If I were 22: Karen MacKinnon

#IfIwere22 I’d travel

As someone from a working class background who left school at 16 in the late seventies, somewhat disillusioned, it was the discovery of art whilst travelling across Europe in a campervan that helped me expand my horizons. The combination of freedom of expression and movement taught me a lot, and this is really at the heart of my curatorial philosophy or whatever we want to call it.

#IfIwere22 I’d listen

Listening is the most important part of my job. Listening to artists and understanding their practice, to show their work in the best possible way with the care it deserves, is a fundamental aspect of curating. However, I find the term curator problematic; it is overused these days. For me curating simply means working closely with artists. But for every 22-year-old who is listening to my advice, 1) you are already one step of the way, and 2) listening is central to every type of job out there.

#IfIwere22 I would appreciate the importance of communication

In this post Brexit era, the work of Artes Mundi and many other arts organisations who work with artists across the globe is even more vital to keep their lines of communication open. We couldn’t predict Brexit, but we can open up communication to ensure that we are always learning about other people’s lives and experiences.

#IfIwere22 I’d work in the community

Art shouldn’t be made exclusively for exhibition spaces. It should be accessible to everyone, because art has the capacity to educate individuals and change lives. I have learnt this first hand. Over the years Artes Mundi’s programme has begun to expand its original parameters. As well as delivering the Artes Mundi 7 exhibition, we are working on a project exploring art and regeneration in the post-industrial South Wales valleys. Whilst the exhibition inspires, reveals and connects with pertinent ideas and issues across the globe, working directly with people in the community enables us collectively to put these ideas into practice. In doing so we can begin to empower and connect those who feel disempowered and disconnected.

Running through my work over the past 25 years is the question – how can art create an alternative space to consider complex issues and the world in which we live? I think it is always important to return to this question when it comes to socially engaged art practices.

#IfIwere22 I’d stay true to myself

I believe that I am where I am today because of who I am, and not who I tried to be. Being the first Welsh director of Artes Mundi after spending my entire professional life in Wales (where I was born) means that people are interested in how your heritage and experiences make you unique and valuable. So stay true to your background, the things that make you unique, because having your own voice and perspectives will help you succeed.

Karen MacKinnon is Director of Artes Mundi.
www.artesmundi.org