‘Doing, Otherwise’ – An Anthology Seminar Toolkit

‘Doing, Otherwise’ is an Anthology Seminar on alternative ways of doing and organising within the contemporary art world, and a toolkit to inspire others to initiate their own seminars. Throughout the day, a collectively curated video seminar programme on alternative organising practices will be presented in the Hordaland Kunstsenter kitchen for the public to access at their own pace – including Adelita Husni Bey and Robert Sember on pedagogical models and collective practices, Hettie Judah on How Not to Exclude Artist Mothers, and Dylan Robinson on Hungry Listening. The curators will be on hand throughout the day to discuss their thinking behind the programme and the toolkit, so drop by to watch a talk, have a coffee, pick up a copy of the toolkit and talk to the team!

This event is collectively curated by the class of 2023-2025 of the MA Programme in Curatorial Practice at the Faculty of Fine Art, Music and Design, University of Bergen (KMD/UiB).

· WHY

The Anthology Seminar is set against the backdrop of recently introduced tuition fees for non-EU students in Norway and at the University of Bergen. As a diverse group of international curators, representing various contexts, the MA Curatorial Practice class of 2023-2025 is addressing the consequences of this policy that deepens Bergen’s self-centeredness and amplifies dominant voices. The introduction of these fees after admission to the course has forced some of our peers to abandon their studies.

In response, and because the creation of a collective seminar is a required part of the MA Curatorial Practice curriculum, the class questions the resource-intensive format of academic seminars, particularly in the context that brings this curatorial group together. To sustain alternative forms of knowledge production and sharing, open access and freedom of sharing is crucial – and doing is a necessity that follows.

The Anthology Seminar is thus guided by the belief that “doing”, in the sense of communal organising, should also not depend on (limiting) policies and material conditions. Our format proposes a model that attempts to counter traditional teaching notions of productivity, exhaustion and mobility-intensity, by centering existing knowledge and the plurality of ideas.

· WHAT

The Toolkit that emerged from this background is a free-to-download and open-access pdf document, designed to inspire cultural practitioners to initiate seminar formats in their specific contexts – independently from institutional affiliations or support. This Toolkit, written and produced collaboratively, is an experimental document free for use that proposes a methodology to design context-specific seminars by relying on the large amount of existing recorded talks, panels and conversations produced globally, and that are freely available online yet often overlooked.

The Toolkit also emphasises the importance of a responsive component we believe is often missing in traditional academic seminar formats. Thus, it proposes a model for reflection and discussion, offering prompts to facilitate a process for responses. Drawing inspiration from non-hierarchical group dynamics and self-organising collectives that we encounter in our different practices, this process aims to enhance engagement and collaboration in (non-)formal educational settings.

The Toolkit also stands as a proposal of cultural and curatorial production in which circular economies, transparency, accountability to local contexts and potential environmental impact are valued.

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ACCESS

The main pedestrian route to Hordaland Kunstsenter has uneven parts and a narrow sidewalk with cars parked next to it and includes a steep incline. The main entrance to Hordaland Kunstsenter is on street level and consists of a double set of doors that can be difficult to enter with a wheelchair. Entrance is also possible from the terrace’s sliding doors, with a doorbell for assistance to open and close the doors. The ground floor of Hordaland Kunstsenter hosts the main gallery space, the café and the bookshop. On the ground floor is a gender-neutral toilet, with an entrance door of 76 cm width and a baby changing table.

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CREDITS

‘Doing, Otherwise’ – An Anthology Seminar Toolkit is curated by Josephine Boesen, Jialing Chen, Scott Elliott, Marny Garcia Mommertz, Maiken Håvarstein, Anna Jakobsson, Monika Kalinauskaitė, Peter Meanwell, Martina Petrelli, Favour Ritaro, Ng’onga Silupya, Sarah Waiswa. Hosting: Hordaland Kunstsenter / Scott Elliott, Coordinator (Art Centre, Residency Program) and Curator. Print: Pamflett / Ann-Kristin Stølan. University of Bergen, Faculty of Fine Art, Music and Design: Anne Szefer Karlsen, Professor, Curatorial Practice.