As part of our commitment to fostering networking opportunities for curators to discuss professional matters, the all-day event “Art Curators’ Day” was held at Slipvillan on Långholmen in Stockholm. The program featured a diverse range of activities, including panel discussions, workshops, lectures, performances, massage sessions, music, and culinary experiences. This event was a collaborative effort between the association, Kulturhuset Slipvillan, and the MA in Art Curating program at Stockholm University, organised by Sarah Rodrigues as part of her exam project under the guidance of Richard Juhlin, teacher and artistic director at Accelerator in Stockholm.
Bildkonst Sverige’s report “Bildkonstens arrangörer – Stark konstnärlig utveckling men svag infrastruktur” highlights important structural changes within the field of visual art the last 15 years.
The newly established Swedish Curators’ Association aims to strengthen the conditions for Swedish curators. During the spring, discussions have been held with, among others, the Ministry of Culture, which Magasin K was the first to report on. The association’s chair, Marianna Garin, states that the expertise of this professional group is an important resource that has been overlooked.
Text: Matilda Källén
Why did you establish the Swedish Curators’ Association?
– An important reason that became evident during the COVID-19 crisis was the acute situation for an already vulnerable professional group. Many lost their assignments at the same time that the crisis support available for various professional groups did not apply to curators. This led to a discussion about the need for a unified voice to advocate for curators’ issues in Sweden.
What issues have you raised with the Ministry of Culture?
– We are engaged in a dialogue focused on the overall development of the art sector. A constructive change in the support framework for culture is necessary, as well as addressing the unfair distribution of grants among different artistic groups. This profession has existed in Sweden for a long time, but the system has not kept pace. However, I sense that there is an interest in these issues. The field of visual arts and design is inherently weakened, and curators can help strengthen the job market in culture by creating exhibition opportunities, both nationally and internationally.
How will you proceed from here?
– We will continue the discussions and highlight the working conditions. Building networks is also important; we are looking at how other curator associations in the Nordic countries, which have been around longer, have operated, and how we can create a more competitive professional community as well.
Magasin K – Sweden’s Curators: “We Have Been Left in the Lurch”
13 June 2022
Curators and art administrators operate under much tougher conditions than other comparable professional groups, such as directors, choreographers, and conductors. This is the view of the newly established Swedish Curators’ Association, which is now demanding change. An immersive environment greets visitors at Index on Kungsbro Strand in Stockholm. Draperies, plush toys, and sweet ballads fill the exhibition, which disarmingly discusses our relationship with death. In this velvet-clad room, the gallery’s director, Martí Manen, meets with Marianna Garin, a fellow curator who is currently freelancing.
This is the third consecutive day they have met to explain the challenges facing their profession. Earlier in the week, they had discussions with the Ministry of Culture and the trade union DIK. These challenges have become so pronounced that it became necessary to unite: the Swedish Curators’ Association was founded in August of last year.
– During the pandemic, it became clear that we needed a platform, that we needed to organize ourselves. Many lost their assignments, while it was not possible to apply for the support grants that other artistic professions were entitled to at that time, says Marianna Garin, the newly appointed chair of the association.
Prior to the launch, the group held discussions with colleagues in Denmark, Norway, and Finland.
– In the other Nordic countries, curators have had associations for several years. Among other things, they have examined the working conditions for our profession, which is also needed here. We also realized that we needed a voice to engage in conversations with others, says Martí Manen, who also a member of the board.
In Swedish, the titles ‘curator’ and ‘intendent’ are used for the same profession, with the distinction that the intendant works at an institution while the curator is a freelancer. The academic discipline is relatively young; the first program in Sweden, Curator Lab, was launched at Konstfack in 1999. Today, there is also a master’s program, Curating Art, which was established in 2003 at Stockholm University. Only in 2014 did Statistics Sweden (SCB) begin to register the group as its own occupational category, under the designation Museum Curators, etc. That year, there were just over 1,860 professionals in Sweden. In 2020, the latest figures from SCB indicate that there are nearly 2,300 in this group, marking an increase of 23 percent. Of these, 66 percent are women, a figure that has remained roughly the same since the measurements began.
Since its inception, the Swedish Curator Association has worked to highlight the situation of this professional group. Now, Martí Manen and Marianna Garin assert that it is up to other stakeholders, such as the Ministry of Culture and the Art Grants Committee, to take action.
Over the years, various attempts at organizing have been made. Marianna Garin, who was also involved in that work, believes that the lack of permanent results until last summer was due to the fact that the working conditions were simply too tough at that time.
– When I graduated from Konstfack’s curator program nearly twenty years ago, it wasn’t even possible to apply for project grants from the Swedish Arts Council. The energy quickly drains from a small non-profit organization when there are such limited opportunities to operate, she says.
