Curated by 2024
Untold Narratives
September 13–October 19, 2024
The 2024 edition of Curated by, Austria’s largest gallery festival, promises to be a powerful exploration of art, memory, and archives. Running from September 13 to October 19, 2024, the festival will feature 24 exhibitions, including the newly introduced symposium and discursive programs focusing on the significance of artists’ archives and estates. The theme, Untold Narratives, dives into the social practices of storytelling and the formation of historical narratives through art.
This year’s festival promises to be an intersection of international perspectives, curated by Noit Banai, a notable art historian, who reflects on how memory and history are produced, both accurately and partially. Banai’s thought-provoking text, which serves as the festival’s impulse essay, describes the distorted state of the world, where conflicting narratives spark tragedy and hope. In this exploration, the festival seeks to illuminate the role of archives in shaping our understanding of history and art.
A Deep Dive Into Artists’ Archives and Memory
A central focus of Curated by 2024 is artists’ archives and estates—an often overlooked yet critical aspect of the art world. These archives hold not only the personal and professional history of artists but also serve as valuable resources for understanding artistic decisions, processes, and historical context. This year, the festival introduces new formats, such as expert talks and a symposium, which offer insight into how artists’ archives influence the contemporary art scene.
The discursive format will feature live discussions between curators and Austrian-based art historians, addressing the challenges of evaluating art histories and highlighting the importance of making archives visible. These expert talks, available as podcasts on Spotify and Apple, will cover various topics, including how artistic strategies in self-archiving shape the broader understanding of an artist’s legacy.
The festival also includes a symposium on October 5, 2024, curated by Lisa Moravec at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. This event will gather experts to discuss how archives and pre-estates shape contemporary art history and provide valuable tools for future generations. Contributions from Noit Banai, Sebastian Egenhofer, Elisabeth Gottfried, and others will engage in a broader conversation about the roles artists’ archives play in preserving cultural memory.
Participating Galleries and Curators
Twenty-four galleries across Vienna will participate in this year’s festival, each bringing a unique perspective to the theme of Untold Narratives. Some notable exhibitions include Charim Galerie Wien curated by Kristian Vistrup Madsen, Crone Wien curated by María Inés Plaza Lazo, and Galerie Hubert Winter curated by blaxTARLINES. Each exhibition will reflect on how artists utilize archives, storytelling, and memory in their work.
The wide-ranging representation of international curators and artists speaks to the festival’s aim of expanding the conversation around art history, archives, and memory. From historical works to modern installations, the exhibitions will offer diverse interpretations of how art interacts with memory, identity, and historical narratives.
The Festival’s Broader Impact on Vienna’s Art Scene
Since its inception in 2009, Curated by has become a defining event in Vienna’s contemporary art landscape. The collaboration between galleries and international curators strengthens the city’s reputation as a hub for critical art practices and discussions. Each year, the festival builds on its central theme, providing artists and curators the space to engage in pressing cultural debates. The inclusion of artists’ archives in this year’s program is particularly timely, as the art world grapples with issues of preservation, access, and historical reinterpretation.
By focusing on the unseen narratives of archives and estates, Curated by 2024 not only highlights the physical art itself but also draws attention to the context and memory that shape how we engage with art today. The festival’s exploration of storytelling and memory is not limited to the past but opens up new possibilities for how art can influence the future.
