Five Lectures on Curating

Originally published in Russian, this book by art theorist and curator Viktor Misiano was the first attempt at a theoretical description of curatorial practice in that language. The author connects the emergence of curating in the late 1960s and early 1970s with the shift from industrial to post-industrial (immaterial) production. The activities of curators are examined in the context of art systems and through the relationship of global and local artistic processes. Misiano explores the inner nature of curating, its language and ethics. First produced as a series of lectures for Moscow’s UNIC Institute, the text retains its link to spoken language and includes episodes from the author’s professional biography. 

Viktor Misiano is a renowned contemporary art theorist and curator. He was the curator of the Russian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 1995, 2003, and 2005 and is a founder and editor-in-chief of Moscow Art Magazine and Manifesta Journal: Journal of Contemporary Curatorship. Misiano has collaborated with numerous art magazines, given lectures at The Royal College of Art (London, UK) and the School of Visual Arts (New York City, USA), and curated a variety of art projects.