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ultihyphenate Leonardo Bing Cariño, whom we featured here early on in Indigenous Madonnas and Bai Nu Galang, returns to our pages with an insight into the inner workings of a seldom discussed aspect of the art world: art curating. Art curation is a system of assembling, administering, and showcasing a collection of art pieces. A curator for an art gallery or museum searches, studies, and acquires individual works for the gallery's collections; he/she then interprets (or reinterprets) the pieces for the purpose of displaying them in an exhibit. We interviewed Bing Cariño to learn more. — ANPJ/²

GruffDraft: When you conceptualize an art exhibition, do you start with a specific theme or the do curated artworks dictate the direction of the show?

Bing Cariño: I think an exhibit or show always comes when an intent comes along; either a space invites me to do an exhibit or out of nowhere I'd get an inspiration to do one. After that, there are many possible way to start: identify a theme or an artist, or a collection of objects comes along. It always depends on a project. In exhibiting material culture like artifacts or artworks, the first logical step is to look at the objects and try to come up with a narrative to make sense of the collection. Sometimes you begin with a theme and try to find objects to weave the narrative. Exhibit are in many ways a communication tool. A curator does not only hang or display works; he/she finds a connection between objects, and connect them to an audience.

With living artists there are many possibilities. A retrospective exhibition is a survey of the artist's development; here, a possible approach is historical. A curator may also develop a narrative that revolves around themes or stories found in the body of works. If a curator presents an artist with a set of works he also tries to sort the works so that each piece speaks to the audience. Starting with a theme is tricky because the curator may not be able to find works to exhibit. Often, exhibits really start with a collection of objects, but then again, it really depends on whatever a curatorial project presents, but the bulk of the work is always in research.

How do you go about selecting the artists for your exhibition?

I curate for a small gallery in Gensan. It's called Southern Brew and for that gallery there's really just a handful of local artists, organizing them into an art group called ArtBrew. The selection criteria is simple: 1) he/she must have a body of work that I like, and 2) the artist must be active in his/her art practice.

Do you work only with artists' older works or commission new ones to complement the show's theme?

They follow a certain work ethic, like beating deadlines and appropriate submissions. We are a small group consisting of painters who work in traditional materials, photographers, filmmakers, and graphic designers working in digital format. As an independent curator for galleries and museums I select artists according to the requirements of the project and art space.

In the case of new art pieces, how far in the creative process do you go vis-à-vis your artists? Being an artist yourself, do you give them full rein?

For the Fr. Demetrio Gallery of Xavier University's Museo de Oro, when we did Handuraw Marawi and Duyog (a two-man exhibit) we worked with artists' previous works. For Southern Brew's exhibit during the Tuna Festival I commissioned artists to create works on specific subjects and in pre-determined sizes. For our group exhibit for the Kalilangan Festival, I asked them to work on a specific theme (tri-people demography of SoCSKSarGen: Indigenous Peoples, Christian settlers, and Moro people) and physical dimensions (triptychs in 2x4 ft). I also insisted on quality craftsmanship, prompt submission, and consistency of style and voice.

What about your audience? How important is it in planning, designing, and executing an exhibition?

The audience is a very important consideration. They have to be included in the research. I have to know their demography and personality. An exhibit could offend certain sensibilities. The advantages a curator designs for a certain exhibit should be beneficial to both artists and audience. For an exhibition as a communication process, for example, the curation should engage the artists and the audience in an effective manner. For exhibits as educational tools, learning objectives should be articulated well to be understood. Should the exhibit serve as entertainment, it should also be analyzed and executed to this end. To sell shows, the market should also be studied for the show to be successful.

Does this mean art curation involves a certain level of censorship?

It's not censorship; it's being selective. Curation involves some level of critical thinking. Critical thinking is a conscious process of what and what not to include. A curator constructs s coherent narrative using the language of a certain form. All art pieces have something to say. A curator weaves all these narratives together to come up with an effective storytelling.

Would you agree that there has been an upsurge in art curating in Mindanao in the last few years or so? Do you think this is just a passing trend or a real and lasting cultural drive?

I don't think there is an upsurge of (art) curation in Mindanao. The fact that I have curatorial works in as far as Cagayan de Oro and Davao tells us that there is a limited number of practitioners. Infrastructure is also missing: for the upcoming Mindanao Art Fair next year we only have the malls as venue. It's not a trend. Mindanao has a thriving arts community but museums and galleries are missing.

What is your advise to fellow artists and curators with regard to delivering shows that entertain/educate/elevate?

Artists who curate and aspiring curstors should equip themselves with a lot of skills. For exhibits as communication tool, the curator must a least know the elements of the communication process; he must understand the source, message, medium, and the recipient and possible feedback mechanism. This is tricky especially in that art uses a different system of meanings and symbols. If the exhibit seeks to educate, the curator should also know the most effective pedagogy and teaching methodologies, again understanding and using the messaging or art. Exhibits to entertain also require a certain understanding of showmanship. Exhibits also require visual and exhibition design so a certain understanding of these fields should also be a requirement. A curator should also know art history. Most importantly, a curator should know how to write.