Today, the Swedish Curators’ Association has nearly one hundred members. The website will soon be launched, which the board hopes will encourage more colleagues to join. Throughout the year, the association has primarily focused on political advocacy, providing responses to the governmental assessments as the ‘Cultural restart investigation’ and holding meetings with, among others, the Ministry of Culture and Art Grants Committee.
The main issue has revolved around what became evident during the pandemic: that the artists they worked with could apply for public support, but the curators themselves could not. It has also been revealed that one problem is that artists, like the directors, choreographers, and conductors with whom curators compare themselves, have copyright for their works. According to the Art Grants Committee’s interpretation, this is a requirement for most artistic support.
– The curatorial work is an artistic endeavor. We argue that copyright is a secondary issue, but we need a technical solution that works for everyone; the current system is not well thought out in relation to the needs of the contemporary art scene, says Martí Manen, who supported by Marianna Garin highlights the urgency of addressing this issues:
– Curators find themselves in a difficult position due to how the Art Grants Committee interprets its mandate and how much the Ministry of Culture can influence that. It is a structural issue where Sweden has not kept pace with developments.
Marianna Garin is a freelance curator who has previously worked for the Swedish Arts Council on public art projects, as well as teaching and writing about art in South America. Martí Manen is the executive director of Index – The Swedish Contemporary Art Foundation, with a background at Bonniers Konsthall, the Swedish Arts Council, and serving as the curator for the Spanish Pavilion at the Venice Biennale.
According to the association, it is not just a functioning support system during crises that is lacking. A range of artistic grants, including the Art Grants Committee working grants, project funding, and travel grants, currently do not cover curators—despite the fact that visual arts represent the largest portion of the agency’s activities, and that directors and choreographers can apply for these grants.
– For the arts sector to be strengthened economically, more long-term cultural policy initiatives are required. Among other things, exhibition organizers and institutions need better conditions to include curators as an integral part of the cultural ecosystem, says Marianna Garin.
The two curators also highlight the fact that public funding supports a crucial part of culture in Sweden, while abroad there is a stronger tradition of private funding that supports the arts.
– The weakened infrastructure in the visual arts sector and the absence of a private sector to rely on mean that we are at the mercy of politicians’ interests, which is reflected throughout the cultural landscape, says Marianna Garin.
What is your most important argument for strengthening your professional group?
– We argue that curators facilitate dialogues between different artists, audiences, and contexts. We can invite other voices to Sweden, as well as contribute to international exhibition opportunities for Swedish artists, says Marianna Garin.
Martí Manen adds:
– Art is a space for dialogue about a complex present, and we are the spider in that ecosystem. If curators cannot receive support for their work, the development of the entire art scene is inhibited.
Time to strengthen the visual arts and design sectors
14 February 2022
During the 2022 edition of Folk och Kultur, Chair Mariangela Méndez, along with board members Magdalena Malm (who contributed to the assessment ‘Från Kris till Kraft: Återstart för Kulturen’) and Martí Manen (representing the Klister network), engaged in a discussion with Sara Edström, Chair of KRO – The Artists’ Association of Sweden. The conversation centered on strengthening and developing the visual arts and design sector, as well as exploring prospects for a unified approach.
Moderator: Jon Brunberg, Cultural Politics Strategist and Press Officer at The Artists’ Association of Sweden (KRO).
Statement of opinion ”Från kris till kraft. Återstart för kulturen, SOU2021:77”
10 January 2022
“Svensk curatorförening anser att curatorer ska inkluderas som en självklar del av bild- och formområdet i denna höjning och i alla framtida höjningar.” / ”The Swedish Curators’ Association believes that curators should be included as an integral part of the visual arts and design field in this and in all subsequent increases.”)
— Statement of opinion from The Swedish Association of Curators on SOU2021:77: Från kris till kraft. Återstart för kulturen
“What made you join the Swedish Curators’ Association?”
24 July 2021
Sona Stepanyan
An important reason for joining the association was the desire to combine the theoretical world of curatorial education at Stockholm University with the practical realities that await every graduate of the MA program because of the applied nature of the profession as well as the lack of working infrastructure and financial support. Another goal was to introduce discourses relevant to the curator’s work into the academic environment and as a foreign student it was also vital to strengthen my connections with Swedish colleagues.
What are some of the issues that the association plans to address?
• Advocating for curation as an outstanding practice with decades of history • Advocating for new legal perspectives for curatorial employment conditions • Gathering knowledge of the current curatorial field, and needs of practitioners via surveys, conferences, and public meetings.
Is there a certain reform you would like to see for curators in Sweden and beyond?
It would be amazing to have an MU-agreement tailored for freelance curators, ensuring clear and standardized contract terms. Next on my list would come the recognition and implementation of copyright rules among curators themselves and hiring institutions.
Martí Manen
Sweden has been historically a place where experimentation with the exhibitional has been important. Paradoxically, the role of the curator as a professional figure hasn’t been part of many cultural plans.
