Curators in Crisis: Identity and Role Under Scrutiny at Palazzo Strozzi Conference
On December 17, a study day titled 'From the Zero Degree of Criticism to the Crisis of Curating' was organized at Palazzo Strozzi in Florence to honor Pier Luigi Tazzi (1941-2021). Curated by Lorenzo Bruni, the event featured an organizing committee that included Fabio Cavallucci and Hou Hanru, alongside participants such as Hans Ulrich Obrist and Angela Vettese. The discussions centered on the curator's identity crisis in the context of the transition from scarcity to abundance in the field. Tazzi, a unique figure in curating, made significant contributions to both international biennials and smaller exhibitions. The importance of curating in shaping cultural narratives was highlighted through influential exhibitions like Harald Szeemann's 'When Attitudes Become Form' (1969) and Tazzi's own 'Happiness: A Survival Guide for Art and Life' (2003).
Key facts
- Study day 'From the Zero Degree of Criticism to the Crisis of Curating' held at Palazzo Strozzi, Florence on December 17.
- Event curated by Lorenzo Bruni.
- Organizing committee included Fabio Cavallucci and Hou Hanru.
- Participants included H.U. Obrist, Angela Vettese, Elio Grazioli, Giorgio Verzotti, Viktor Misiano, and Rirkrit Tiravanija.
- Pier Luigi Tazzi (1941-2021) was an unclassifiable curator and critic.
- Tazzi curated at Venice Biennale and documenta IX (1992) with Denys Zacharopoulos and Bart de Baere.
- In the 1970s, the concept of 'curating' was virtually unknown.
- Curating is described as an ideological, hermeneutic, and critical act that shapes imaginaries.
- Examples of influential curatorial projects: Szeemann's 'When Attitudes Become Form' (1969), Tazzi's 'Happiness' (2003), Celant's 'Post Zang Tumb Tuum' (2018), Settis's 'Portable Classics' (2015).
- Despite abundance of exhibitions, truly memorable ones are rare; meaning is the scarcest resource.
Entities
Artists
- Pier Luigi Tazzi
- Lorenzo Bruni
- Fabio Cavallucci
- Hou Hanru
- Hans Ulrich Obrist
- Angela Vettese
- Elio Grazioli
- Giorgio Verzotti
- Viktor Misiano
- Rirkrit Tiravanija
- Denys Zacharopoulos
- Bart de Baere
- Harald Szeemann
- Germano Celant
- Salvatore Settis
- Marco Senaldi
Institutions
- Palazzo Strozzi
- Fondazione Lanfranco Baldi
- Venice Biennale
- documenta
- Artribune
- Università di Milano Bicocca
- IULM di Milano
- FMAV di Modena
- Accademia di Brera
- LABA Libera Accademia di
Locations
- Florence
- Italy
- Venice
- Pelago
- Milan
- Modena