Seminar 4 – Kim Shinjae (Producer/Curator)

Some things become clearer the more you dwell on them. The conversation with producer/curator Kim Shinjae felt that way. She adds the management role of a “producer” to the title “curator” because she feels that a curator’s role is also one that accompanies the entire work process. Touching on the emotional drain that occurs during collaboration as well as realistic problems concerning contracts and credits, Kim discussed the possibilities of and methods for continuing and interweaving “co-production.” She also emphasized her interest in creating independent life cycles for artworks that function outside a specific exhibition. Instead of stopping at manifesting a single artwork or exhibition, she focuses on the work process itself. Her pursuits differ from curations that aim to achieve particular goals or produce the creator’s language. This becomes clearer when we look at the projects and productions Kim has collaborated on.

- Seunga You (DCW 2023)

A person who reads the flow and accompanies the artist in the work process. This is how producer/curator Kim Shinjae describes the role/position she undertakes as a producer participating in an artist’s work. If an artwork has a life cycle, instead of considering its completion as an end, a producer accompanies the artwork from the beginning, ensuring that it is seen at a propitious time and place. In short, a producer also oversees distribution and funding to pave a smooth path for the artwork.

However, producers’ work in an environment where the rewards are minor compared to the level of responsibility and involvement. This inhibits motivation and the introduction of new figures. Producer/curator Kim’s expression “the process of learning is also damaging” carries many implications and applies not only to the producer’s work, but to the curator’s experiences as well. This is why it is important to emphasize building trust as a buffer against damage, conflict, confusion, and insecurity. 

Where then, does trust come from and how is it maintained? Donna J. Haraway’s valuable words, “To be one is always to become with many” come to mind. Perhaps trust is manifested in those moments when we feel that we have created together, not alone.

- Sangyeop Rhii (DCW 2023)

I first met Kim Shinjae through Ikhyeon Kim’s video (or a series of photos) Into the Light at the 2022 Busan Biennale. At the time, I was in charge of the exhibition space at Pier 1 of Busan Port while curator Shinjae Kim was connected to the artwork, albeit remotely, through the extraordinary position of intervenor. 

Shinjae Kim discussed the wide spectrum of her creative activities, which include Climax of the Next Scene (2014), The Time Is Out of Joint (2016), and Catastrophe and Recovery’s satellite project “Reverberating Verbs” in 2021. The talk led to in-depth deliberations on the duties of a “curator” and the extent of how much one should share in collaborative projects. We also looked at task-related boundaries and relationship problems that arise when curators take an unconventional approach to artists’ new works as “producers.” Meanwhile, as the number of artists seeking out “producers” increases, it has become important for producers to be able to create an independent life cycle for an artwork. What Kim said, either as a resolution or confession, has stayed with me: “I want to fill empty space as slime does. As someone who observes an unfolding of things, I want to continue working with a long-term outlook.”

- Jieon Lee (DCW 2023)