Curatorial Research: Alfredo Cramerotti on Aesthetic Journalism @ MFA Curating Goldsmiths (University of London)
Curatorial Research: Lecture & Workshop on Aesthetic Journalism by Alfredo Cramerotti
MFA Curating Goldsmiths (University of London)
Wednesday 8 October 2014
Conversation on investigative research methodologies in contemporary art practice, and the idea of Aesthetic Journalism in specific relation to artistic/curatorial research and Fact/Fiction in contemporary art.
Organised by Aaron Juneau and Simon Sheikh / MFA Curating Goldsmiths (University of London)
All That Fits: The Aesthetic of Journalism – General Feeback
“The show is really impressive”
(Keith Jeffrey, CEO of QUAD)
“There’s some good thinking behind the show”.
(Alex Farquharson, Director of Nottingham Contemporary)
“I enjoyed the exhibition very much and found it chimed at lot with a show we are currently developing for next summer which looks at direct change actions by artists in the public realm.” (Clive Gillman, Director of Dundee Contemporary Arts) “This is an ambitious show for Derby and it is certainly to the curator’s credit that such a highly original exhibition tackling pertinent and current themes has been programmed outside the context of London or a university gallery (I am not aware of any other institutions programming exhibitions on similar themes). Despite Derby not being a well-provided art destination (Quad only opened in 2008) it appears that Quad’s programme over the last three years has not pandered to populism but has presented an interesting and challenging range of work including solo shows from artists such as Ian Breakwell, Dinu Li and Jane & Louise Wilson as well as group shows such as the Format International Photography Festival. This exhibition, All That Fits, continues the trend for original exhibitions and is a good example of Quad’s uncompromising attitude. I don’t know if the exhibition will be touring but it strikes me that it would easily translate to other venues.” (David Gritt, art critic for Art Review and Artistic Assessor for Arts Council England) “Thought the show was very daring – a restrained curation, the space was really serene and quite beautiful and the (video) boxes worked very well. It was also interesting to see how much was semi hidden. I felt you managed to combine approachable / accessible with what is actually a very challenging show and conceptually intricate. Well done to all. I particularly enjoyed Katya Sander’s work – both the showing and the content and Graziela Kunsch’s library of open process and the aesthetic punch of Walid Raad and Eric Baudelaire.” (James Corazzo, Designer) “As a journalist I guess you would expect me to take a keen interest in the current Quad exhibition but I don’t think you need 25 years as a reporter to appreciate what’s on offer at the Derby arts centre. With all that’s going on in the phone hacking scandal at the moment and the changing face of the way information is disseminated thanks to the rise of the internet, an exhibition looking at current trends in journalism and art (and the blurring of those distinctions) seems acutely relevant to us all. All That Fits is currently in its third and last phase, The Militant, looking at counter images and information. I’d urge you to at least drop into the Quad Gallery and check out French photographer Eric Baudelaire’s war diptych The Dreadful Details. This striking image is no less powerful for being posed, encapsulating the nature of modern conflict with an almost biblical composition. Foreign troops prowl dusty, debris-strewn streets where a woman cradles a slaughtered child in her arms. Most tellingly, from the safety of an upstairs balcony a man captures the scene on his mobile, ready presumably to upload the horrors on YouTube. “ (Friday, July 22, 2011: Nigel Powlson in ‘This is Derbyshire’) “Firstly, compliments on the current exhibition at the QUAD, I found it very thought provoking and at times powerfully emotive, Eric Baudelaire’s piece in particular had an intense impact. *…+ regards the All That Fits exhibition catalogue. I found its format and layout quite exquisite and was very impressed with the print quality. “ (Michael Sargeant, Photographer and Curator)
All That Fits: review by Regine Debatty of we-make-money-not-art blog
You can find the original review here
All That Fits: The Aesthetics of Journalism review on DT
Derby Telegraph
by Nigel Powlson
1 July 2011
All That Fits: The Aesthetics of Journalism on N_P Networked Performance
ll That Fits: The Aesthetics of Journalism [
Derby]
Networked Performance Blog
[Image: Insurance.AES256 by Michael Takeo Magruder. See video below.]
