CURATOR ' S CUT
CURATING IS STORYTELLING Perhaps Aractingi’ s most provocative claim is the simplest:“ Curating is what? Storytelling.”
The way objects are sequenced in an exhibition mirror how scenes are edited in a film. Both shape how audiences experience time, meaning, and connection. His advice to young filmmakers working with heritage:“ Work on the two main things that are important in a film. The story and the acting.” For museums,“ acting” translates to presentation— how objects are lit, labeled, positioned, and contextualized.
THE FILMMAKER AS INTERPRETER Aractingi’ s journey from international cinema to museum work is not a departure— it’ s an extension. His recent work with Qatar National Library and his archaeological documentary Liban, Les Secrets du Royaume de Byblos show how ancient heritage can speak to contemporary identity through narrative that bridges past and present.
His answer to the question many Arab museums are asking— how do we create belonging for youth in spaces designed for preservation?— is disarmingly direct: tell better stories. Not longer explanations. Films that function as appetizers, creating curiosity and emotional connection before visitors encounter objects one by one.
“ Simplification is not only necessary— it’ s essential. Our job is to tell stories and simplify art so that viewers can come in and have another type of introduction.”
For museums across the Arab world, from newly opened institutions in Saudi Arabia to established collections in Lebanon, Egypt, Oman, Qatar, and the UAE, Aractingi’ s work offers a clear model: heritage doesn’ t need to compete with cinema. It can become cinema. And when it does, museums are transformed from repositories into platforms where belonging is co-created— one story, one voice, one carefully filmed object at a time.
https:// www. youtube. com / watch? v = wzuKLqd-
58 MATAHEF ISSUE 03
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