists and galleries but also conceptualize the theme, form, and style of exhibitions, and ensure it resonates with audiences. However, with a steady stream of emerging technologies and concepts, curation has become increasingly complex and challenging.

What will the curation look like in the future? At the symposium, young curators from home and abroad delved into the

emerging trends, structures, and challenges, and shared the latest developments with the public, jointly imagining the future of curation.

Moderated by young artist and curator, Songhao HUANG, the discussion on new curating methods was initiated by image artist and founder of Martin Goya Business, Ran CHENG, Shanghai NormalUniversity lecturer and art consultant, Jérémie Thircuir, and independentcurator, Zijin MIU. Guests discussed the evaluation of audience impact and ways to enhance exhibition interactivity with technology.

Under the guidance of Junyao CHEN, the curator and part-time researcher at ICCI of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Jiaying CHEN, writer and curator, Dong WANG, K11 Central Art Department Director and curator, and Xiejing XIANG, Star Gallery partner, held a discussion on new approaches to curation organization. They suggested that commercial and academic values should not be viewed as a binary opposition in curation. Instead, curators should leverage the resources and synergies between these two areas to bridge the gap between art and the general public.

In the era of globalization, curators are facing pressing issues, such as changes in the curation ecosystem and power

structure. At the end of the symposium, artist and curator, Yiquan WANG, moderated a discussion with guest speakers, including Ling GU, artist, translator, editor, and planner, Youyou GU, exhibition department director and curator responsible for the West Bund Museum, and Jiawei YUAN, curator and writer, exploring possible changes and challenges for the future of curation.In response, it is crucial to develop and extend curation practices continuously.

ICCI Students Unveil Dazzling Creativity in Curation Attempt

In recent years, there has been a growing demand for professional curators in domestic art institutions. Many cultural and artistic institutions are selecting professional curators to participate in exhibition organization and management, which has raised the profile of curatorial work. Prior to the symposium, five students from the ICCI's MFA Art Management program showcased their curatorial proposals and creative ideas, and curators Ling GU, Zijin MIU, and Jiaying CHEN provided professional commentary and shared insights on their ideas.

Yahui ZHANG's exhibition design, "Blueprints of Life Without Artificial Intelligence Bias", examined existing artificial intelligence design applications, aiming to increase audience understanding and awareness of AI systems.

Qi LIU presented photographer Guozhu GUO's solo exhibition "Disappearing Subject", which was based on art historian Paul Zucker's concept of ruin aesthetics and features works selected from Guo's photography collection 'City Ridge.'"

'Object Exhibition' curated by Yanwen HAN and Shujie JIA, is a solo exhibition of contemporary artist Qiquan RAN's work. RAN's works express his deep emotions towards the medium of paper and record its life force. The exhibition design balances academic depth and interactivity, featuring in-depth text materials on the theme and visually impactful space design.

Hong CHEN's exhibition, 'The Flowing Frame: Form, Symbol, and Concept,' seeks to interpret and understand the concept of the 'frame' by placing it within a dynamic perspective of derivation and cycling. As Derrida stated, the frame supports the image, allowing the artwork to be established.

The students' curatorial ideas left a deep impression on professional curators. At the end of the exchange, the curators also encouraged ICCI students to remain true to themselves, have the courage to practice, and actively engage in the future of curation.