Curator Profile: Charles Esche

 Charles Esche is an interesting character and art historical figure. He invests in the ideas of relational art. "Relational Art" focuses on social environments and shared activities through the art. The notion of ‘imagination’ is a way of relating art to life, and imagining the world differently appeals to Esche. Not only am I interested in his emphasis on relational art and imagination, but I am intrigued by his curatorial approach. A flexible curatorial approach, no doubt, where he does not use a template but he does create a model exhibition design for the art that is to be exhibited. Every one of his projects are unique: “I tried to address the conditions I found [in Istanbul], tried to think them through my own experience and tried to provide a structural model for activity that would work there.”

Born in 1962 on England soil, and brought up in Manchester and London.

Education: 
1980-84 BA in Mediaeval Studies, ManchesterUniversity
1988-89 MA in Gallery and Museum Studies, Manchester University 
(Specializes in contemporary art)

Career:
Director of the Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven, Netherlands
Co-founder of Afterall Journal
Theoretical advisor at Rijksakademie
Co-curator
Editor and Writer

Select Exhibition/ Work History:

• 2010: Curated U#, the Slovenian Triennale in Ljubljana
• 2008: Visiting Professor, Ratti Foundation, Milan, Italy
• 2007: Curator, RIWAQ Biennial, Ramallah, Palestine 2007 (with Khalil Rabah)
• 2005: Curator, Istanbul Biennial 2005 (with Vasif Kortun); Curator, CAUCUS, Cork, 2005 (with Annie Fletcher)
• 2004: Made the Director of the Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven, Netherlands.
• 2000-04: Director, Rooseum Center for Contemporary Art, Malmo, Sweden
• 2002: Curator, Gwangju Biennale 2002, Gwangju, Republic of Korea (with Hou Hanru and Song Wan Kyung)
• 1998-01: Curatorial Adviser, Foundation for Art and Creative Technology, Liverpool, England
• 2000: Co-curator, Amateur: variable research initiatives 1900 & 2000, an international exhibition at Goteborgs Konstmuseum, Konsthall and Hasselblad Center, Sweden (with Mark Kremer and Adam Szymczyk); Co-curator, New British Art 2000: Intelligence, Tate Britain. London, England, (with Virginia Button)
• 1998-00: Co-Director, The Modern Institute, Glasgow 1997-02 Research Fellow, Edinburgh College of Art - developing the proto academy project
• 1998: Founded Afterall with Mark Lewis at Central St. Martins College of Art and Design, University of the Arts London; Lead Curator, Revolution - International Symposium on Electronic Art 1998, Liverpool and Manchester (over 12 venues)
• 1997: Co-Curator, Escaping Gravity Video Positive '97, Liverpool and Manchester (with Steven Bode)
• 1993-7: Visual Arts Director, Tramway, Glasgow
• 1996: Curator, Instant video project, Film and Video Umbrella, London
• 1990-3: Exhibitions Curator, Kettle's Yard, University of Cambridge
• 1989-90: Assistant Curator, National Galleries and Museums on Merseyside

Reference:
1. Charles Esche CV