Naoko, a Japan-born freelance curator based in Scotland spoke about her curatorial practice since 2014, as well as findings from her research in the current LuCAC residency, which includes possible scopes for future collaborations. The talk was accompanied by tea from Japan and sweets from Scotland.
Driven by her own lived experience as an ethnic minority in the United Kingdom and the sense of urgency and responsibility towards environmental and societal planetary issues, naoko uses arts and her skills as effective tools to generate relationships and changes for an even more just, diverse and sustainable world for present and upcoming generations.
Being mindful of the power dynamics within curatorial practices, acknowledging the traditional connections to capitalism, colonialism, white supremacy, and patriarchy, Naoko seeks to reclaim curating as a practice of care with aspects of activism. Based on how the origin of the word “curate” is related to ideas of care, responsively maintaining various lives within an interdependent network. For this, Naoko works collaboratively with people and more-than-human beings from diverse backgrounds and produces transboundary and participatory activities or situations. This is done based on attentive listening to historically underrepresented voices and perspectives of focused context, locality or community. This approach indicates her intention of dismantling exploitative practices and hierarchical systems, grounded in her ongoing research on and understanding of theories including “care ethics,” a feminist approach to ethics, and “queer ecologies,” a space that blurs traditional preconceptions of sexuality, gender and ways of being. In- and outside of professional practice, she cares about and continues to be something small, fragile and slow.
Special thanks to Hope Scott Trust whose funding support made participation in this residency possible.