All That Fits: The Aesthetics of Journalism — Curated by Alfredo Cramerotti & Simon Sheikh :: until July 31, 2011 :: QUAD Gallery, Market Place, Cathedral Quarter, Derby, DE1 3AS.
The exhibition All that Fits: The Aesthetics of Journalism presents the provocative idea that art and journalism are two sides of a unique activity; the production and distribution of images and information. The exhibition brings to the surface how images and information are communicated, and the aesthetic principles used in the act of transmission.
Whereas journalism provides a view on the world, as it ‘really’ is, art often presents a view on the view, as an act of reflection. All that Fits: The Aesthetics of Journalism will examine both as systems of information that define truth in terms of the visible but also what can be imagined.
In the course of two months, the exhibition will be presented in three chapters: The Speaker, The Image and The Militant. The three separate displays of artwork refer to the rotation of the news cycle, while each responding to the overall theme.
The Speaker (May 28 – June 19) concerns a specific figure, the speaking subject or author, also in terms of editorial processes and camera angles. What can enable a subject to appear as authentic, authoritative and truthful?
The Image (June 22 – July 10) examines how images are produced, through framing and positioning, but also how counter-images are created. Despite the claim of neutrality and pragmatism, this chapter proposes an ‘aesthetics of journalism’.
The Militant (July13 – 31) continues the strand of counter-images, but by using journalistic means such as exposé and research. These methods often work to uncover what a corporate media industry does not, and thus return to some of reportage’s initial claims.
Sammy Baloji (DR Congo), Yael Bartana (Holland/ Israel), Eric Baudelaire (France), Ursula Biemann (Switzerland), Ross Birrell (UK), Michael Blum (Canada /Israel), Broomberg and Chanarin (UK/South Africa), Abraham Cruzvillegas (Germany/ Mexico), Anita Di Bianco (Germany/USA), Marcelo Exposito (Argentina/ Spain), Douglas Fishbone (UK/USA), Zachary Formwalt (Holland/ USA), Wynne Greenwood and K8 Hardy (USA), Tamar Guimaraes (Brazil/ Denmark), Lamia Joreige (Lebanon), Graziela Kunsch (Brazil), Michael Takeo Magruder (UK/USA), Renzo Martens (Holland), Oliver Ressler (Austria), Katya Sander (Denmark), Slum-TV (Kenya), Hito Steyerl (Germany), Walid Raad/ The Atlas Group (USA/ Lebanon) and Alejandro Vidal (Spain).
All That Fits – video introduction of Michael Takeo Magruder’s work from Alfredo Cramerotti on Vimeo.
All That Fits: The Aesthetics of Journalism is supported by the Danish Art Council, Mondriaan Foundation, Autograph ABP, The Jack Kirkland Collection, the Embassy of Brazil in London and Centre National des Arts Plastiques (France).
Also see The Production of Truth: The Aesthetics of Journalism by Alfredo Cramerotti and Simon Sheikh, Digimag.
The Production of Truth. The Aesthetics of Journalism
DigiMag 65
Txt: Alfredo Cramerotti e Simon Sheikh
June 2011
http://www.digicult.it/digimag/article.asp?id=2099
‘All That Fits’ exhibition – video introduction of Michael Takeo Magruder’s work
All That Fits: the Aesthetics of Journalism, curated by Alfredo Cramerotti and Simon Sheikh, includes the work ‘Insurance AES256 by Michael Takeo Magruder.
This is his video introduction to the work.
The Guardian Guide: ‘All That Fits’ exhibition review
The Guardian Guide
by Robert Clark
28 May 2011
‘All That Fits’ exhibition – video introduction by Alfredo Cramerotti
All That Fits: the Aesthetics of Journalism is an exhibition curated by Alfredo Cramerotti and Simon Sheikh, exploring the complements and conflicts between art practice and journalism.
Exhibitions open at Derby QUAD from 28 May to 31 July 2011.
NEWS! New Event World Spectacular – Introduction by Lauren Mele
Exploring the dialogue between art and journalism.
An interview with Lauren Mele, co-curator of NEWS! partner exhibition to All That Fits: The Aesthetics of Journalism.
Exhibitions open at Derby QUAD from 28 May to 31 July 2011.
Curatorview [Alfredo Cramerotti] 
leave a comment