Curating Public Narratives 2018: Kristiana Marcon

Course Description

This course will investigate the ways in which artists have presented narratives in the public realm and the organizations that have made the presentation of those works central to their curatorial practices over the last 40 years. Focusing on recent works presented in New York’s public spaces by Creative Time, The Public Art Fund, the Percent for Art Program, Arts for Transit and other non-profits organizations, this course will look at what it meant to tell stories and open discourses that challenged or interrogated widely-held value systems, the events and the politics of their time. In addition to the specifics of current and other key works and projects, we will discuss the conditions that governed the development of public performance, temporary and permanent installations, the ways in which those works were influenced by public approval processes and governmental agencies, media coverage and community response. Each student’s final project will be an on-line proposal for an exhibition that conveys a “narrative“ developed in the context of this course, referencing other relevant works .

Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Kristiana Marcon

What used to be here | What can be here - Highline Photo Essay

The curation of the Highline is not limited to just the former railroad itself but also its surrounding counterparts: buildings. What we see on these buildings today are curated with ads, art, and a chance to see and say something new. Were the graffiti and old signages that used to be on these buildings considered art or an eyesore?

African Burial Ground

The museum is a testament to not only the history of Manhattan but an acknowledgement of the African slaves that built this city and died here. The Diaspora memorial marks the mass graves and the National Parks museum recognizes the protestors and activists of the 90s' efforts to preserve and sanctify their ancestors. But is it enough?