What motivated you to take part in this exhibition project, and what were your expectations going into it?

Over the course of the year, we came to know the artists at Chelsea College of Arts through artist speed-dating sessions and gallery visits.

When the idea of curating an exhibition at Chelsea was floated, I knew it was something I wanted to be part of.

I didn’t really know what to expect as you never know who else is going to put their hand up for the opportunity, but I am incredibly grateful that Tara, Arielle, and Kasia did.

How did you develop the exhibition concept and make decisions about which works to include?

A pivotal moment for us was visiting the Chelsea Degree Show, as we knew that most of the artworks in the exhibition would come from this show or something similar.

Once we had collectively agreed on a shortlist, we sent those artists an expression-of-interest form.

From their responses, we shaped a group show of six artists who worked across painting, sculpture, installation, and moving image. The decision, surprisingly, was unanimous.

All of the artists’ works centered around the body, and we took that as our starting point.

In each case, the body was being scrutinized and questioned from varying angles, as though it were under examination. And so, we had our title.

We were given the Triangle Space within Chelsea College of Arts, which, true to its name, is triangular. It was a relatively large space, and we decided that we wanted to disrupt the shape.

We used movable walls and suspended tarp to create an environment that borrowed the visual language of a laboratory. The idea was that visitors would step into a space of classification and control, only to find works that refused to be completely examined.

What was it like collaborating with your fellow MA in Contemporary Art students, and how did the group navigate any differences of opinion or challenges throughout the process?

Each curator brought their own strengths to the table, and our roles took shape naturally, from artist liaison and communication to the more organizational side of things.

In the months leading up to the opening, we met every week to discuss our progress and plan our next steps.

These meetings were held mostly online and had to work around different time zones and demanding work schedules.

Disagreements were surprisingly rare, and when they did come up, we talked through them until we found an approach we were all happy with.

Curating the exhibition in the final stretch of the MA was high-pressure, but the team’s enthusiasm and support really carried us through. Laughter became our release valve, bonding us in a way I hadn’t expected.

One of my favorite moments was being chased around the gallery by Tara after I jokingly claimed there was a spelling mistake in the exhibition text she and Kasia had just installed.

Small moments like these, shared with the people I had been on this journey with for a whole year, made the pressure melt away.

How did your relationship with the Chelsea College of Arts students evolve throughout the curatorial process?

The four of us worked alongside six artists, and by the end, it felt as though we were all one team.

We made a point of taking the time to understand each artist’s needs and any concerns they had about how their work would be presented. Through constant communication and collaboration, we built that trust.

At the end of opening night, one artist told me the experience had inspired her to submit her work for more exhibitions. Moments like that stay with you, and I am certain this is only the beginning of our working relationship with several of the artists.

What was the most surprising or rewarding aspect of the project?

It’s hard to name just one. If I had to, I would say the opening night.

It was probably the first time we all had a chance to step back and fully appreciate what we had achieved, not to mention the support from our classmates and staff from the Institute that was shown not only that evening, but throughout the entire process.

Is there anything that did not go as planned, and what did you learn from it?

Installation did not go quite as planned. The space was not ready when we arrived and what we thought would be a one-day exercise turned into a three-day extravaganza.

On the day of the opening, we were still assembling and painting movable walls, and the exhibition design materials that would transform the space into a laboratory did not arrive until 2 p.m., four hours before we were due to open the doors.

In between painting walls and installing the exhibition title, we somehow had to hang 50 meters of tarp from the ceiling.

Everyone took up a station, and thanks to the generosity and patience of the Chelsea staff, we had everything in place with 30 minutes to spare.

The first lesson we learned was to always have a plan B, even when you think you won’t need one. We had assumed we could finish installing the exhibition in one day.

However, when you are working within an external space, there are elements you cannot account for. So, building in more time than you think you will need is never a bad idea.

The second lesson was to be understanding of the space and the people who run it. We had to work within the restrictions of the venue, which meant compromising on our ideas more than we had expected, though it often pushed us toward more creative solutions.

Would you feel more confident taking on curatorial projects in the future?

Absolutely. If anything, this experience has motivated me to do it all again. Having seen an exhibition through from the first shortlist to the final hour of installation, I have a much clearer sense of what the role actually involves.

What I value most is the working relationship with artists: helping them realize their work within a space and knowing they felt it was presented the way they intended.

How does this project reflect the kind of hands-on experience students can expect from the MA in Contemporary Art program?

One of the assignments we were given in the MA program was to work on a group project to curate an exhibition in an institution or commercial gallery.

This assignment gave us the foundation for understanding how curating an exhibition with a group of people works in theory.

What I didn’t expect was how much of that theory we would end up putting into practice.