Virtual three-day meet featuring talks, workshops and panel discussion on vital exhibition practices in face of crisis

Qatar Museums (QM) is set to host the Mathaf Curatorial Forum 2022, titled Exhibitions: A Fragile Medium?, from February 7-9.

Through a series of virtual talks, workshops and a public panel discussion, the three-day programme will delve into essential exhibition practices under different conditions of duress.

Curators, creative professionals, students, and scholars keen on advancing critical dialogue on curatorial practice are encouraged to join the forum.

Led by Mathaf curators and guest speakers, this annual programme opens debates on curatorial thinking and practices, introducing ideas and methodologies around the discourse of art histories and networks of curating.

The Mathaf Curatorial Forum 2022 invites speakers and participants to identify fundamental practices and look beyond what is merely enough in the exhibition process.

The conversations will be centred on questions reevaluating the mechanism of exhibitions, beyond displays of power, affluence and other factors, to recognise how adopting basic procedures can help transform institutions.

In a press statement, Mathaf director Zeina Arida said: “Mathaf is delighted to host the next edition of its annual Curatorial Forum, which provides a collaborative platform for industry professionals to evaluate current best practices and how these can be improved upon through knowledge exchange.”

“Through a series of panel discussions and working sessions, participants will also work together to determine how to effectively mitigate current challenges facing museums,” she said. “The forum is open to members of the community who are invited to register to attend these informative sessions virtually.”

The opening day of the forum will include a public panel discussion, moderated by curators and directors of institutions, who will highlight the significance of resetting priorities, eliminating unnecessary practices and stressing accountability in the face of crisis.

The speakers will also share their experiences of taking alternative approaches to directing their programmes under conditions of duress.

Speakers at this year’s forum include Christine Tohme, Erzen Shkololli, Merve Elveren, Renan Laru-an, Vas?f Kortun, and Xenia Kalpaktsoglou.

Tohme is a Lebanese curator and the founding director of Ashkal Alwan, while Shkololli is the director of the National Gallery of Arts in Tirana.

Elveren was the curator of the Guest Programme titled *Little did they know of the 39th EVA International, 2020, and Laru-an is a co-founder the research and writing platform DiscLab | Research and Criticism and the Public Engagement and Artistic Formation co-ordinator for the Philippine Contemporary Art Network.

Kortun is a research and curatorial adviser to Mathaf, and Kalpaktsoglou is a curator and a founding member of the Laboratory for the Urban Common in Athens.

The Mathaf Curatorial Forum 2022 will be hosted via Zoom from February 7-9 at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89646542978?pwd=cSt0RVNJcTRDQXBKdUV3SU1tSmE2QT09

The Meeting ID is 896 4654 2978, while the Passcode is 823798

Daily forum programming

February 7
* 10am – presentation and workshop led by Erzen Shkololli
* 1.30pm – presentation and workshop led by Christine Tohme

February 8
* 10am – presentation and workshop led by Renan Laru-an
* 1.30pm – presentation and workshop led by Xenia Kalpaktsoglou

February 9
* 10am – presentation and workshop led by Vas?f Kortun and Merve Elveren * 1.30pm – Open Session