CALL FOR PAPERS
ACADEMIC CONFERENCE: FRIDAY, MAY 14 2010
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA CRUZ

THE TASK OF THE CURATOR:
TRANSLATION, INTERVENTION, AND INNOVATION IN EXHIBITIONARY
PRACTICE

Museum and Curatorial Studies (MACS) at UC-Santa Cruz
brings together museum professionals and scholars from a
variety of disciplines to study the poetics and politics
of display. This year we are hosting a number of events
related to the 2009-2010 research theme, "Critical
Curations." We are pleased to welcome Griselda Pollock,
Irit Rogoff, and Carolina Ponce de León for our annual
Speaker Series. For more information about our
organization and events, please visit:
http://macs.ucsc.edu/

On May 14, 2010, our year of collaboration will culminate
with a conference open to scholars from around the world.
"The Task of the Curator" will explore the roles of
curators in relation to how objects are displayed in
museums and galleries, considering a variety of
disciplinary and professional perspectives. The title,
inspired by Walter Benjamin's theories of translation,
brings attention to the often overlooked or naturalized
labor of curators, which involves subtle but nonetheless
transformative acts of framing and poetic interpretation.
Presenters are encouraged to "look outside of the white
box" toward new and alternative display methods. Proposals
are due on February 5th, 2010 (instructions below).

A PDF of our CFP and updated information can be found at:
http://macs.ucsc.edu/conferences.html

CONFIRMED PARTICIPANTS

Keynote Speaker:
MARY NOOTER ROBERTS
World Arts & Cultures, UCLA

Panel Moderators:
JAMES CLIFFORD
History of Consciousness, UCSC

JENNIFER GONZÁLEZ
History of Art & Visual Culture, UCSC

SHANNON JACKSON
Performance Studies & Rhetoric, UC-Berkeley

BETTI-SUE HERTZ
Visual Arts, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts

Opening Remarks:
LUCIAN GOMOLL
History of Consciousness, UCSC

Closing Remarks:
LISSETTE OLIVARES
History of Consciousness, UCSC

SUBMISSIONS:
Please send the following documents by Friday, February 5,
2010 via e-mail to: macsucsc.edu
350-500 word abstract
Curriculum Vitae

We welcome and encourage early submissions. Papers will be
accepted on an ongoing basis until the deadline.
Final Drafts will be due Friday, April 23, 2010 to
macsucsc.edu

POSSIBLE TOPICS:
Artist as Curator
Exhibition as Translation
Critical Histories of the Curator & Curatorial Practices
Contemporary Approaches to the Art/artifact Debate
Feminist/Queer Curating
Radical Curating, Curatorial Interventions
Marxist Museology, Archival Anarchy
Curating Performance and/or Performance Art
Para-Sites: Exhibiting in Alternative Spaces
New Media & Display Practices
Disciplining Objects in Museums & Galleries
Comparative Studies of Exhibitions
Strategies for Relaying Trauma in Museums & Galleries
New Approaches to the Archives
Collaboration and/or Curatorial Collectives
Producing Virtual Collections & Displays
Curating and Authorship
Reflections on Biennale Projects
Outsider Exhibition Proposals
Dramaturgy of Display, Experience-Driven Practices
Addressing Visitors, Imaginary Publics, Engaging
Feedback
Curatorial Mistakes
* Exhibitions & Pedagogy

This event is co-sponsored by The Center for Cultural
Studies and the History of Consciousness Department at
UC-Santa Cruz.

Submitted by:
Lucian Gomoll
Director, Museum and Curatorial Studies
University of California, Santa Cruz