We lack courage and readiness for novelties and surprises. This is present both in artčand creativity and concept, as well as through representing and repeating the same people on the scene. In gallery work, everything almost always revolves around a handful of recognized authors, and very often there is a takeover of young talents who have already been discovered and recognized by someone as artists worthy of attention and investment.
These are the words of Ana Kršljanin, curator at the Štab Gallery in Belgrade, which is dedicated to the development and promotion of contemporary art. She has curated many exhibitions of interesting artists, and on this occasion we talked about her work and challenges.
According to your experience, how aware are young artists today of the role and importance of the curator in the process of creating and presenting their work?
It all depends on the kind of artist you are collaborating with. Each of us is an individual with our own attitudes and values, and that should be respected without generalization. However, I do make a general division, and in my opinion there are artists with whom collaboration is possible and represents mutual growth and satisfaction—artists who deserve your time and effort, who respect you and build a relationship for the future, inevitably contributing to both personal careers by opening up many new opportunities. On the other hand, there are also authors who should not even be considered, regardless of the kind of art they create. I can now say that I have four years of experience and approximately a hundred exhibitions behind me. That is a large number of artists I have met, a great many works I have seen, encounters and conversations I have had. Artists often do not realize that they are not represented solely by their work, even though it is the first thing we see. There are many more factors that determine whether and how we will collaborate—starting from whether they respect you and your time, how they accept your opinion and advice, the way they communicate with you, how they relate to their own work and to yours, how they solve potential problems, and how they handle unforeseen situations that can occur during the production of an exhibition—as well as numerous other factors that define the entire artist–curator relationship.
Does a misunderstanding of that relationship exist, or do you feel that the way artists perceive curatorial work is changing?
Misunderstanding is present, but we are not here to explain our role to anyone. I believe that no one should have to justify themselves or explain what they do and what their importance is in creating new artistic content and in the production or presentation of a selected artist’s work. We are here to select and discover new authors and to return to those for whom our role is perfectly clear. By that I mean authors who are collegial, open to collaboration and advice, those who respect you, your time, your experience, and your word. Successful collaboration does not depend solely on the quality of the work—it depends precisely on understanding and mutual trust, as well as on further networking, which becomes the foundation for all new projects.
Does the state understand the importance of curators in art, and what is the stance of institutions in that regard?
To achieve that, many processes need to be initiated within the systems we live in. Unfortunately, we are not even at the beginning yet. My wish is that we work on this together and ultimately reach a collective understanding of the importance and power of culture and art for a society and a nation. When that happens, the role of the curator will be perfectly clear as one of the main ‘cogs’ in defining directions and planning the development of both the local scene and the entire state strategy.
Can you give us an insight into the curator’s job and describe your typical workday?
The curator’s job encompasses a wide range of often invisible activities, including both logistical and technical tasks, as well as writing expert texts. It also involves fieldwork — visiting studios, other galleries, and museums, organizing meetings with artists, arranging transport of artworks, packing, creating presentations of works owned by the gallery, working on exhibition installations, proofreading catalogs, and designing accompanying visuals for social media. There’s communication with the audience during exhibition tours, giving speeches at openings, advising clients on which artwork is the best choice for their space, preparing documentation for foreign exhibitions or fairs, and probably more tasks I’ve forgotten. My workday varies in the number of tasks and responsibilities depending on what we are currently working on. There is no constant routine like in other jobs, but the word that best describes a curator’s work in a contemporary art gallery is 'dynamic'.
You have been working at the Štab Gallery for many years, what has been the most challenging part of your job so far?
Communication on different levels. By that, I mean with artists, other creators, the audience, and the media. Adapting the same story to various levels of interest. Also, communication with a new space where I present the idea, which is not the home gallery. Composing and creating new meanings with works that already carry meanings the artists have embedded and defined. Creating a unique mental and visual collage that offers endless possibilities, but also selecting the message and what I want to be conveyed.
What is the most recent artwork—whether an exhibition, film, book, or performance—that left a strong impression on you and made you reflect on yourself professionally or personally?
Probably the Mark Rothko exhibition at the Louis Vuitton Foundation. I remember feeling an indescribable peace and satisfaction just being there and clearly sensing the aura those paintings carry. I’m not sure how much I reflected or pondered, but I truly felt those works like never before, and it was an experience that can’t be conveyed through books or documentaries.
In which world gallery or museum could you spend days? Is there a gallery space you consider special?
I’ve never really thought much about that. There are so many places I haven’t visited yet and still need to see. I follow various galleries, and if I had to pick a particular art space, it would be Perrotin, which is actually a global art gallery made up of 12 exhibition spaces around the world. They have a very interesting concept, a distinctive selection of artists, and completely different exhibitions and works they show. All of this seems very versatile and fresh to me, and that is exactly what experts and collectors need, and what I personally consider special nowadays.
Do you read, and what is it that you pay special attention to when you’re not at the gallery?
If I’m not at my gallery, then I’m at a current exhibition, often at openings or in the studios of artists who have become friends. Honestly, I read much less than before, partly due to a lack of concentration, and partly because I don’t want to keep picking up and starting a book over again, losing the thread. I usually save reading for rest and those moments when I know I will definitely finish the book. Currently, I’m reading my favorite writer, Momo Kapor.
Foto – Kristina Simić
