Reflection: Group Working

 

Figure 1). Listed categories of group working (click to enhance image size)

Whilst our group did not have a formally assigned leader, I felt a certain sense of responsibility for making this exhibition happen. The sheer number of choices involved within exhibition planning leaves room for disagreement amongst members, a fact worsened by the ever-present anxiety regarding our individual production of work to showcase. However, this experience has granted me a huge learning curve and revealed a sea of do’s and don’ts within exhibition curation. I have reflected upon this procedure (particularly the past fortnight) and noted some aspects of our groups’ success, weaknesses, and target areas of improvement. (See Fig. 1).

Our groups’ greatest strengths include the overall organization of meetings and willingness to help from fellow group members. Excellent communication meant progress outside standard working hours. Our group never faltered in being able to dissect complex tasks into smaller responsibilities, which aided the progression of our exhibition planning.

Most of the groups’ shortcomings can be summarized into two mistakes: underestimation and brazen assumptions. One example includes our failure to organize print sales, which we previously agreed to coordinate in addition to our fundraising campaign to maximise the funding for our exhibition. Our failure to organize this was the result of poor time management skills. An example of underestimation is the exhibition boards being unforeseen beasts. Painting took far longer than expected and transporting them to the market was the product of extreme physical effort.

My greatest lessons were taught within curatorial leadership. The moments of unexpected unraveling or setbacks were stressful, but overall this was outweighed by my admiration for giving creativity a temporary home to shine in. Exhibitions bring together a temporary community of likeminded individuals, which has brought enlightening conversations that I can further implement into my photographic practice. Working in a group exhibition has confirmed that exhibition curation is often a tense environment, but with an attitude to resolve social tensions before it becomes conflict and exercising compromise frequently it is an excellent opportunity for personal and professional growth.  

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