Curating Under Pressure

"I don't think it's possible to underestimate the book's contribution. The issues it raises are timely, indeed urgent. Finding ways to negotiate self-censorship is imperative, especially in today's political climate." - Alan Wallach, Ralph H. Wark Professor of Art History, The College of William and Mary, USA

"This invaluable book is destined to become a must read for curators as the profession comes to terms with the challenges posed by social media which is being used to amplify pressure on galleries and museums to respond to certain community concerns. How to balance an appropriate response to the rise in activism while adhering to vital principles of free speech has become a key question for curators. This book bravely confronts the unpalatable truth of self-censorship and offers practical guidance." - Elizabeth Ann Macgregor, Director, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia in Sydney

"An important collection that warns of the pressures facing artists and curators worldwide to self-censor and of the treacherous political water they have to negotiate. A book that is both worrying and hopeful." - Kenan Malik, Independent Author and Broadcaster, UK

"In an age of protest when neutrality is both a persistent institutional desire, as well as an impossibility, how does curatorial work ethically navigate such territory? Curating Under Pressure thoughtfully takes on the conundrum of contemporary curatorial work via case studies from a diversity of geographies and ideological frameworks. It deftly maps the pitfalls as well as the masterful ways in which curatorial work can contribute to civic and social discourse at a time when art plays a crucial role in societies' calls for change. An essential read." - Laura Raicovich, Leslie Lohman Museum of Art, USA

"I don't think it's possible to underestimate the book's contribution. The issues it raises are timely, indeed urgent. Finding ways to negotiate self-censorship is imperative, especially in today's political climate." - Alan Wallach, Ralph H. Wark Professor of Art History, The College of William and Mary, USA

"This invaluable book is destined to become a must read for curators as the profession comes to terms with the challenges posed by social media which is being used to amplify pressure on galleries and museums to respond to certain community concerns. How to balance an appropriate response to the rise in activism while adhering to vital principles of free speech has become a key question for curators. This book bravely confronts the unpalatable truth of self-censorship and offers practical guidance." - Elizabeth Ann Macgregor, Director, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia in Sydney

"An important collection that warns of the pressures facing artists and curators worldwide to self-censor and of the treacherous political water they have to negotiate. A book that is both worrying and hopeful." - Kenan Malik, Independent Author and Broadcaster, UK

"In an age of protest when neutrality is both a persistent institutional desire, as well as an impossibility, how does curatorial work ethically navigate such territory? Curating Under Pressure thoughtfully takes on the conundrum of contemporary curatorial work via case studies from a diversity of geographies and ideological frameworks. It deftly maps the pitfalls as well as the masterful ways in which curatorial work can contribute to civic and social discourse at a time when art plays a crucial role in societies' calls for change. An essential read." - Laura Raicovich, Leslie Lohman Museum of Art, USA

"Curating under Pressure: International Perspectives on Negotiating Conflict and Upholding Integrity is a timely and relevant book that addresses issues of censorship and artistic expression through the experiences of curators from around the world." - Martha Tanner