Denise Kwan

Having trained in Fine Art Sculpture, my interest in curating is rooted in the physical creation of dynamic spaces. I am interested in the psychology and ability of spaces to transcend their own physicality to become places of discursive engagement. My dissertation focused on the restlessness of categorisation between art and politics and the contradictory equilibrium between the need to politically define against the desire to resist. I am interested in the cognitive process of art, how meaning and definitions are formed and how this inherently influences exhibition making. I view curatorial practice as a flexible pivot to encompass activities such as writing, art practice and gallery education and engagement.


As curatorial fellow at the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, I have worked within the Programme and Learning department on exhibitions, presenting artists such as Raqs Media Collective, John Cage and Lindsay Seers. I conceived a range of pinhole photography and design workshops centred around the exhibition programme.


In 2010, I curated artist Leah Capaldi at Testing Ground: LIVE AT 176, Zabludowicz Gallery, London and was awarded the HRL Contemporary Prize for Art Criticism. I have written contributions including the inaugural issue of the Journal of Curatorial Studies in Toronto and will be co-editing Edinburgh-based LINE magazine, commissioning an issue exploring ideas of translation, language and art.


Host organisation: Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead