David Corbet
Dr David Corbet is an educator, writer/editor, designer and curator based in Sydney, Australia. In 2019 he was awarded a PhD at the University of Sydney’s College of the Arts, focussed on experimental / transcultural / translocal curatorial practice and exhibition histories. Previously he completed a Master of Fine Arts (Research) at the University of New South Wales, exploring language systems in contemporary art and design, and earlier completed interdisciplinary studies at Central St Martins School of Art (part of the University of the Arts) in London.
As well as teaching into art and design domains at UNSW Art & Design, he writes extensively for art journals, and participates in conferences and forums worldwide. He is the founder of the long-established design and communications consultancy DNA Creative Sydney, working with diverse clients on visual identity, broadcast, publishing and spatial design projects. He leads the itinerant contemporary art platform, DNA Projects, presenting hybrid art and exhibition projects by emerging artists, designers and photographers, and works with diverse collections, curators, institutions and artists as an exhibition and catalogue designer and editor. His personal creative practice encompasses painting, installation, printmaking, photomedia and environmental art projects.
Address: Sydney NSW (request postal address)
As well as teaching into art and design domains at UNSW Art & Design, he writes extensively for art journals, and participates in conferences and forums worldwide. He is the founder of the long-established design and communications consultancy DNA Creative Sydney, working with diverse clients on visual identity, broadcast, publishing and spatial design projects. He leads the itinerant contemporary art platform, DNA Projects, presenting hybrid art and exhibition projects by emerging artists, designers and photographers, and works with diverse collections, curators, institutions and artists as an exhibition and catalogue designer and editor. His personal creative practice encompasses painting, installation, printmaking, photomedia and environmental art projects.
Address: Sydney NSW (request postal address)
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Doctoral thesis (overview) by David Corbet
This thesis examines questions of place-making and identity formation in Contemporary Art, and their influence on artistic and exhibition practice into the early twenty-first century. Its research scope encompasses global considerations of decolonisation, cultural displacement, migration, translocality and environmental disruption, explored from a range of perspectives, including the transnational imaginary of a Global South. The research arises from the author’s curatorial work, and its arguments are ‘bookended’ by two curatorial case studies for recent exhibitions, contextualising the research as a response to questions arising from exhibition practice. With an emphasis on both artist-focussed practice and viewer experience, some key curatorial values – locality, identity, discursivity and affectivity – are identified as an analytical and evaluative framework to examine diverse exhibitionary forms and practices worldwide. Key contexts and terms of reference are established at the outset, followed – in Chapter 2: Narratives – by an art-historical framing for the research, interrogating established Euro-American narratives, and investigating the emerging structures and networks of a rapidly-globalising ‘exhibitionary complex’ (Bennett, 1988). The multi-scalar manifestations of this ‘Global Contemporary’ are examined through multiple lenses, including a history of influential exhibitions, emerging platforms and curatorial developments. These investigations are further contextualised – in Chapter 3: Topologies – in relation to recent literature on locality, identity and affect, across a range of related disciplines, encompassing art history and theory; critical theory; anthropology and spirituality studies; spatial, social and cultural histories; and aspects of contemporary economics and politics. Chapter 4: Praxis is focussed on curatorial and exhibition practice across numerous sites and exhibition platforms worldwide, with an emphasis on major museums and recurrent international exhibition platforms such as biennials and triennials. It investigates diverse deterritorialised and precarious forms of art and ‘non-art’ practice, and the challenges faced by curators in presenting such practices in contemporary exhibitions, concluding with a reflection on socially-engaged practice. Chapter 5: Curatorial Case Studies provides detailed analysis of two exhibitions studied as part of field research in Europe and the Middle East, and Chapter 6: Futures explores emerging trends and possible future developments for exhibition practice, suggesting some sightlines to the future for the independent art sector. This is followed by a second Curatorial Case Study – for the exhibition platform The Museum of Dissensus – addressing issues arising from the research. Conclusion summarises key research arguments and findings.
Book chapters and Papers by David Corbet
Researchers may request a pdf copy of this chapter by direct messaging me.
Books by David Corbet
It contains an introductory essay by David Corbet and essays and text extracts by several other writers: Susan Best, Ivan Muñiz Reed and Matt Poll.
