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Klaus Speidel argues for 'commissaire' over 'curateur' in French art discourse

opinion-review · 2026-04-23

In a controversial piece published in artpress, Klaus Speidel critiques the use of the term 'curateur', advocating instead for 'commissaire'. His unease arises from engaging with 'Qu'est-ce que le curating?' and Jérôme Glicenstein's 'L'Invention du curateur'. He argues that the etymological defense of 'curateur' is biased and ideologically charged, suggesting it implies a lack of capability among artists. Conversely, he points out that 'commissaire' comes from the Latin 'committere', which means to unite and connect, a definition he believes is more appropriate for curators. To support his viewpoint, he references his exhibitions 'Zeig mir deine Wunde' (2018) at Dom Museum Wien and 'Fragile Narratives' (2019) at Kunstraum Memphis. Speidel ultimately asserts that 'commissaire' more accurately reflects the curator's function and calls for its adoption.

Key facts

  • Klaus Speidel argues for 'commissaire' over 'curateur' in French.
  • The essay was published in artpress (issue 471, November 2019).
  • Speidel critiques the etymological justification for 'curateur' from Latin 'curare'.
  • He notes 'curateur' in French implies guardianship of incapacitated adults.
  • He traces 'commissaire' to Latin 'committere', meaning to unite, connect, undertake, commit, and confide.
  • Speidel co-curated 'Zeig mir deine Wunde' (2018) at Dom Museum Wien with Johanna Schwanberg.
  • The exhibition featured works by Anders Krisár, Raphaël Dallaporta, Louise Bourgeois, and Giovanni Giuliani.
  • He curated 'Fragile Narratives' (2019) at Kunstraum Memphis in Linz with three different interpretations.
  • Speidel references 'Qu'est-ce que le curating?' by During, Grau, Obrist, and Gonzalez-Foerster.
  • He references Jérôme Glicenstein's 'L'Invention du curateur' (2015).

Entities

Artists

  • Klaus Speidel
  • Élie During
  • Donatien Grau
  • Hans-Ulrich Obrist
  • Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster
  • Jérôme Glicenstein
  • Johanna Schwanberg
  • Anders Krisár
  • Raphaël Dallaporta
  • Louise Bourgeois
  • Giovanni Giuliani
  • Mari Carmen Ramírez
  • Caroline Bourgeois
  • François Pinault
  • Kader Attia
  • Adel Abdessemed
  • Éric Hazan
  • Éric Degoutte

Institutions

  • artpress
  • Dom Museum Wien
  • Kunstraum Memphis
  • Les Tanneries
  • AICA France

Locations

  • France
  • Vienna
  • Austria
  • Linz
  • Amilly

Sources