The Curator as Artist

The work of the curator in constructing art worlds is more boundary-free than ever before. For most curators, this is both liberating and disorienting. More and more curators are aligning themselves with artists rather than so-called "gate-keepers." These type of curators typically call themselves "curator-artists". The question I would posit then is this: What might some of the pertinent questions be for establishing a curatorial approach under this model? In other words,how can we maximize the creative potential inherent in such a model, while still maintaining and developing ever evolving standards for the field of contemporary art? I would suggest, however, that in order to gain the most from this new approach, flexible criteria need to be developed. This paper will discuss the emerging role of the curator-artist. It will draw on projects I have curated, particularly Rabble Pilgrim, a recent project at Dartington College of Arts (Devon, UK). It will also incorporate a variety of panels and workshops with both emerging and established curators. The topics discussed include: the role of the curator-artist, the process of creating a project, and the way in which this curatorial process re-defines the nature of research.