Marlies Augustijn

In my curatorial practice supporting emerging artists to create new work and exploring the possibilities of interdisciplinary projects are key. Within the art world I am particularly drawn to the fields of public programming and event management. These fields allow for a stretching of the boundaries of the visual arts to mix it with other disciplines such as design, architecture and technology, or to combine it with other art forms such as sound. The possibility to establish collaborations beyond the art world is of particular interest to me.

Current areas of research include 24-hour life-styles, non-art spaces and the function of curatorial programming within the art world. My dissertation explores how all these elements specifically intersect in the nocturnal city.

Make a Night of It: On the Urban Night, Its Meanings, and Its Use in Curatorial Programming

The night has always been a fascinating circumstance that provides a space for thoughts and events that might not occur elsewhere. Today the night is increasingly exploited for a continuation of day-time activities. In the last two decades the art world has shown a growing interest in both the conceptual and economic possibilities of the urban night. Based on a thorough evaluation of night-time art events taking place in London since the turn of the century, this dissertation investigates if the curatorial use of the night represents a capitalization on all hours of the day for maximum profit, or creates new forms of cultural experience. It speculates what the development of night-time art events means for the near future of curatorial programming.