What are some of the issues that the association plans to address?
To feel togetherness regarding our role within the arts, to be a voice and to be able to include curatorial practices as part of the cultural vocabulary.
Is there a certain reform you would like to see for curators in Sweden and beyond?
We need a better understanding of what the curatorial work is and how we curators work together with other cultural practitioners.
Marianna Garin
I felt the pressing need to raise awareness about the current working conditions for curators in Sweden, especially in the wake of the pandemic. It has become increasingly evident that curators are often overlooked in the Swedish governmental support system, particularly when compared to other artistic practices.
Despite the professionalization of the field through the various curatorial programs established over the past 20 years, there has been no fair support system for curators to develop their practice and strengthen their position in a Swedish context. It’s time for a fundamental structural change, to work towards a more democratic division of the governmental funds. This inequality has existed for far too long.
What are some of the issues that the association plans to address?
The association is in the early stages of defining its role: how to operate, how to build sustainable networks and enroll new members. The list of hopes and aspirations is long, with one key priority being to find ways to improve the economic conditions for curators. This includes advocating for equal access to work grants, stipends, project funding, and other subsidy schemes. To initiate meaningful structural change, it is crucial to first acknowledge the vulnerable position in which curators currently find themselves. Conducting a survey to map curators’ actual working conditions could provide valuable insights into their needs. The Norwegian Association of Curators has undertaken a similar initiative, which could serve as a model for our efforts.
Equally important is the exchange of experiences with our peers, to nurture a broader understanding of the ongoing discussions within the curatorial field. Improving support for curators will not only strengthen their position but will also have a positive impact on the visual arts sector as a whole.
Is there a certain reform you would like to see for curators in Sweden and beyond?
Swedish curators should be eligible (as in neighbouring Nordic Countries) for support and crisis grants from the Swedish Art Grant Committee like other artistic professions, such as theatre and film directors, composers, conductors and choreographers. It is essential to establish clear working contracts and set appropriate fees for curatorial work. We have a long path ahead and these changes might take time, but we are starting to initiate some things and knowing we are part of a united group is already a significant step forward.
Karin Bähler Lavér
Stemming from experience, I have long felt the urge to engage in discussion and organization around issues of precarity affecting cultural workers in general and curators (seeing that this is my profession) in particular. This feeling of course became even more palpable during the pandemic when it also became clear that curators were largely discounted for in terms of bursaries and support. I also think Swedish art institutions have a lot to benefit from engaging more with independent curators (when it comes to questions of e.g. representation) and hope to promote a more dynamic and diverse landscape.
What are some of the issues that the association plans to address?
One aim is to conduct a survey that will map the conditions for curators in Sweden today, in order to ultimately improve them. Currently there is no such framework as the MU agreement which determines the base levels for fees and so forth, and I think this type of survey could help lay the foundations for such a contract. Any form of improvement that could lead to less competition and more solidarity and trust (not just between curators but within the arts community as a whole) I think would be beneficial.
Is there a certain reform you would like to see for curators in Sweden and beyond?
The most substantial and important reform I think would be for the state to issue a work grant for curators. Seeing that curating involves so much groundwork (e.g. research, studio visits, administration etc.) a form of more reliable bursary would really relieve a lot of the precariousness felt.
Magdalena Malm
The curatorial profession has been established in Sweden for over 30 years, but the support systems have been very slow in adapting. Curators create a lot of value for the art scene; possibilities for artists to exhibit, for the audience to see work, facilitating international exchange as well as development of the scene and its contexts. The visual arts sector lacks a strong, unified voice, which is evident in how cultural policies develop. The Curatorial Association can play a crucial role within this larger collective, that needs to speak up and contribute in a constructive way to the development of the visual arts in Sweden.
What are some of the issues that the association plans to address?
There are several critical issues that must be addressed, starting with the working conditions and funding for curatorial work. National and local grants need to be accessible to curators as they are for directors, choreographers and other artistic professions that collaborate with artists. It is also essential that the curatorial profession is recognized as an artistic practice in its own right, for instance by critics. Ten random works in a row is not the same as an exhibition! The association can also be a network for curators to support each other and exchange ideas and knowledge.
Is there a certain reform you would like to see for curators in Sweden and beyond?
The key reform is for the Art Grants Committee (Konstnärsnämnden) to open their stipends and residencies to curators. Not to do that is actively preventing development of the visual arts sector, and it is also discriminatory compared to other artistic fields. Another important reform, as detailed in the study ‘Återstart för Kulturen’, involves establishing funding specifically for freelance curators to facilitate exhibitions in institutions across the country. This funding would serve as a crucial replacement for the support previously provided by Riksutställningar, which was discontinued without replacement. Such support would create work opportunities for curators and artists, strengthen local arts organizations, and enhance access to visual art for audiences throughout Sweden.
