ART FOR THE COMMON RAKYAT

 There are 4 important dimensions of curatorship : 

1. Curator 

2. Subject - tangible & intangible cultural heritage & knowledge (the arts & sciences)

3. Audience

4. Site/space

A curator is the 'caretaker' or custodian of both tangible (objects) and intangible (values) cultural heritage and knowledge (the arts & sciences), deploying a particular practice of curation in a particular site (normally in a museum or a gallery) to transmit such heritage and knowledge to a particular audience.

As a public museum & gallery, funded by 'duit rakyat', @mgtfusm has to be aware of the profile & demography of its audience especially in developing its exhibition program and curatorial approach. Concurrently, it also has to be able to integrate the four dimensions above into an engaging and meaningful visiting experience for its audience or targeted section of a society. In short, it has to factor in imperatives related to its immediate society in curating an exhibition. It cant ignore and exclude its immediate society by being elitist & exclusive in its service to society at large.

How to transmit the intangible values and knowledge inherent in the objects of a museum collection (be them the arts or sciences) to kids and young people between the age of 6 to 19 years old through a curated exhibition? How to curate an exhibition that will allow this particular demography to experience & embody these values and knowledge, outside the framework of formal teaching and learning setting? How to transfer the intangible values and knowledge of an object of art, culture and heritage (for example Pohon Beringin in Wayang Kulit & Chinese Landscape Painting) into a curated exhibition meant specifically for kids and young people? What models can be used in forming a curatorial framework for such exhibition? 

These are few questions asked, discussed and responded to during ART FOR COMMON RAKYAT, Beginners Curatorial Workshop at @mgtfusm which began on 27 May and ended today. It ended with a completion of a co-curated exhibition called Chi-Ngin at the staircase and mezanine sections of MGTF. 

Thank you and congrats to all the participants.