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Esteemed Spanish art historian, theorist, and curator Paco Barragán recently visited Puerto Rico to conduct seminars at the School of Plastic Arts and Design in San Juan, where he discussed his distinctive curation philosophy, declaring that the traditional “white cube”—characterized by neutral walls, floors, and ceilings—is obsolete.
Since 2016, he has steered clear of “white cubes,” which signify neutral aesthetics, a paradigm of exhibition design prevalent in virtually all museums.
“Society has evolved. Culture has transformed concerning gender, race, feminism, and ecology,” Barragán shared with The STAR. “New values have emerged that do not align with the concept of a white wall as a display method [that] fails to impart a social and political education to the audience.”
At the art school, Barragán taught courses that covered the History of Collections, the History of Art Fairs and Biennials, Strategies for Artists to Promote Their Work, The Failure of the White Cube, and The Seven Steps to Art Curations.
In Barragán’s vision, museums are vibrant, and artworks should be displayed in asymmetrical arrangements, with texts expressed in the first person and utilizing architectural features to their advantage.
“In the 21st century, we need to create texts that are presented in the first person. They form narratives that engage in dialogue with the viewer,” he stated. “They provoke the audience. They promote democracy because it’s not merely about what I wish to convey or what the artist intends to communicate, but rather about what you, as a viewer, can observe and comprehend from that piece and how it can benefit you.”
His goal is to foster interaction with spectators, many of whom aren’t art specialists and require context, by employing color, lighting, and written material. He noted that standard exhibits featuring white walls may cater to art connoisseurs, but “most visitors to museums seek a more atmospheric, more contextual [experience] that renders art more immersive.”
Barragán has propagated his beliefs and theories across universities worldwide, from Madrid to Abu Dhabi. He perceives Puerto Rican museums as equally conventional as those found elsewhere, where “curatorship remains stagnant,” yet he aspires to instigate change.
“In my exhibitions, every room is lit differently …” he remarked. “Each space has its unique color scheme and distinct methods for displaying artworks.”
A look at Barragán’s Instagram reveals a plethora of diverse arrangements for artworks and colors in locations such as Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Germany, Netherlands, Toronto, New York, Miami, Mexico City, and Santiago, Chile.
