Online Courses
Curatorial Theory and Cultural Theory
Lecturer: Dorothee Richter
Course dates: see above, time each date 3–4:30pm (CET)
Maximum participants: 20
⮕ Enrol here
Fee: EUR 250
Reading and discussing theory is crucial to understanding the world in which we live. We will also discuss in what way we can relate theoretical texts to the practice of cultural production. In some cases, a philosophical text is embedded in the history of thought; in other cases, theory is closer to a ‘usage’ in a more direct productive way. To some extent, cultural theory is related to the possible ‘application’ which it may allow without diminishing its complexity. Therefore, theory can help to provide a looking glass for economic realities and power relations and their connection to the ideological sphere. Any reading and discussing theory is also connected with questions about what, for whom and why a theory is developed at a certain time.
Dorothee Richter is Professor in Contemporary Curating at the University of Reading, UK, where she also directs the PhD in Practice in Curating programme. She previously served as head of the Postgraduate Programme in Curating (CAS/MAS) at Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK), Switzerland. Richter has worked extensively as a curator: she initiated the Curating Degree Zero Archive and was a curator at Künstlerhaus Bremen, where she curated various symposia on feminist issues in contemporary arts, as well as an archive on feminist practices entitled Materialien/Materials. Together with Ronald Kolb, Richter directed a film on Fluxus: Flux Us Now, Fluxus Explored with a Camera. Her most recent project was Into the Rhythm: From Score to Contact Zone, a collaborative exhibition at the ARKO Art Center, Seoul, in 2024. This project was co-curated by OnCurating (Dorothee Richter, Ronald Kolb) and ARKO (curator Haena Noh, producer Haebin Lee). Richter is Executive Editor and Editor-inChief of OnCurating.org, and recently founded the OnCurating Academy Berlin.
Preparation for the course:
To ensure a smooth experience, please use a headset (or headphones) and choose a quiet place with a stable internet connection. You will receive access to the required reading materials after booking the course; please review them in advance.
Procedure
This intensive, two-part live course will be conducted via Zoom on two consecutive Saturdays from 2:00 to 6:00 PM CEST. Please prepare a brief introduction of yourself and your projects (3-5 minutes). The first session will focus on an in-depth introduction to the topic and workshop research. Assignments for the second session will be provided at the end of the first session. In the second session, you will receive feedback and evaluations. Upon successful completion, you will be awarded a certificate worth 1 ECTS credit.
Technical instructions
Download the Zoom application. You will find a detailed installation guide here. Zoom can also be accessed through a browser on Mac, PC, iPad, iPhone, Android tablet, or Android phone. You will receive a Zoom invitation with a link to join the workshop.