STORY
KENT CURATORS
THERE ARE PLACES IN KENT WHERE ART ANNOUNCES ITSELF LOUDLY: THE WHITE SWEEP OF THE TURNER CONTEMPORARY AGAINST THE MARGATE SKY, FOLKESTONE’ S HARBOUR AND BACKSTREETS PUNCTUATED BY AMBITIOUS PUBLIC SCULPTURES, THE THEATRICAL WEIGHT OF HISTORIC COLLECTIONS AT THE POWELL-COTTON MUSEUM, AND THE SMALLER ROOMS WHERE LOCAL ARTISTS HANG WORK, TEST IDEAS AND FIND THEIR FIRST SERIOUS AUDIENCE. IT IS EASY TO CREDIT THE BUILDING, THE ARTIST OR THE OPENING- NIGHT BUZZ, BUT THE COUNTY’ S CULTURAL IDENTITY IS NOT BUILT BY ARCHITECTURE AND APPLAUSE ALONE. BEHIND EVERY EXHIBITION, COMMISSION, REDISPLAY AND PUBLIC PROGRAMME SITS THE CURATOR- PART RESEARCHER, PART EDITOR, PART INTERPRETER, PART GUARDIAN OF MEANING, A CURATOR IS NOT SIMPLY SOMEONE WHO HANGS PICTURES OR CHOOSES OBJECTS. THEY DECIDE WHAT IS SHOWN, WHAT IS QUESTIONED, WHAT IS RE-EXAMINED AND WHAT CONVERSATION A VISITOR IS INVITED TO ENTER. BY POLLY HUMPHRIS
THIERRY BAL
194 • www. insidekent. co. uk