Curatorial Cringe

Speaking of Curators, has anyone noticed that after the enormous fanfare that heralded the NGV's appointment of Alex Baker as Senior Curator he has lived up to the hype by doing........what exactly? After 18 months in the role, everyone is wondering what if anything he is doing and why he was hand-picked for the job over several highly telanted locals since he doesn't appear to be doing much of anything.

job turmoil at MCA

Is it just me or has the MCA advertised the role of Curator three times in the last twelve months. There are only three curators at the MCA! Why are they all leaving in droves?

Neon Parc

Has anyone noticed that an anagram of Neon Parc is Crap'en on ?

Equal Employment Opportunity

Which Australian contemporary art institution hires an Indigenous curator but refuses to allow them to do any work, instead paying them a full time salary to warm a seat and polish a title plaque, five days a week? When queried about the position's lack of duties and responsibilities, the institution's Director explains "Curator of Indigenous Art is a symbolic role."

City Gallery Wellington

Pundits are predicting that City Gallery Wellington is about to rebrand itself and speculation is rife about the gallery's new name. Names Museum of Contemporary Art II and Roslyn Oxley 10 are attracting the shortest odds.  

Recession proof your art

All those generation Y artists out there are in for the shock of their lives if the recession that everybody's been madly predicting comes to fruition. Y is the only generation that hasn't experienced an economic downturn since primary school. Art Allergy predicts handouts from their Baby Boomer mums and dads will help cushion the blow...

 

Spaces of Ego

Attendees at the Spaces of Art conference at Sydney's Artspace this weekend were treated to an excruciating display of ego in the closing session. Audience members were left squirming in their seats, eyeing the exits and desperate for a piss or a drink when Thomas Berghuis, Reuben Keehan and Blair French each made several desperate attempts to get the last word in. The microphone went around the three men several times for pompous and ponderous summations before the trapped audience members could finally make a break for it, relieve their bladders and hit the bar.