Curation, traditionally seen as the arbitrary arrangement of artworks within gallery walls, is often perceived as a static act—a curator assembles pieces, arranges them in a prescribed order, and invites audiences to passively observe. Unlike artists who create original works, curators are viewed more as translators of artistic intent, tasked with faithfully conveying the essence of each piece. Yet, within this framework lies the potential for transformation. shuang cai expands their role of curator beyond mere arrangement to an active engagement in the artistic creation process. Drawing from their diverse experiences, shuang aims to redefine curation as a dynamic and collaborative endeavor, where each exhibition becomes a canvas for exploration and dialogue, bridging the gap between curator and artist.
While often, an exhibited work of art is judged by a reasonable audience within seconds, shuang sought to showcase the process behind their work through various community building projects. In fact, curators are the ones who orchestrate the entire visual choreography. Most exhibitions focus on the relationship between the works of art and the audience. Artists’ involvement wilts the moment their still works are being displayed in public. shuang’s curatorial goal thus seeks to expand on the participatory experience of artists. Imagine an exhibition where small artifacts and artist IDs were made not merely as labels, but tiny portals inviting viewers into the heart of creative process. Then there’s the artist trading cards, which include all the works exhibited and short discussions of them, at the end of a different show—an exchange where farewells became tokens of artistic essence and memorabilia, fostering connections among creators and audience alike. In another gallery, shuang’s showcase of unfinished works invited contemplation on the beauty of incompletion and imperfection, highlighting the stage of creative processes that are often just afterthoughts. These endeavors reflect shuang’s nuanced approach to curation, blending it seamlessly with the act of artistic creation and redefining the role of curator as a catalyst for meaningful engagement.
Useless Machine, a group show co-curated by shuang, Blair Simmons, Leia Chang and Julia Margaret Lu in April 2023, brought attention to pieces from 23 artists that were concerted due to their “failure to conform to the expectations of what they are ‘supposed to do,’ their disruptive nature, and their tendency to misbehave.” Although this strategy of aesthetic dislocation largely took shape since Marcel Duchamp, the essential question of, revealed in his note collection Speculations, “can one make works which are not works of “art” laid foundation for shuang’s bold approach in exploring the already blurry demarcation. While curating, shuang rarely only focuses on the “situational” outlook but rather devotes lots of attention onto creating a space where traditionally overlooked elements are brought back in as part of the full experience, for both the audience and the artists.
With their perspective as an artist and a writer, shuang’s approach to curate not only navigates through norm-challenging ideas, but as importantly focuses on building rapports within the artists community. Their curatorial endeavors are emphatic on bringing forward more engagements and meaningful conversations among artists and the audience, fostering a space where artists are encouraged to express themselves beyond their work. With each exhibition shuang curates, they gently folds their past experiences into present work, creating richer, more textured displays. Every past role is a lesson learned, informing their current artistry and shaping the environments from within. This continuous reflection and adaptation allow them to transform ordinary gallery spaces into vibrant forums for dialogue and discovery.
Perhaps the task of curation seems as simple as copying each word and pasting them in arbitrary orders like Kenneth Goldsmith did with all his books. However, understanding each work in its unique seriality, assimilating each work in its amorphous entirety, reproducing each work in its literal intentionality, a curator like shuang comes to know the works by becoming them. Curation is a process of creating. In Labels? Labels! TBD, shuang and their team, Tong Wu and Shuwan Chen, curated an exhibition for unfinished work, work that in the traditional sense that has not yet been severed from artists’ hands. Originally posed as a challenge to artists to create labels for conceptualized yet unfinished artworks, this idea gradually became a process of reimagining the museum space and the conventional role of exhibition labels. This challenge was then expanded into a show that essentially sought to deconstruct the conventional steps of creative practices and shed lights on stages that were rarely brought before audience’s eyes. shuang and their team curated an effort to tie in an accumulation of all exchanged ideas, experiences, and critiques.
As Leo Tolstoy had observed more than a century ago, the world of art often resembles a series of sects, each rejecting and disowning its predecessors in an endless cycle of differentiation. In poetry, painting, music, and every creative endeavor, there exists a constant tension between traditions and innovations, between what is deemed acceptable and what is deemed revolutionary, each genre disowning its predecessor. Yet, he couldn’t be more wrong. shuang stands as a testament to a different approach—a curator who sees beyond the divisions of sects and genres, viewing each artistic expression as a unique contribution to a larger tapestry. Curating is not merely arranging pieces within the confines of a gallery but a deeply personal act of understanding and interpretation. It is akin to translating a text, where fidelity to the original intent is paramount, yet where the translator’s own perspective inevitably leaves its mark.
Tolstoy argued that the essence of art lies in its capacity to communicate feelings with the intent of sharing those emotions. shuang embraces this perspective wholeheartedly in their approach to curation. Their intention is always clear: to facilitate a profound connection between the artist and the audience, ensuring that each piece not only occupies space but also engages hearts. By selecting works that speak in the silent language of emotions and setting them in spaces that enhance their message, shuang turns every curatorial project into a dynamic interaction of feelings and thoughts. Each curated space is not merely a collection of objects but a vibrant conduit for emotional communication, a living embodiment of Leo Tolstoy’s philosophy that art is fundamentally an activity of transmitting feelings from artist to audience. shuang’s curatorial work mirrors this idea, as she designs each exhibition to resonate with the emotional frequencies of the artists’ intentions. The exhibitions become more than visual displays; they are immersive experiences designed to convey a spectrum of emotions through the careful arrangement of movements, lines, colors, sounds, and forms.
In their curatorial works, such as the exploratory Labels? Labels! TBD, the collective-centered Useless Machine, and recent staff show at LATITUDE Gallery — Anchored, shuang leverages visual elements created by other creative minds to craft immersive, emotive narratives. These exhibitions transcend static displays, transforming into experiences where viewers become active participants in shared emotional journeys, thoughtfully orchestrated by shuang’s curatorial vision. By reimagining gallery spaces as sites of engagement and reflection, each piece invites audiences to connect with the artistic process as fluid and relational, breaking the boundaries between observer, artist, and curator.
Unlike Tolstoy’s observation that art can be endlessly divisive, shuang embraces a different truth: that art is fundamentally about unity and community, about forging connections and understanding through creative expression. In challenging norms and expanding the boundaries of what constitutes curation, shuang asserts that every sincere creative endeavor holds value, contributing to a collective understanding of our shared human experience.
Can one make work that is not work of art? I don’t know. shuang certainly can’t.
About
Shuang cai is a curator, writer, educator, and multimedia artist. Having curated shows at LATITUDE Gallery, NARS Foundation, Tutu Gallery, theBlanc, All Street NYC, Joy Museum (Beijing), and beyond. Their curatorial endeavors aim to bring forth the power of interconnectedness and diverse voices across communities. Their art practices focus on logic, interactions, and humor. They were an editor of Adjacent and published in major publications including ACM Creative and Cognition Proceedings, Yishu Magazine, Bazaar China, Passing Notes, and ASAP journals. They hold a Bachelor’s degree from Bard College double majoring in Computer Science and Studio Art and a Master’s from New York University Interactive Telecommunication Program (ITP).
Writer: Howard Zheng is an assistant public defender in Champaign, Illinois. In his free time he enjoys taking photos that never get publicized, writing lyrics that only makes sense to him, making music that his cats fall asleep listening to, and reminiscing his mediocre Instagram feed that was never updated since 2020.