Passion for Art - CURATOR DU JOUR
May
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When and where did your involvement with art begin, and in what way is your curatorial outlook rooted there?
Art has always been a part of my life, it was something my parents really valued and, as my mother is from the Middle East and my father from Hawai'i, an appreciation for art from these regions was instilled in me. Professionally, I began to intern, volunteer and work in museums, an auction house and a variety of art galleries when I was an undergrad at Boston University where I majored in art history, which is when my interest in contemporary art really took off. Then I moved to the DC area and when I was earning my MA in Museum Studies from Johns Hopkins, I co-curated an exhibition on Iranian-American contemporary art with Barbara Petro Escobar,
I RAN Home (In America), which got a really great response from the public and press and I've continued to curate and write since then. 99.9% of the time art hits me first from a conceptual place and the ideas behind the piece are as important to me as the aesthetics and artistic execution. I'm inherently interested in the relationship between contemporary art from the Pacific and MENASA and their respective diasporas and anthropology, visual culture, institutional critique and post-colonial studies, so initially my curatorial focus was very much focused on the aforementioned. Recently though, I've been exploring and am more focused on the rise of transculturalism and hybridized visual symbolism that more and more artists, especially from the MENASA region, are moving towards, which is why now, artists whose work is not first and foremost defined by ethnicity or nationality really interest me. There is a really delicate balance between celebrating and exploring heritage and exploiting it in a very neo-colonial way, framing artists, for example, as 'Arabs' first; I think curators and artists alike, need to be wary of this.
Could you talk more about the kinds of collaborations and parameters that you establish with other institutions?
I've been very fortunate to collaborate with so many interesting arts organizations and artists. As an independent curator, whether I am collaborating with a very established, more traditional institution or a funkier, new art space, everyone that I have collaborated with up to this point has been very receptive to the artists and ideas that I want to explore, which is fantastic. As I do not represent a specific institution, I find that I have a lot more freedom when it comes to exploring experimental ideas and curating exhibitions that ask a lot of probing questions. The parameters are generally rather open and I have yet to be told 'no Isabella, I don't think this is going to work,' in response to a concept or artwork that I want to present, except sometimes when it comes to budget! Shipping can often really eat up a budget and I've been told to downsize the number of works or work with the artist to reduce the scale of a particular work.
Could you speak about your experience as a cultural curator and consultant? How does that experience affect the way you work now, in terms of making effective exhibitions that captivate the American audience?
I'm a contemporary arts curator and cultural projects consultant, producing projects worldwide and with cultural being defined quite broadly-anything from putting together a symposium, series of public programs related to art, a festival or a specific exhibition. Primarily most of the exhibitions that I curate I initiate them independently and they are not-for-profit, based on ideas and artists that I am intrigued by and want to explore and learn more about, although I am hired by private collectors to assist with research and advising on building their collection. When it comes to captivating an audience, I find that tapping into subject areas and/or representing artists that are unfamiliar for a specific audience or region of the world, is always a great place to start. I try and work with artists and exhibition concepts that will spark curiosity and interest from the public. I also am firmly committed to promoting emerging artists. As I work with living, contemporary artists, it is extremely important for me that the artists always feel comfortable with the way they are being represented, whether it is in a press release, curatorial text or advertising.
How do you manage the expectations of the community?
When it comes to the community that an exhibition will serve, I like to do as much research as possible to try and anticipate the kind of audience who will visit and then try twice as hard to attract an audience whom might not necessarily visit the exhibition because I think it is important that exhibitions are made accessible to as wide an audience as possible. I also appreciate the ability that art has to educate and transform society and am always interested in challenging the expectations that visitors may have on a specific subject area that the exhibition is highlighting. When managing the expectations of an artists' community or the specific cultural community that the artist represents, I learn as much as I can about their culture and if need be, I also get extra assistance from a cultural advisor. For example, with my current exhibition on contemporary indigenous Hawaiian art, This IS Hawai'i, I've been working with wonderful indigenous Hawaiian cultural advisor, Marcus Hanalei Marzan, who has been there for me whenever I have had questions that primary and secondary research could not answer.
What things have you found most interesting from the studio visits you’ve made and exhibitions you’ve seen since your arrival in the UAE?