It features images and texts (from numerous cited sources) exploring the work of 49 artists: Abdul Abdullah, Jumana Emil Abboud, Vernon Ah Kee, Tony Albert, Francis Alÿs, Kader Attia, Tania Bruguera, Nick Cave, Aslı Çavuşoğlu, Chimurenga, Dadang Christanto, Destiny Deacon and Virginia Fraser, Karla Dickens, Fiona Foley, Félix González-Torres, Guerrilla Girls, Julie Gough, Dale Harding, Edgar Heap of Birds, Pierre Huyghe, Guo Jian, Jonathan Jones, Jumaadi, Yuki Kihara, Glenn Ligon, Laura Lima, Teresa Margolles, Shaghayegh Mazloom, Queenie Nakarra McKenzie, Kent Monkman, Zanele Muholi, Clinton Nain, Paulo Nazareth, Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran, Fiona Pardington, Mike Parr, Ben Quilty, Imran Qureshi, Rosanna Raymond’s SaVAge K’lub, Marwan Rechmaoui, Lisa Reihana, Doris Salcedo, Alex Seton, Hito Steyerl, James Tylor, Adriana Verejão, Kemang Wa Lehulere, Kara Walker, Jason Wing.
Contemporary art essays, critique and reviews by David Corbet
Reproduced courtesy Runway Australian Experimental Art, Issue #35 'Space', 2017 (online).
Reproduced courtesy Eyeline journal #88: Eyeline Publishing, Brisbane Australia, 2018.
This thesis examines questions of place-making and identity formation in Contemporary Art, and their influence on artistic and exhibition practice into the early twenty-first century. Its research scope encompasses global considerations of decolonisation, cultural displacement, migration, translocality and environmental disruption, explored from a range of perspectives, including the transnational imaginary of a Global South. The research arises from the author’s curatorial work, and its arguments are ‘bookended’ by two curatorial case studies for recent exhibitions, contextualising the research as a response to questions arising from exhibition practice. With an emphasis on both artist-focussed practice and viewer experience, some key curatorial values – locality, identity, discursivity and affectivity – are identified as an analytical and evaluative framework to examine diverse exhibitionary forms and practices worldwide. Key contexts and terms of reference are established at the outset, followed – in Chapter 2: Narratives – by an art-historical framing for the research, interrogating established Euro-American narratives, and investigating the emerging structures and networks of a rapidly-globalising ‘exhibitionary complex’ (Bennett, 1988). The multi-scalar manifestations of this ‘Global Contemporary’ are examined through multiple lenses, including a history of influential exhibitions, emerging platforms and curatorial developments. These investigations are further contextualised – in Chapter 3: Topologies – in relation to recent literature on locality, identity and affect, across a range of related disciplines, encompassing art history and theory; critical theory; anthropology and spirituality studies; spatial, social and cultural histories; and aspects of contemporary economics and politics. Chapter 4: Praxis is focussed on curatorial and exhibition practice across numerous sites and exhibition platforms worldwide, with an emphasis on major museums and recurrent international exhibition platforms such as biennials and triennials. It investigates diverse deterritorialised and precarious forms of art and ‘non-art’ practice, and the challenges faced by curators in presenting such practices in contemporary exhibitions, concluding with a reflection on socially-engaged practice. Chapter 5: Curatorial Case Studies provides detailed analysis of two exhibitions studied as part of field research in Europe and the Middle East, and Chapter 6: Futures explores emerging trends and possible future developments for exhibition practice, suggesting some sightlines to the future for the independent art sector. This is followed by a second Curatorial Case Study – for the exhibition platform The Museum of Dissensus – addressing issues arising from the research. Conclusion summarises key research arguments and findings.
Researchers may request a pdf copy of this chapter by direct messaging me.
It contains an introductory essay by David Corbet and essays and text extracts by several other writers: Susan Best, Ivan Muñiz Reed and Matt Poll.
It features images and texts (from numerous cited sources) exploring the work of 49 artists: Abdul Abdullah, Jumana Emil Abboud, Vernon Ah Kee, Tony Albert, Francis Alÿs, Kader Attia, Tania Bruguera, Nick Cave, Aslı Çavuşoğlu, Chimurenga, Dadang Christanto, Destiny Deacon and Virginia Fraser, Karla Dickens, Fiona Foley, Félix González-Torres, Guerrilla Girls, Julie Gough, Dale Harding, Edgar Heap of Birds, Pierre Huyghe, Guo Jian, Jonathan Jones, Jumaadi, Yuki Kihara, Glenn Ligon, Laura Lima, Teresa Margolles, Shaghayegh Mazloom, Queenie Nakarra McKenzie, Kent Monkman, Zanele Muholi, Clinton Nain, Paulo Nazareth, Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran, Fiona Pardington, Mike Parr, Ben Quilty, Imran Qureshi, Rosanna Raymond’s SaVAge K’lub, Marwan Rechmaoui, Lisa Reihana, Doris Salcedo, Alex Seton, Hito Steyerl, James Tylor, Adriana Verejão, Kemang Wa Lehulere, Kara Walker, Jason Wing.
Reproduced courtesy Runway Australian Experimental Art, Issue #35 'Space', 2017 (online).
Reproduced courtesy Eyeline journal #88: Eyeline Publishing, Brisbane Australia, 2018.