Through our discursive journey we realized that there are many factors and contributors that impact curation as a practice as well as the role of the curator or – if collaborative – curators. We explored the origin of the term in Arabic, German, and English dictionaries and museum practice and came to the conclusion that all these factors create contexts which demand the curator to consider different planning, collaborations and interventions. Thus, the definition of curation should not be limited to one perspective but must take an organic shape and a remodeled form that responds to its individual frameworks.
Each one of us was interested to expand her knowledge of curation as theory and practice through the diverse experiences brought into the team. Two of us already work as professional curators whereas the other two are experienced in different areas in museums but regularly interact with curators and exhibitions. Consequently different cultural, professional, interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary lenses were being used to explore the term.
Considering there was no specific format required for the outcomes of research, we thought of several forms of communication and documentation that will help us deliver this project; text, pictures, video, etc. One tool which seemed to fit what we were trying to say about curation, and could provide sense and show progression of work, was the Miro board. It served as an effective digital based mind map on which one can document, organize, and share ideas and input on the work in process. It offered us the space to “curate” our work and build an understanding and redefinition of the term.
This project was interesting and fruitful. We went through all stages of work together as a team, learning a lot from the collaborative research we did and also from each other’s experiences. We were in constant communication either through WhatsApp, emails, or virtual meetings which took place once or twice a week. The main challenge we faced was the diverse input on the topic be it text or media. However, the form of a curated Miro exhibition on the term followed by a video on the process gave us space to express ourselves. It is also an open space for others to add and accumulate more experiences and knowledge.
Looking at the origin of the words in both languages Arabic and German helped us get a better feeling of the different shades of the term. An interesting insight are the differences between [the Arabic words] Ameen or Quayyem, which mean integrity, honesty, trustworthiness and evaluator...
We found it interesting how we all come from different cultural, geographical, educational and professional backgrounds [...] We all had different relationships with museums growing up [...] while some of us rarely visited museums as kids others continuously visited in school [...] We give the audience a glimpse of who we are, not only as curators of this project but also as human beings.
Things changed along the path when our personal and professional experiences were integrated [...] The teamwork around the definition of curation as a term took the form of curation as a practice: We were curation a definition. [...] We realized that curation is beyond being a practice and set of possible tasks. It’s a mindset!