ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Afterall Symposium Explores Art Exhibition Histories Online

digital · 2026-04-22

On Thursday, 16 November 2023, Central Saint Martins at the University of the Arts London hosted the symposium 'Art's Exhibition Histories Online' from 16:30 to 19:00. Organized by Afterall, the event featured keynote speeches from Samuel Weber, a Professor at Northwestern University, and Annet Dekker, an Assistant Professor at the University of Amsterdam. Lucy Steeds of Afterall moderated the Q&A session. Weber's presentation, titled 'Pictures After an Exhibition,' examined exhibition histories through an auditory perspective, while Dekker discussed the challenges of online curating in her talk, 'Publishing and Exhibiting Online.' The symposium evaluated the equity a digital platform provides for past exhibitions compared to traditional print. Recordings of the talks are accessible, and the event received backing from UAL's Digital Fund.

Key facts

  • Symposium 'Art's Exhibition Histories Online' held on 16 November 2023, 16:30–19:00
  • Location: Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, Granary Building, 1 Granary Square, King's Cross, London N1C 4AA
  • Keynote speakers: Samuel Weber (Northwestern University) and Annet Dekker (University of Amsterdam)
  • Lucy Steeds (Afterall, Central Saint Martins) gave opening remarks and chaired Q&A
  • Weber's presentation: 'Pictures After an Exhibition' – discussed Benjamin's 'aura' and analogical/digital convergence
  • Dekker's presentation: 'Publishing and Exhibiting Online' – explored online curating challenges, referenced Umberto Eco's 'the open work'
  • Symposium questioned what sensual and discursive justice a web platform offers exhibition histories vs. print
  • Event supported by University of the Arts London's Digital Fund

Entities

Artists

  • Samuel Weber
  • Annet Dekker
  • Lucy Steeds
  • Walter Benjamin
  • Umberto Eco

Institutions

  • Afterall
  • Central Saint Martins
  • University of the Arts London
  • Northwestern University
  • Paris Program in Critical Theory
  • University of Amsterdam
  • London South Bank University
  • Centre for the Study of the Networked Image
  • Valiz
  • Routledge

Locations

  • London
  • United Kingdom
  • King's Cross
  • Paris
  • Amsterdam

Sources