Open Call | 2021 Research-Based Curatorial Project

2021 Research-Based Curatorial Project

OCAT Institute is pleased to announce the official launch of the “2021 Research-Based Curatorial Project.” We are now accepting research-based exhibition proposals from the academic and art circles.

The “research-based exhibition” is a type of art exhibition with specific characteristics and functions. As an institution dedicated to both art research and exhibition, the OCAT Institute has been developing the “research-based exhibition” as an integral part of its annual programs since 2018. The aim is to promote the integration of art and scholarship, and to provide practical opportunities and an interactive platform for scholars and curators in the field of contemporary art and art history. 

With the launch of this year’s “Research-Based Curatorial Project,” the OCAT Institute looks forward to receiving more proposals with outstanding research depth and vivid spatial description.

Submissions should be received by 24:00 on March 31, 2020. 

Project Guidelines

1. The submitted proposal shall be “research-based”. Through exploration of modern and contemporary Chinese art, the project aims to establish a paradigm of values, a mechanism of academic study and an alternative approach, oriented by historical research. The content of the projects shall include, but not limited to the following subjects: studies of artists/exhibition cases, art phenomenon or events, art theories; research on a specific genre, such as painting, moving image, architecture, design, sound art, etc.; or research on regional art. All studies with scholarly merit are welcomed.

2. The submitted proposal shall be original and experimental. We encourage relatively small-scaled and flexible exhibitions.

3. Based on the exhibition in question, exhibits to be included can range from archives, manuscripts, photographs, publications, artworks, etc. Above all, exhibitions shall emphasize scholarly merits, rather than merely exhibiting artworks.

4.  Proposed exhibitions shall be curated and designed according to the provided exhibition spaces of OCAT Institute, which includes both the upper and lower galleries. 

5. The proposed exhibitions shall take less than one month to install, with an exhibiting length of 2-3 months.

Submission Requirements

Fill out your Personal CV as required and submit together with a complete exhibition proposal including the following contents (Exhibition proposals can be submitted in either Chinese or English):  
1. Project title and statement (limited to 1000 words in Chinese or 600 words in English)
2. Curator/curatorial team’s CV (limited to 500 words in Chinese or 300 words in English)
3. List of (proposed) artists and short bios
4. List of works with introductions (limited to 200 words in Chinese or 100 words in English for each artwork)
5. Sketches and descriptions of the exhibition design 

6. Descriptions of requirements regarding the preservation and display of the documents as well as the maintenance of artworks shall be submitted along with the submission package
7. Plan for other related events alongside the exhibition
8. A completed Budget Worksheet Form (can include, but is not limited to, the expenses for production, transportation, insurance, equipment, exhibition installation, design, promotion, travel, accommodation, public activity and publication, etc.) 

*(Please go to"Read More" to download the CV template and floor plan, password: 88g4)

Statement of Originality

The proposal shall be the participant’s original work and has not been exhibited publicly in any form in the past. The curator(s) shall be responsible for resolving any copyright issues and other liability issues related to archives and images in order to avoid infringement of any third party’s copyrights, trademark rights and other intellectual property rights. Otherwise, OCAT Institute can suspend the project, and reserves the right to pursue further legal actions. 

Evaluation Process

1.The evaluation is divided into two rounds: primary evaluation and reassessment.

2. The shortlisted curators will have the opportunity to participate in the two-month "Shortlist Exhibition", as well as in the selection of the winning project.  During the "Shortlist Exhibition", curators will travel to OCAT Institute in Beijing to participate  in the curatorial workshop and present their submitted proposals to the committee. (Domestic travels in China will be reimbursed by the institute. Overseas candidates can participate online. The workshop may be held in the form of online meeting due to limitations.)

3. The committee is constituted of the OCAT Institute committee members led by Wu Hung, the chair of the Academic Committee at OCAT as well as the Executive Director of OCAT Institute, alongside guest consultants.

4. Results of primary evaluation will be announced by the OCAT Institute through its official website and WeChat platform in May 2021. Final results of the project will be decided in conjunction with the members of the committee, the guest consultants and the public’s review. Results will be announced within one month after the closing of the "Shortlist Exhibition".

5. During the exhibition preparation period, OCAT Institute reserves the right to disqualify candidates should they fail to fulfill the expected work or violate any relevant regulations of art museums or OCAT Institute.

Support

1. OCAT Institute will assist the selected candidates in preparing, implementing and promoting the exhibition.

2. OCAT Institute will organize a two-month shortlist exhibition for selected curators and provide each with a fund within RMB 20,000 (tax inclusive). Excess expenses shall be covered by the candidates themselves.

3. OCAT Institute will provide all available exhibition space for the final selected candidate(s) for 2-3 months, depending on the schedule of exhibitions at OCAT Institute.

4. OCAT Institute will provide a fund of 300,000 RMB (tax-inclusive) for the final selected candidate(s) of the Research-Based Curatorial Project. Any expense in excess of this shall be covered by the candidates themselves.

5. The OCAT Institute will assist the final selected candidate(s) in the editing and production of exhibition brochures and other publications.

*The expenditures shall be audited, approved by OCAT’s financial department, and within financial guidelines, in compliance with relevant state regulations.  

Submission

1. Submission Deadline: 24:00 (GMT+8), March 31st, 2021.

2. Send submisison package files to curating@ocatinstitute.org.cn, with the email subject heading of "Curatorial Project 2021 + name of the submitter." 

Consulting email: 

curating@ocatinstitute.org.cn;

liuqiuxu@ocatinstitute.org.cn

*OCAT Institute reserves all right of final interpretation of this activity.

The “Research-Based Curatorial Project” is a program launched by OCAT Institute with the aim of encouraging curatorial research in conjunction with exhibition curating. Dedicated to discovering and facilitating art research programs and comprehensive exhibition of the research results, this curatorial project aims to provide practical opportunities for outstanding young scholars and curators in the fields of contemporary art and art history, and build a platform that promotes communications in the arena of the arts.