Feminist Curating and Care: Possibilities and Limits

Discussing recent curatorial projects that bring values of mutual care to the fore, Helena Reckitt considers how they support Joan Tronto’s advocation of ‘caring with,’ based in “plurality, communication, trust and respect; solidarity” (Tronto, Caring Democracy, 2013). Reckitt takes a self-critical look at the values of competition, ambition and professionalism that shaped her previous working habits as an institutional curator to advocate for different curatorial approaches that embrace transparency, vulnerability, and co-dependence. By shifting attention away from public performances of radicalism and criticality towards under-valued, behind-the-scenes activities, she suggests that these endeavours are placeholders for less exploitative ways of working, producing, and coexisting.