Q&A with Marijana Schneider, Curator

On the occasion of the new exhibition Bodies–Cities. Collections and Excursions our museum has dedicated itself to a new format on the social media platform Instagram. In addition to exciting information on the respective exhibitions, it will in future be about what is not to be seen or read in the usual advertising material and press content of the museum, namely the people and their work behind all our different exhibitions. For this reason, we now regularly try to implement a Q&A series in which our social media audience has the opportunity to ask a variety of questions to a curator. Different questions really mean (almost) everything - questions about the exhibition, questions about the curatorial career, questions about the work in the museum, etc. Accordingly, other team members of the museum will be presented from completely different areas, such as art education or technicians. The next Q&A's will be at the end of November, when our big exhibition The Tip of the Iceberg opens. If you already have burning questions, you should note them down!

We started the Q & A with Marijana Schneider, curator of the newly opened exhibition Bodies–Cities. Collections and Excursions. The users who have asked questions are anonymized.

Q: As curator, what are your main considerations to curate an art exhibition?

A: For me the starting point for conceiving a group exhibition like Bodies–Cities could be a series of significant events or a socio-political topic affecting us all. Staging the works of art in the best possible way is always my first priority, and creating suitable, surprising or even ‘spicy’ conversations in between them. I always think about how we encounter with the works of art when we enter the exhibition space and how we move in the galleries—similar to a dancefloor maybe.

Q: What is your idea behind your current exhibition Bodies–Cities?

A: Metropolises, their fascinating dynamics and their dark sides have always been the subject of artistic expression. Bodies–Cities focuses on the versatile relationship between city and body since the 1960s. A special concern was to show especially with the works of younger artists—that despite the digital media, people continue to use their bodies over generations and continents in urban space to stand up for their beliefs.

Q: What education did you complete in order to become a curator?

A: I studied history of art and gained a lot of practical experience through internships and jobs in institutions for contemporary art during my studies. After my graduation, I accomplished a two year long traineeship in a museum with a magnificent collection. Visiting exhibitions is also an essential part of self-education.

Q: When and why did you know you wanted to curate art?

A: There was no pivotal moment. It’s rather an ongoing enthusiasm and curiosity for art, zeitgeist, politics, the development of our society, and for working with great artists.

Q: Why is photography not allowed in so many exhibitions in the museum? Especially in times of social media, it is useful to share content and the art experiences.

A: Artists, institutions and photographers have image rights and we must protect them. The fact that images circulate in social media is important for the dissemination of information and also for research purposes. However, if feasible, the path should eventually lead to the works themselves to experience and learn about them.