Any intervention, any pre-curation stinks of institutionalism and Amazon consumer algorithms. Should one limit one’s self to shows stamped with the NYTimes Critics’ Pick sticker? If a show earns a Critics’ Pick, should each performer wear a sticker across their forehead to remind the audience of their worthiness? As we endeavor into another January performance festival season in New York City, filled with myriad choice of aesthetics and artist backgrounds via the Under the Radar Festival, Coil, American Realness, Prototype, and newcomer Special Effects, in addition to APAP (Association of Performing Arts Presenters) showcases at the Hilton Midtown and throughout the city, the onus of choice falls less on curators and more on each audience member to fight out of the box of one’s own personal taste. When everything is available, what will you see?
2 comments:
The larger struggle here is the idea of something being "for" a certain group of people-- or, as the article put it, the danger of the world "accessible". I think the article did a good job of explaining how this wall can be broken down through theater festivals such as Under the Radar. Being stuck with what you know you'll like is a frustrating state of mind, because you believe that you won't enjoy anything that you haven't enjoyed in the past. I've never considered this idea from the perspective of the festival creators, because it would require so much planning to appeal to a broader audience of theater-goers. I am excited that this issue has been realized and people are trying to address it, because even I (with fairly limited theater knowledge/experience) recognize the divide between traditional theater styles and more out-of-the-box material as far as audience goes. I think the difficulty comes when people don't believe they could possibly like something before even trying it, because it seems difficult to market the idea of "just try it, you might like it" to theater-going adults who already have clearly defined tastes.
I like what this article said about changing the audience's perspective by exposing them to many different kinds of performance. Though everything may not be for everyone, Under the Radar tries to open their audience's mind and appeal to a broader audience by hosting a broad range of works. In the beginning of the article, it mentioned that people have complained of feeling "overwhelmed" by the selection of art that is out there: how do they know what to go see? How can they choose between the many options and opportunities? Well, that is what curation is for. Under the Radar supplies an opportunity to view many different kinds of performance and art through their curation, while another festival or an art gallery supply a different selection of works. It's worthwhile, then, to explore as many as one needs in order to discover what kind of work is the most enjoyable for that individual. Likewise, a curated collection can also include new things alongside what is already liked and popular, and thus expose their audience to something new and interesting.
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