Call for Papers – Art Inquiry 2026
New curator practices: an overlap between care, activism and aesthetics
Contemporary curatorial practices differ significantly from the traditional model of organizing exhibitions as a neutral act of presenting works of art. Curators are increasingly taking on the role of active participants in social and political life – they initiate artistic processes, moderate intercultural dialogue, support grassroots activities and become guardians of memory, trauma, communities and values. In response to social, political, ecological and identity crises, curating is transforming into a form of engaged cultural practice, often functioning at the intersection of activism, pedagogy, affective practices and relational aesthetics.
At the heart of these changes lies the question of curatorial responsibility – for the mode of representation, for the creative process, for the relationship with artists, audiences and institutions. Today's curator is sometimes an intermediary, a guardian, an organizer, an educator and sometimes also an initiator of social change. Models such as care-based curating, community curating and inclusive curating are becoming not only a practice but also a subject of theoretical reflection. In this context, it is worth recalling the thoughts of Paul O'Neill, who points to the transformation of the curator's role towards that of a producer of knowledge and culture, of Boris Groys, who analyzes the curator as a creator of visibility, and of Irit Rogoff, author of the concept of the “curatorial turn,” already discussed in Art Inquiry, in which curating is seen as a cognitive practice, not just an expository one. We are also interested in the so-called “curatorial gesture” discussed during academic meetings in 2024: Gesture: a three-day investigation (Oxford) and Colloque “Gestes et musées” (Liège).
The proposed issue of Art Inquiry aims to bring together texts devoted to various curatorial strategies and reflections on curating as a social, artistic and political activity. We are particularly interested in works that analyze contemporary exhibition models, from participatory and processual ones, through feminist, decolonial and queer, to strategies of care, documentation and resistance. Another important context for us is making art accessible to people with special needs. We would also like to draw attention to practices developing outside of art centers, in local, post-transitional or crisis contexts, including in the region of Central and Eastern Europe.
We invite authors to submit academic texts, critical essays, case studies and artistic and research proposals related to contemporary curatorial challenges that transcend traditional institutional and aesthetic models. Our desire is for this issue of the journal to be a meeting place for practitioners and theorists interested in reflecting on what curatorial work is today – and what it can be.
Please send your paper proposals by March 31, 2026 (title and short abstract). Once they are accepted, we will wait for the finished articles in English (accompanied by abstracts in Polish and English, keywords in both languages and a biographical note in English) until June 30, 2026. Please send the proposal to the email address of the editor-in-chief (aneta.pawlowska@uni.lodz.pl) or her deputy (paulina.sztabinska@uni.lodz.pl).