There is so much support for art and artists, whether it is by the government, collectors, institutions and even amongst the artists themselves-I love the great camaraderie that I've witnessed amongst Emirati and UAE-based artists alike. The UAE is simply inspiring, there is Dubai with its amazing fair and robust gallery scene, Sharjah, with their very international biennial and the Barjeel Collection and Abu Dhabi, with their ambitious museum projects. All this attributes to the UAE really developing into a global artistic center. So many new galleries are springing up and programs to support artists, which is really fantastic. Recently I saw The Terminal exhibition that was in the DIFC, presented by Edge of Arabia was really blown away; it was so thoughtfully put together, raised a lot of important, interesting questions, yet also was conducive for a fun and interactive experience. As far as studio visits go, just a few weeks ago I had the opportunity to visit James Clar in his Al Qoz studio and was surprised at how open his studio is to the public because that is the only thing I really miss here when compared to the US or Europe, the concept of open, working artists studios hasn't really developed here- yet. It was so great to just be able to stroll in without an appointment, chat and have him and his assistant show me what they were working on and explaining their process. Also, the fact that there are so many international artists now living and working in the UAE, really attests to the global importance of this country, especially Dubai, as an artistic center.
What kinds of crossover do you see between these artists culturally and also in terms of the conditions of production?
I think with so many international artists living and working here and then with Emirati artists exhibiting, traveling, studying and working internationally as well, there is a great deal of artistic exchange and awareness of what other artists are doing, especially in different parts of the region. I've noticed though at times the UAE can be a bit insulated as there is so much support for MENASA art and I think the scale is a bit tipped towards art from this region and Europe, so there absolutely is more room for exchange with East Asian, Central African, Pacific, North and South American artists and artistic centers. Production wise, there is a lot of experimentation going on, which is great, especially when it comes to photography, film, performance and installation.
Are there specific artists from the Middle East that you are currently intrigued by?
Absolutely and the list is long, dozens and dozens, but if I had to narrow it town to my top ten, it would be: Rayyane Tabet, Noor Al Suwaidi, Leila Pazooki, Hadieh Shafie, Oraib Toukan, Sami Al Turki, Pooneh Maghazehe, Rahraw Omarzad, Babak Golkar and the Slavs and Tatars collective.
What your latest project?
On May 19 a multi-site exhibition that I've curated at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian and Transformer, This IS Hawai'i opens in the US and is on contemporary indigenous Hawaiian art, featuring work by Puni Kukahiko, Maika'i Tubbs, Carl F.K. Pao and Solomon Enos. I am also working on a very long article on open collections that focus on art from the Middle East for the journal Contemporary Practices, which will be published this fall, as well as a few other exhibitions, slated to 2012-2014. I can't divulge too much information on my future curatorial projects yet, but I am in the process of co-curating with the very talented Adalet R. Garmiany a touring exhibition on contemporary Afghan and Iraqi art, with more details being announced towards the latter half of
this year.
Art has always been a part of my life, it was something my parents really valued and, as my mother is from the Middle East and my father from Hawai'i, an appreciation for art from these regions was instilled in me. Professionally, I began to intern, volunteer and work in museums, an auction house and a variety of art galleries when I was an undergrad at Boston University where I majored in art history, which is when my interest in contemporary art really took off. Then I moved to the DC area and when I was earning my MA in Museum Studies from Johns Hopkins, I co-curated an exhibition on Iranian-American contemporary art with Barbara Petro Escobar,
I RAN Home (In America), which got a really great response from the public and press and I've continued to curate and write since then. 99.9% of the time art hits me first from a conceptual place and the ideas behind the piece are as important to me as the aesthetics and artistic execution. I'm inherently interested in the relationship between contemporary art from the Pacific and MENASA and their respective diasporas and anthropology, visual culture, institutional critique and post-colonial studies, so initially my curatorial focus was very much focused on the aforementioned. Recently though, I've been exploring and am more focused on the rise of transculturalism and hybridized visual symbolism that more and more artists, especially from the MENASA region, are moving towards, which is why now, artists whose work is not first and foremost defined by ethnicity or nationality really interest me. There is a really delicate balance between celebrating and exploring heritage and exploiting it in a very neo-colonial way, framing artists, for example, as 'Arabs' first; I think curators and artists alike, need to be wary of this.
Could you talk more about the kinds of collaborations and parameters that you establish with other institutions?
I've been very fortunate to collaborate with so many interesting arts organizations and artists. As an independent curator, whether I am collaborating with a very established, more traditional institution or a funkier, new art space, everyone that I have collaborated with up to this point has been very receptive to the artists and ideas that I want to explore, which is fantastic. As I do not represent a specific institution, I find that I have a lot more freedom when it comes to exploring experimental ideas and curating exhibitions that ask a lot of probing questions. The parameters are generally rather open and I have yet to be told 'no Isabella, I don't think this is going to work,' in response to a concept or artwork that I want to present, except sometimes when it comes to budget! Shipping can often really eat up a budget and I've been told to downsize the number of works or work with the artist to reduce the scale of a particular work.
Could you speak about your experience as a cultural curator and consultant? How does that experience affect the way you work now, in terms of making effective exhibitions that captivate the American audience?
