Curatorial Rationale Guide

Task Requirements:

Exhibition SL: Exhibition HL:

● A selection (4-7) of resolved artworks ● A selection (8-11) of resolved artworks

from your exhibition. from your exhibition.
● A curatorial rationale (400 words). ● A curatorial rationale (700 words).
● Exhibition text for each piece. ● Exhibition text for each piece.
● Two exhibition photos. ● Two exhibition photos.

A: To what extent does the submitted work communicate a coherent collection of works which
fulfill stated artistic intentions and communicate clear thematic or stylistic relationships across
individual pieces?
The work shows some coherence through adequate communication of thematic or stylistic
relationships across individual pieces. Stated intentions are adequately fulfilled through the
selection and application of media, processes and techniques and the
considered use of imagery.

B: ​To what extent does the submitted work demonstrate 1)effective application and manipulation
of media and materials; 2) effective application and manipulation of the formal qualities?
​The work demonstrates adequate application and manipulation of media and materials to reach
an acceptable level of technical competence in the chosen forms and the effective application
and manipulation of the formal qualities.
C: To what extent does the submitted work demonstrate effective resolution of imagery, signs
and symbols to realize the function, meaning and purpose of the art works, as appropriate to
stated intentions?
The work visually elaborates ideas, themes or concepts to a point of adequate realization and
demonstrates the use of imagery, signs or symbols that result in adequate communication of
stated artistic intentions.

​ (SL): To what extent does the curatorial rationale justify the selection, arrangement and
D
exhibition of a group of artworks within a designated space?
The curatorial rationale mostly justifies the selection and arrangement of the exhibited works,
which are presented and arranged in line with the student’s stated intentions in the space made
available to the student.
​
D(HL): To what extent does the curatorial rationale demonstrate 1) the justification of the
selection, arrangement and exhibition of a group of artworks within a designated space;
2)reflection on how the exhibition conveys an understanding of the relationship between the
artworks and the viewer?
The curatorial rationale mostly justifies the selection and arrangement of the exhibited works.
The curatorial rationale mostly articulates the relationship between the artworks and the viewer
within the space made available to the student.

Writing the Curatorial Rationale:

The curatorial rationale requires SL and HL students to explain why specific artworks have been
chosen and presented in a particular format. It provides students with an opportunity to explain
any challenges, triumphs, innovations or issues that have impacted upon the selection and
presentation of the artworks. Students should use the curatorial rationale to explain the context
in which particular artworks were made and presented in order to connect the work with the
viewer. In addition to this, students at HL should also explain how the arrangement and
presentation of artworks contributes to the audience’s ability to interpret and understand the
intentions and meanings within the artworks exhibited.

SL students may find the following questions helpful when approaching this task. This structure
is for guidance only and is neither prescriptive nor restrictive.

● What are you hoping to achieve by presenting this body of work? What impact will this
body of work have on your audience? What are the concepts and understandings you
initially intend to convey?
● How have particular issues, motifs or ideas been explored, or particular materials or
techniques used?
● What themes can be identified in the work, or what experiences have influenced it?
● How does the way you have exhibited your artwork contribute to the meanings you are
trying to convey to an audience?

HL students may find the following questions helpful when approaching this task. This structure
is for guidance only and is neither prescriptive nor restrictive.
 ● What is the vision for presenting this body of work?
● How have particular issues, motifs or ideas been explored, or particular materials or
techniques used?
● What themes can be identified in the work, or what experiences have influenced it?
● How does the way you have exhibited your artwork contribute to the meanings you are
trying to convey to an audience?
● What strategies did you use to develop a relationship between the artwork and the
viewer, for example, visual impact?
● How does the way you have arranged and presented your artworks support the
relationship and connection between the artworks presented?
● What do you intend your audience to feel, think, experience, understand, see, learn,
consider from the work you have selected for exhibition?

In sum:

● You will explain why you have chosen these artworks and why you have shown them in this
way.
● You can explain any challenges, innovations, initiatives that have impacted on your selection
and presentation of work.
● Provide a context for the work so as to help the viewer to understand the exhibition.

If you are taking HL you also need to explain:

● How the arrangement and presentation of artworks contributes to the audiences ability to
interpret and understand the intentions and meanings within the artworks exhibited.​

On the next page is one suggested structure for how you might approach the rationale.
 Exhibition Text:

Each submitted artwork should be supported by

exhibition text which outlines the title, medium and size
of the artwork. The exhibition text should also include a
brief outline of the original intentions of the work (500
characters maximum per artwork). The exhibition
text should contain reference to any sources which
have influenced the individual piece. Students should
indicate if objects are self-made, found or purchased
within the “medium” section of the exhibition text,
where applicable. Where students are deliberately
appropriating another artist’s image as a valid part of
their art-making intentions, the exhibition text must acknowledge the source of the original image.
Further Advice:

● If there is a particular work that was especially instrumental in the way you perceived
your exhibition, it might be interesting to describe that work in more depth to draw the
audience into your thought process.
● It is important to remember that you have an opportunity to write a short statement to
accompany each artwork in the exhibition, so do not use up your word limit describing
each work. Rather, identify thematic and/or stylistic connections between works.
● Consider the style of the statement. There are two audiences for your exhibition: your
school community and the IB assessment system, which will include your teacher and IB
moderators. You want to avoid using the kind of art-world jargon that might alienate a
general audience but still be specific enough when articulating your vision to engage the
teacher and moderator. If there is a specific art term that is central to the main idea of
your exhibition, be sure to define it within your statement.
● Your statement should be written in an informative and persuasive tone, but because
you are writing about your own work, personal pronouns (I, my and so on) are
appropriate.
● Be realistic, frank and honest about your work. Statements that do not reflect the work
that is presented cannot score highly against the marking criteria.
● Less is more. While the word limits for SL ad HL are 400 and 700 words respectively,
most curatorial statements written for exhibitions in galleries are between 300 and 500
words.

Key words you need to address:

Justify: to give valid reasons or evidence to support your choices in the exhibition.

Selection: you picked these pieces out of all your work–why put them together?

Arrangement: You put them in a particular order for display. Why?

Designated space: Why did we choose the stage? What qualities does that space bring to the
viewing experience. Why did you choose to put your work next to someone else’s? What
impact does that have on how people experience your work?

Other questions to consider when you are writing:

What compromises did you have to make between your ideal art show and what is realistic in
the space available? These are the challenges you are trying to address.

How have exhibitions that you have seen influenced your ideas? What have you learned about
exhibiting artwork?

Are there artworks that present particular challenges in terms of presenting them to an
audience? How did you address these challenges?