Output details
34 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory
London Metropolitan University
'Mulberry Tree Press' at SE8 Gallery, a curatorial project involving a multi-platform exhibition and book with over 30 National and International artists.
The curatorial research project 'Mulberry Tree Press', was a multi-platform exhibition and book involving over 30 National and International artists (including Gary Hill, Ruth Beale, Martha Rosler, Jamie Shovlin) and invited curators, funded by Arts Council England to work at SE8 Gallery. Held over two months, it initiated a constantly changing programme of works, seminars, discussions and performances.
'Mulberry Tree Press', examined methodologies of spatial display through collaborative practices shared between participants. In particular, it looked at the relationship between objects, writing and space and forms part of de Oliveira's wider enquiry at SE8 Gallery focusing on the enhancement of curatorial practice. Critically, the project produced a wealth of documents, from photographs, sound-recordings, videos, transcriptions from spoken word and authored texts.
This evolving methodology developed by de Oliveira can be traced from 1986 to the present through his research and international curatorial programme at Unit 7, Museum of Installation, and Notice which are positioned as particular models of institutional critique, questioning the roles of the Studio, the Museum and the Gallery.
The research focused on innovative and independent curatorial practice, rather than institutional display. It created a platform for effective dialogue between curators, artists, theorists and viewers, bypassing the traditional relationships between maker and spectator. Writing functioned as a tool and a process of dissemination throughout the exhibition. The 'knowledge' acquired by audiences who viewed and participated in the show was applied in discussions and seminars and the resulting publication.
'Mulberry Tree Press: Partial Fictions', SE8 Gallery, London, 2011
Supported by Arts Council of England (£15,000).
Nicolas de Oliveira, Nicola Oxley, Jonathan Houlding devised and directed the programme, inviting guest curators, Gilly Fox (Film Programme), Fleur van Muiswinkel (Reading Material: Ruth Beale), Laura McLean-Ferris (Cabinets Pt 2), to select specific aspects and participate in dialogue.