I'm a contemporary arts curator and cultural projects consultant, producing projects worldwide and with cultural being defined quite broadly-anything from putting together a symposium, series of public programs related to art, a festival or a specific exhibition. Primarily most of the exhibitions that I curate I initiate them independently and they are not-for-profit, based on ideas and artists that I am intrigued by and want to explore and learn more about, although I am hired by private collectors to assist with research and advising on building their collection. When it comes to captivating an audience, I find that tapping into subject areas and/or representing artists that are unfamiliar for a specific audience or region of the world, is always a great place to start. I try and work with artists and exhibition concepts that will spark curiosity and interest from the public. I also am firmly committed to promoting emerging artists. As I work with living, contemporary artists, it is extremely important for me that the artists always feel comfortable with the way they are being represented, whether it is in a press release, curatorial text or advertising.
How do you manage the expectations of the community?
When it comes to the community that an exhibition will serve, I like to do as much research as possible to try and anticipate the kind of audience who will visit and then try twice as hard to attract an audience whom might not necessarily visit the exhibition because I think it is important that exhibitions are made accessible to as wide an audience as possible. I also appreciate the ability that art has to educate and transform society and am always interested in challenging the expectations that visitors may have on a specific subject area that the exhibition is highlighting. When managing the expectations of an artists' community or the specific cultural community that the artist represents, I learn as much as I can about their culture and if need be, I also get extra assistance from a cultural advisor. For example, with my current exhibition on contemporary indigenous Hawaiian art, This IS Hawai'i, I've been working with wonderful indigenous Hawaiian cultural advisor, Marcus Hanalei Marzan, who has been there for me whenever I have had questions that primary and secondary research could not answer.
What things have you found most interesting from the studio visits you’ve made and exhibitions you’ve seen since your arrival in the UAE?
There is so much support for art and artists, whether it is by the government, collectors, institutions and even amongst the artists themselves-I love the great camaraderie that I've witnessed amongst Emirati and UAE-based artists alike. The UAE is simply inspiring, there is Dubai with its amazing fair and robust gallery scene, Sharjah, with their very international biennial and the Barjeel Collection and Abu Dhabi, with their ambitious museum projects. All this attributes to the UAE really developing into a global artistic center. So many new galleries are springing up and programs to support artists, which is really fantastic. Recently I saw The Terminal exhibition that was in the DIFC, presented by Edge of Arabia was really blown away; it was so thoughtfully put together, raised a lot of important, interesting questions, yet also was conducive for a fun and interactive experience. As far as studio visits go, just a few weeks ago I had the opportunity to visit James Clar in his Al Qoz studio and was surprised at how open his studio is to the public because that is the only thing I really miss here when compared to the US or Europe, the concept of open, working artists studios hasn't really developed here- yet. It was so great to just be able to stroll in without an appointment, chat and have him and his assistant show me what they were working on and explaining their process. Also, the fact that there are so many international artists now living and working in the UAE, really attests to the global importance of this country, especially Dubai, as an artistic center.
What kinds of crossover do you see between these artists culturally and also in terms of the conditions of production?
I think with so many international artists living and working here and then with Emirati artists exhibiting, traveling, studying and working internationally as well, there is a great deal of artistic exchange and awareness of what other artists are doing, especially in different parts of the region. I've noticed though at times the UAE can be a bit insulated as there is so much support for MENASA art and I think the scale is a bit tipped towards art from this region and Europe, so there absolutely is more room for exchange with East Asian, Central African, Pacific, North and South American artists and artistic centers. Production wise, there is a lot of experimentation going on, which is great, especially when it comes to photography, film, performance and installation.
Are there specific artists from the Middle East that you are currently intrigued by?
Absolutely and the list is long, dozens and dozens, but if I had to narrow it town to my top ten, it would be: Rayyane Tabet, Noor Al Suwaidi, Leila Pazooki, Hadieh Shafie, Oraib Toukan, Sami Al Turki, Pooneh Maghazehe, Rahraw Omarzad, Babak Golkar and the Slavs and Tatars collective.
What your latest project?
On May 19 a multi-site exhibition that I've curated at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian and Transformer, This IS Hawai'i opens in the US and is on contemporary indigenous Hawaiian art, featuring work by Puni Kukahiko, Maika'i Tubbs, Carl F.K. Pao and Solomon Enos. I am also working on a very long article on open collections that focus on art from the Middle East for the journal Contemporary Practices, which will be published this fall, as well as a few other exhibitions, slated to 2012-2014. I can't divulge too much information on my future curatorial projects yet, but I am in the process of co-curating with the very talented Adalet R. Garmiany a touring exhibition on contemporary Afghan and Iraqi art, with more details being announced towards the latter half of
this year.
