Independent Curators International (ICI) supports the work of curators to help create stronger art communities through experimentation, collaboration, and international engagement. Curators are arts community leaders and organizers who champion artistic practice; build essential infrastructures and institutions; and generate public engagement with art. Our collaborative programs connect curators across generations, and across social, political and cultural borders. They form an international framework for sharing knowledge and resources — promoting cultural exchange, access to art, and public awareness for the curator’s role.
Fatoş Üstek
Fatoş Üstek is an independent curator and writer, based in London. She was Director of Liverpool Biennial. Recently, she acted as a jury member for Turner Prize Bursaries 2020, Arts Foundation Futures Award 2021, Scotland in Venice 2022, Dutch Pavilion 2022, and as an external member of the acquisitions committee for the Arts Council Collection (2018-2020). She is the curator of Do Ho Suh’s largest UK commission (2018-2020) co-commissioned by Art Night and Sculpture in the City. She was formerly Director and Chief Curator of DRAF (David Roberts Art Foundation), curated miart Talks 2018; Art Night, East London, 2017 and fig-2 50 exhibitions in 50 weeks, ICA, 2015. She acted as Associate Curator for the 10th Gwangju Biennale, 2014. Ustek is a contributing editor to Extra Extra Magazine, a founding member of the Association of Women in the Arts (AWITA); trustee of Art Night; board member of Urbane Kunste Ruhr; advisory panel for Jan van Eyck Academie; member of the International Association of Art Critics AICA UK; and an ICI Alumni. She publishes regularly in exhibition catalogs and art magazines and was the co-founding Editor of Nowiswere (2008-12).
She is listed in the celebratory Apollo 40 under 40 Thinkers section in 2018; included in Evening Standard’s Progress 1000 London’s most influential people in 2018 and 2017; Artlyst Power 100 list 2019, 2018, and 2017; Artsy The Top 20 Most Influential Young Curators in Europe and nominated for ICI Gerrit Lansing Independent Curatorial Vision Award in 2016.
involved in:
Notes for Tomorrow
Notes for Tomorrow is a new exhibition conceived by ICI, featuring artworks selected by alumni of the Curatorial Intensive from around the world to reflect on a new global reality ushered in by the COVID-19 pandemic.
read more »Curatorial Seminar in Istanbul
The Curatorial Seminar will focus on Istanbul as a case study, exploring a number of key issues that challenge our understanding of what constitutes an emerging art scene, the strengths and pitfalls of working within such a context…
read more »Curating Beyond Exhibition-Making
This fall Independent Curators International (ICI) produces the Curatorial Intensive: Curating Beyond Exhibition-Making, the first short course to offer training to curators on the concepts and logistics of organizing public events, workshops and other discursive program formats.
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