Virtual Interfaces for Curation & Creation is an online seminar class for MFA and Education graduate students that explores virtual exhibition practices.

As the global pandemic unfolds, artist run centres, art galleries, community arts organizations, and arts festivals are in the midst of envisioning innovative ways of responding to the need for physical distance and self-isolation. Virtual platforms have emerged as a means of radical, trans-global collaboration between artists, curators, and communities. Our current social restrictions offer interesting opportunities to create work collaboratively, while also re-thinking concepts of accessibility. By adapting to and creating new platforms, work can be created and distributed within the confines of physical space, while also exploring the boundless opportunities of virtual research and creation. This seminar and studio class explores platforms and exhibitions that have emerged from artists and curators during the Covid-19 pandemic. Students will also explore and adapt their curatorial, community-based, or research-creation processes by using available and emergent digital platforms.

Dr. Wilmink was very clear, insightful and helpful. The course content was directly tied to the objectives and it was a great course.” - Student Course Evaluations

“The instructor's written responses to our assignments was so incredible and helpful. She offered lengthy responses that were engaging, questioning and helped me dive into subject matter with more understanding and excitement. Having a lot of written feedback made up for what I felt was otherwise lacking without having physical conversations.” -Student Course Evaluations

Structured as a blended studio-seminar, this course introduced graduate students to the basics on online exhibition practices by discussing curatorial theory, best practices, and administration, while developing practical exhibition-design skills that could be applied to a variety of disciplines. It was primarily structured for asynchronous learning, but incorporated optional live sessions where we held discussions on a variety of publicly available platforms like Instagram, OnlineTown, Manyland, Jitsi Meet and Discord. In this way we were able to experience how our bodies and attention engaged differently on various interfaces, and apply our discussions to real-world experience. At the end of the class, students created either an actual project, or a project proposal to demonstrate to classmates.

“I thought all the platforms were interesting. The variety of experimenting through the platforms was a great experiential learning opportunity. I think they all offered different interactions and responses from the team and contributed to the learning factor. I have recommended a couple to my friends who are currently planning their teaching styles.” - Anonymous student survey

Weekly breakdown:
Week 1 - Introduction to virtual exhibition
Week 2 - Looking at the interface
Week 3 - Spectatorship
Week 4 - Locating the virtual site
Week 5 - The event of the digital
Week 6 - The backend of virtual curation & creation
Week 7 - Student project presentations

Sample the course content:

SYLLABUS

INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE

LECTURE DEMO: WEEK 2 - THE MATERIALITY OF INSTAGRAM

LIVE SESSIONS