MORE THAN JUST
A PURVEYOR OF TASTE
A PURVEYOR OF TASTE
artBahrain in conversation with UAE-based curator Isabella Ellaheh Hughes about the different approaches to, and perspectives on, current curatorial practice that is more like a renaissance endeavour, positioning herself more than just a purveyor of taste and an upholder of an institutional mandate but a cultural producer creating exhibitions that highlight the fluidity of contemporary art practice.
This IS Hawai’i
Exhibition Collaboration between Transformer and the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI),
Washington DC
May 19 - July 4, 2011 at NMAI
Exhibition Collaboration between Transformer and the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI),
Washington DC
May 19 - July 4, 2011 at NMAI
Over the past century, Hawai’i - as a place and people - has been aggressively marketed by Hollywood, the tourism industry, and commercial retailers as an eternally friendly and magical paradise. This saccharine-sweet notion of Hawai`i and Kanaka Maoli (indigenous Hawaiian) culture is often far from reality.
This IS Hawai’i challenges outdated notions of Hawaiian culture and people through engaging visual artworks by Solomon Enos, Puni Kukahiko, Carl F. K. Pao and Maika'i Tubbs - some of the most dynamic contemporary Kanaka Maoli artists working today.
Actively exploring their indigenous Hawaiian heritage and history, and its intersection with contemporary society, This IS Hawai’i artists Solomon Enos, Puni Kukahiko, Carl F. K. Pao and Maika'i Tubbs explore - through site-specific installation, artistic actions, and public programs - what it means to be "Hawaiian" in the 21st century. Developed by independent curator Isabella E. Hughes, with input from cultural advisor Marques Hanalei Marzan and Transformer’s Executive & Artistic Director Victoria Reis, the design and scope of this exhibition aim to challenge audiences to rethink their own understanding of Hawaiian culture and its native people within creative formats.
Designed as a two-site exhibition, the work of Solomon Enos and Carl F. K. Pao will be presented at the NMAI’s Sealaska Gallery, and the work of Maika'i Tubbs will be presented at Transformer, with artist Puni Kukahiko’s site-specific outdoor sculptures presented at both sites, tying the whole exhibition together.
This IS Hawai’i marks the participating artists’ first exhibition in the nation’s capital, and an exciting moment in contemporary art practice to build understanding of contemporary cultural production within Hawaiian indigenous culture. The exhibition will be presented in tandem with NMAI's annual Hawai’i Festival.
Highlighting both Transformer’s and the NMAI’s commitment to promoting the expression of contemporary art, this presentation of This IS Hawai’i reflects a unique exhibition partnership that is becoming a model for collaboration among cultural organizations across the U.S. and internationally. Seeking to grow audiences for emergent visual expression, as well as the work of contemporary indigenous artists, This IS Hawai’i allows both organizations to expand their missions while building synergy within the cultural infrastructure of D.C. and the larger arts community.
This IS Hawai’i challenges outdated notions of Hawaiian culture and people through engaging visual artworks by Solomon Enos, Puni Kukahiko, Carl F. K. Pao and Maika'i Tubbs - some of the most dynamic contemporary Kanaka Maoli artists working today.
Actively exploring their indigenous Hawaiian heritage and history, and its intersection with contemporary society, This IS Hawai’i artists Solomon Enos, Puni Kukahiko, Carl F. K. Pao and Maika'i Tubbs explore - through site-specific installation, artistic actions, and public programs - what it means to be "Hawaiian" in the 21st century. Developed by independent curator Isabella E. Hughes, with input from cultural advisor Marques Hanalei Marzan and Transformer’s Executive & Artistic Director Victoria Reis, the design and scope of this exhibition aim to challenge audiences to rethink their own understanding of Hawaiian culture and its native people within creative formats.
Designed as a two-site exhibition, the work of Solomon Enos and Carl F. K. Pao will be presented at the NMAI’s Sealaska Gallery, and the work of Maika'i Tubbs will be presented at Transformer, with artist Puni Kukahiko’s site-specific outdoor sculptures presented at both sites, tying the whole exhibition together.
This IS Hawai’i marks the participating artists’ first exhibition in the nation’s capital, and an exciting moment in contemporary art practice to build understanding of contemporary cultural production within Hawaiian indigenous culture. The exhibition will be presented in tandem with NMAI's annual Hawai’i Festival.
Highlighting both Transformer’s and the NMAI’s commitment to promoting the expression of contemporary art, this presentation of This IS Hawai’i reflects a unique exhibition partnership that is becoming a model for collaboration among cultural organizations across the U.S. and internationally. Seeking to grow audiences for emergent visual expression, as well as the work of contemporary indigenous artists, This IS Hawai’i allows both organizations to expand their missions while building synergy within the cultural infrastructure of D.C. and the larger arts community.
About Isabella Ellaheh Hughes
- Artists' Opportunities
May 2011
