Stella Sideli

Site-specificity as a response to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Curatorial Practices

In my (practice-based) research, I explore how site-specific, collective, feminist curatorial practice can contribute to the discourse on Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) in cultural institutions. Drawing on empirical study of UK EDI initiatives in the arts (2000-2020), I will turn to feminist theory (Ahmed, Anzaldúa), philosophy of art (Rancière, Irvin) and art theory (Kwon, Bishop) to assess how artistic reclamation of historical, disused spaces can help move beyond tokenistic representation of diverse voices within cultural institutions. This practice-based research will culminate in two events and an exhibition in Liverpool and Palermo, drawing on my 13 years of curatorial work, especially with the Nuova Orfeo collective. Combining curatorial and theoretical work, the PhD project will illuminate how philosophical reflection on EDI can help inform cultural practice.

The research questions are:

• What are the challenges that cultural instituions face in achieving meaningful EDI in their programming, what is the curator’s role in addressing them?
• How can curators effectively use site-specific programming to promote EDI in the cultural sector, particularly in disused, unconventonal spaces?
• How can feminist, philosophical theories of art relatng to site-specificity inform curatorial practice and contribute to greater diversity and inclusion in cultural programming?

Building on my curatorial work through the international collective Nuova Orfeo, showcasing experimental film, music and performance work made by/about women, non-binary, queer people, migrants and people of colour within site-specific programming, I will carry out work in Palermo, Italy, and in Liverpool. An excellent comparison case, the two cities they similarities in terms of their use of historical, disused spaces for cultural programming, with site-specific exhibitions that aim to address issues of under-representation and marginalisation.

Other research interests: intersection of cultural programmes and feminist/queer theories, non-extractive practices and ethics of curating; approaches and methods from the global south; the relationship between curator and artist; emerging technologies, capitalism and the aesthetics of digital culture, with attention to interdisciplinary practices.

Curated projects include: Nuova Orfeo programming inc. exhibitions, talks with Eduardo Williams, Beatrice Gibson, Basma Alsharif, Jumana Manna, Barbara Casavecchia, Palermo IT (2022-2023); Temporary Compositions, with Abbas Zahedi, Phoebe Davies, Joe Namy, Sonya Dyer, Somerset House, London UK (2021-2022); Create, Capture, Organise, Pluralise, with Josiane M.H. Pozi, Majed Aslam, Ilona Sagar, Col Self in collaboration with Farvash and vvxxii (Sp0re), Somerset House, London UK (2021); I Should Be Doing Something Else Right Now, with Maeve Brennan, Vivienne Griffin, rkss & Laura Fox, Rhea Storr, Sam Williams & Roly Porter, Somerset House, London UK (2020-2021); Bonds, with Laura Grace Ford, Anna Mikkola, Imran Perretta, Hannah Perry, Nick Ryan and Flora Yin-Wong at Gallery 31, Somerset House, London UK (2019-2020); The Distance is Nowhere, with Paul Maheke, Sophie Mallett, GAM Palermo IT (2018); Nimiia Cétiï, Jenna Sutela, Somerset House, London UK (both 2018); A Gesture Towards Transformation with Aimar Arriola, Nicole Bachmann, Omer Fast, Pedro G. Romero, Paul Maheke, Amalia Pica at Tenderpixel, London, UK (2017); Unknown Tongues, off-site sound event at Five Miles, London UK (2017); Tropical Hangover, with Salvatore Arancio, Zuzanna Czebatul, Rowena Harris, Laure Prouvost, Suzanne Treister at Tenderpixel, London UK (2017); Feeling In The Eyes, with Nina Beier, David Ferrando Giraut, Will Kendrick, Seth Price, Rustan Söderling at Tenderpixel, London UK (2016); The Role of Unintended Consequences, with Eva Fàbregas, Joey Holder, Laure Prouvost, at Syndicate, Cologne DE (2016). Publications and writing include: Making the room sing, a commission by artists Amanda Camenisch and Therese Westin by Brent Biennial (UK); on Luciana Deker’s work, Platform Festival (Berlin, DE); Animals of your Lips, Bea Bonafini’s solo show, Bosse and Baum, London UK; Lili Ren solo shows at Magician Space and qi mu space (both Beijing CN); Nicole Bachmann at Whitechapel Open, Whitstable Biennial UK; Gili Lavy’s commission for TBA21 (Venice IT, Madrid E, Vienna AT); Point of Divergence One: before breakfast conversations, and Foresight by Earth - Andrea Zucchini (with Tenderbooks imprint).

Website: www.stellasideli.net

Supervisors: Vid Simoniti (Philosophy), Jordana Blejmar (Communication and Media), Panayiota Vassilopoulou (Philosophy)