‘Self-fulfilling Prophecy’ at Piktogram

Writing curatorial notes for exhibitions is an essential task for any commercial gallery as they often serve as the first introduction to the 
show for the public, collectors, and most importantly, press. Exhibition notes
 can have a major effect on whether people visit, review, and ultimately buy from exhibitions. An exhibition note should be alluring. That is its primary purpose, so it should
be written with this in mind. Nonetheless, galleries sometimes approach the exhibition note as an afterthought or secondary element of a show, which results
in a missed opportunity to address an audience and shape their opinions,
 feelings, and expectations for a gallery and its programming.

Krystian Truth Czaplicki, Feminism Can, and Must, Be a Continually Evolving Phenomenon, 2018, lacquered steel, mannequin, 200 x 177 x 30,5 cm. Courtesy of the artists and Piktogram. Photo by Bartosz Górka

Daniela & Linda Dostálková, The Labours of Hercules: Capture Slay Obtain Steel, 2017, mixed media (sealing wax, canvas, rope), detail. Courtesy of the artists and Piktogram. Photo by Bartosz Górka

Lindsay Lawson, Nope, 2017, glazed ceramic, 100 x 41 x 70 cm. Courtesy of the artists and Piktogram. Photo by Bartosz Górka

Daniela & Linda Dostálková, Acid Rain and The Labours of Hercules: Capture Slay Obtain Steel, 2017, HD video installation, sound, 5’04’’, mixed media (sealing wax, canvas, rope). Courtesy of the artists and Piktogram. Photo by Bartosz Górka

Lindsay Lawson, The Weeper, 2018, glazed ceramic, metal, 195 x 80 x 85 cm, detail. Courtesy of the artists and Piktogram. Photo by Bartosz Górka

Anna Uddenberg, Finger VI, 2018, acrylic resin on fiberglass, spray filler, acrylic paint, UV nail gel, 108 x 18 x 18 cm. Courtesy of the artists and Piktogram. Photo by Bartosz Górka

The exhibition note shouldn’t be written as an academic essay. This style is alienating in this kind of text and often doesn’t even impress the scholarly
set, as it devolves into jargon. One should avoid obscure, “creative” forms of
 writing like poems, stream-of-consciousness rants, quotes from works of fiction, or terse elliptical statements. The exhibition note should be precise and
 describe what works will be on view, what they will look like, and how they fit 
into the artists’ previous practice, as well as those of their peers.

* based on Alex Bacon’s text for Artsy

Self-fulfilling Prophecy, 2018, Piktogram, Warsaw, PL, exhibition view. Courtesy of the artists and Piktogram. Photo by Bartosz Górka

Self-fulfilling Prophecy, 2018, Piktogram, Warsaw, PL, works by Zuza Golińska, installation view. Courtesy of the artists and Piktogram. Photo by Bartosz Górka

Self-fulfilling Prophecy, 2018, Piktogram, Warsaw, PL, works by Damon Sfetsios, installation view. Courtesy of the artists and Piktogram. Photo by Bartosz Górka

Self-fulfilling Prophecy, 2018, Piktogram, Warsaw, PL, works by Lindsay Lawson, installation view. Courtesy of the artists and Piktogram. Photo by Bartosz Górka

Self-fulfilling Prophecy, 2018, Piktogram, Warsaw, PL, exhibition view. Courtesy of the artists and Piktogram. Photo by Bartosz Górka

Daniela & Linda Dostálková, Quality: Flexibility, 2016, HD video, 3'25", voice-over by Nora Turato. Courtesy of the artists and Piktogram. Photo by Bartosz Górka