A Companion to Curation

The definitive reference text on curation both inside and outside the museum
A Companion to Curation is the first collection of its kind, assembling the knowledge and experience of prominent curators, artists, art historians, scholars, and theorists in one comprehensive volume. Part of the Blackwell Companion series, this much-needed book provides up-to-date information and valuable insights on the field of curatorial studies and curation in the visual arts. Accessible and engaging chapters cover diverse, contemporary methods of curation, its origin and history, current and emerging approaches within the profession, and more.
This timely publication fills a significant gap in literature on the role of the curator, the art and science of curating, and the historical arc of the field from the 17^th century to the present. The Companion explores topics such as global developments in contemporary indigenous art, Asian and Chinese art since the 1980s, feminist and queer feminist curatorial practices, and new curatorial strategies beyond the museum. This unique volume:

• Offers readers a wide range of perspectives on curating in both theory and practice
• Includes coverage of curation outside of the Eurocentric and Anglosphere art worlds
• Presents clear and comprehensible information valuable for specialists and novices alike
• Discusses the movements, models, people and politics of curating
• Provides guidance on curating in a globalized world

Broad in scope and detailed in content, A Companion to Curation is an essential text for professionals engaged in varied forms of curation, teachers and students of museum studies, and readers interested in the workings of the art world, museums, benefactors, and curators.


Brad Buckley is an artist, urbanist, activist, curator, and Professorial Fellow at the Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne, Australia. He was previously Professor of Contemporary Art and Culture at Sydney College of the Arts, University of Sydney, and has authored and edited many books and essays on contemporary art.
John Conomos is an artist, critic, writer, and Associate Professor and Principal Fellow at the Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne. His art practice cuts across a variety of media and has been exhibited extensively around the world including at the Tate Modern, London and at MoMA, New York. He has authored and edited numerous books on contemporary art and cinema.