2020 Research-based Curatorial Project: Shortlist Exhibition

From September 12 to December 6, 2020 Research-based Curatorial Project: Shortlist Exhibition will be on show at OCAT Institute, exhibiting curatorial proposals of the six finalists.

For the OCAT Institute, this is the third year of holding its “Research-based Curatorial Project,” and it is, indeed, a particularly special year. With the spread of COVID-19, human beings are facing serious challenge, while tremendous transformation is undergoing in our society. Due to the impact of the pandemic, many artists and curators were forced to suspend their schedules, or even to cancel plans. Subsequently, the operation of art institutes was also changed. On the other hand, the occurrence of the virus enables us to pause for a moment in our fast-paced urban lives, spending more time to create, think and change.

The open call for the “2020 Research-based Curatorial Project” lasted from January 23 to April 15, 2020. This year, we received 50 proposals in total. Taking “research-based” as priority, the OCAT Institute review group selected six finalists, including The Animal That Therefore I Am (curator: Lux Yuting Bai), QiWu: Natural Footprint in Technological Vicissitude (curators: Cai Yixuan, Cao Xuefei), Banal Objects, DIY Aesthetics: A Remotely Organized but Self-entertaining Exhibition (curators: Claire  Shiying Li, Chris Zhongtian Yuan), Viral Transmission: A Medium in Between (curator: Li Yizhuo), City, Sound, Lightness: Moving Boundaries and Fictional Narratives (curator: Yu Weiying), COVID19: From A to Z Toward a Sound & SEEDesign Society (curator: Zhou Lei).

The curators of the six shortlisted projects adopt different research perspectives and methodologies. Some of them capture sensible social problems triggered by the COVID-19 in the current time and ponder over the relationship between human and its living environment in the post-COVID-19 era; others reflect upon the disparity between theory and practice, combining their thoughts on certain artistic forms and methodologies, and communicate all the insights through their research objects. Recalling the proposals of 2019, both the content and format of the selected projects carry features of multi-dimensionality and globalization. Meanwhile, under the current special circumstance, this year’s selected proposals present a series of profound and detailed discussions on practical issues with a high level of social generality. The exhibition of 2020 Research-based Curatorial Project: Shortlist Exhibition engenders a spontaneous sense of unity because of the relative connection between each proposal’s focal point. During the preparation stage after entering the shortlist, the six finalist curatorial teams have further modified and developed their original proposals. In the following three months of exhibition, they will continue reinforcing the discussions and proceeding with their research to a further extent.

The six finalists will be exhibited at OCAT Institute since September 12, 2020. A workshop will be held during the opening of the exhibition. The executive director of OCAT Institute Professor Wu Hung and guest jurors will engage the curators and their respective projects in dialogue, both online and on-site. Considering feedback from guest jurors and audience, a winning proposal will be selected. The final selection will release on our official website and WeChat platform, and the winning proposal will be curated at OCAT Institute in 2021.

OCAT Institute would express gratitude to all curators, researchers, artists and institutes as well as your support.