A NEW APPROACH TO EXHIBITION ORGANIZATION – HISTORY AND CLASSIFICATION OF CURATORIAL PROJECTS

SCIENCE AND INNOVATION INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL VOLUME 4 ISSUE 9 SEPTEMBER 2025 ISSN: 2181-3337 | SCIENTISTS.UZ 44 A NEW APPROACH TO EXHIBITION ORGANIZATION – HISTORY AND CLASSIFICATION OF CURATORIAL PROJECTS D.K. Ashurova Institute of Art History of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17290851 Abstract. The history of the exhibition, information about exhibitions organized in modern and new styles, the influence of conceptual art on the artistic process, major curators in the history of world art and their ideas. Keyword: curator, Harald Szeeman, Venice Biennale, Manifesta, Garage, Victor Misiano. Introduction It is necessary to consider that in contemporary Uzbek art, local exhibitions are being presented in a new light. In the age of technology and engineering, considerable effort is required to attract audience attention. Artworks are no longer simply presented for the viewer. Each exhibition is presented with its own message and ideas it hopes to convey. Presenting Uzbek art at international festivals and organizing festivals and exhibitions in our country with the invitation of international experts will raise the level of local exhibitions. The term "curatorial project" has become widely used in relation to exhibitions. However, while we cannot call all projects curatorial, there have been cases where the term "curator" has been used to refer to the person who organized an exhibition or opened a circle at an exhibition. This is where the need arises to study and apply the history of curatorial projects in world art. Curatorial projects occupy a special place in exhibition presentation. The emergence of curatorial projects on a global scale began in the second half of the 20th century. If we consider curating itself in stages, its first phases date back to the 18th and 19th centuries and are associated with museology. During this period, curators were not yet called curators, but they performed precisely these functions. That is, they served as custodians, organizers, and researchers of museum or gallery collections on a scientific basis. For example, the British Museum (1953) and the Louvre (1793) employed specialized curators within museums. The next phase, spanning the 1940s–1970s, is referred to as "modern curation." During this period, curators began to be viewed not only as custodians but also as creators of ideas. It was in the 1960s and 1970s that curators presented exhibitions with new ideas, and the names of famous curators began to be mentioned, for example, Harald Szeemann is one such prominent curator. He is the author of his book “Live in Your Head: When Attitudes Become Form”. He became famous for his exhibition. It is he who describes curators as “creative directors”. SCIENCE AND INNOVATION INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL VOLUME 4 ISSUE 9 SEPTEMBER 2025 ISSN: 2181-3337 | SCIENTISTS.UZ 45 The curatorial period up to the present day, known as the globalization and modern curatorial phase, covers the period from 1980 to the present. One of the major projects of this period was the “Venice Biennale”. Starting in 1895, curators began to play a key role in the 1980s. “Documenta”. The Manifesta is also one of the largest projects, taking place every 5 years in Germany. This project also provides a great opportunity for curators to showcase their concepts. “Manifesta”. It is a mobile biennial, organized since 1996. It is important to highlight that due to cultural and political ties, the art of Uzbekistan is more influenced by the art of neighboring regions, Russia and Central Asia. The stages of development of Russian curatorial art have passed through a stage that is slightly different from that of the West. 1. 1917-1980s, the Soviet era. Although the term curator was not used during this period, officials such as museum employees and experts performed curatorial duties. It was during this period that creative freedom in art was limited and ideological censorship existed. Igor Grabar was one of the leading experts of that period, presenting his ideas for improving museum activities in the 1920s. 2. Conceptualism and informal curatorship took shape in Moscow in the 1960s-1980s. During this period, conceptual art emerged and its major representatives were Andrey Monastysky, Ilya Kabakov, Lev Rubinsteins. They were productive. The activities of curators during this period were considered informal, and they operated in home exhibitions and apartment galleries. One of the largest exhibitions in history is the “Bulldozer Exhibition” (1974) (1974), which was also an unofficial exhibition and was stopped by the KGB. 3.During Perestroika and the post-Soviet period of 1985-1999, private galleries and festivals emerged. Creative freedom was allowed in art. Curating was seen as an independent creative activity. During this period, Victor Misiano (founder of Moscow Art Magazine) and Olga Sviblova (popularized modern art and photography) 4.Institutional stage (2000-2010) – this period can be the subject of many scientific works for a separate and in-depth study. It was during this period that curatorship became a professional activity. Innovative approaches in museum activities, the creation of the Russian pavilion at international biennales, including the Venice Biennale, the beginning of curators' international recognition, and the creation of the Garage and MMAM funds brought curatorial activity to a new level. 5. The period from 2010 to the present The modern stage - the curator is formed as a separate person, analyst, mediator, exhibition idea creator and conceptual thinker. The era of modern technologies and digitalization has also had an impact on art. Digital art and online exhibitions have emerged. However, it can also be seen that political restrictions have arisen for curators and art. Conclusion From the findings, it can be concluded that we examined curatorial projects in the context of world art history. The term curatorship has been applied to Uzbek art in the last decade, and in recent years, several projects have been created that demonstrate the true essence of curatorial projects. REFERENCES SCIENCE AND INNOVATION INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL VOLUME 4 ISSUE 9 SEPTEMBER 2025 ISSN: 2181-3337 | SCIENTISTS.UZ 46 1. Hans Ulrich Obrist. “A Brief History of Curation.” – Moscow: Ad Marginem Press, 2014. 256 p. 2. The Garage Museum now collects contemporary art. The Blueprint. Data processing: June 25, 2024. 3. V. Miziano. "Second" and raznye. — M.: Novoe literaturnoe obozrenie, 2004. — 304 p.