About VCC | Venice Curatorial Course

Venice Curatorial Course is an international programme in curatorial practice, based in Venice and bringing together emerging curators, professionals, students and researchers from different backgrounds and parts of the world.

VCC offers an intensive experience of contemporary art through lectures, conversations, debates, studio visits and direct encounters with the city’s artistic and institutional landscape.

The programme brings together an interdisciplinary group of professionals working across contemporary art and culture, including curators, artists, producers, researchers, exhibition designers, academics, collectors and other practitioners, creating a space for exchange between different perspectives, practices and experiences.

VCC combines theoretical foundations with practical experience, focusing on the realities of developing and producing exhibitions and cultural projects. Participants explore the different stages of a curatorial project, from research and the development of concepts to writing, communication, production, budgeting and collaboration with artists, institutions and other professionals.

Throughout the course, participants work collectively on a curatorial project, putting ideas into practice and engaging with the different processes involved in bringing an exhibition or cultural project to life.

Being based in Venice is an integral part of the programme. Through visits to exhibitions, studios, institutions and independent spaces, participants engage directly with the city and its contemporary art scene while becoming part of an international community of peers and professionals.

VCC is a space to learn, question, exchange and develop a more informed and grounded approach to curatorial practice.

VENICE CURATORIAL COURSE

Why VCC

A programme grounded in practice

VCC approaches curatorial practice as a field that combines research, critical thinking, artistic dialogue and project development. The programme addresses not only the conceptual dimension of curating, but also the practical, institutional and organisational processes involved in developing an exhibition or cultural project.

An interdisciplinary perspective

Contemporary curatorial practice operates across a broad and evolving cultural landscape. VCC brings participants into conversation with professionals working across curating, artistic production, research, exhibition design, cultural management, philosophy, academia and other areas of contemporary art and culture. This diversity of perspectives reflects the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of the field.

Learning through direct encounter

The programme is based on direct engagement with practitioners and institutions. Lectures and discussions are complemented by studio visits, exhibition visits and encounters with professionals working within Venice’s contemporary art ecosystem, providing participants with insight into different approaches, contexts and professional realities.

One month in Venice

VCC is based in Venice and takes place over an intensive month in the city. Living in Venice provides time and space to engage with its cultural landscape beyond individual visits or events to develop a sustained relationship with the city, its institutions, independent spaces and artistic community.

An international environment

Participants join VCC from different countries, professional backgrounds and stages of their careers. The programme creates an environment for sustained exchange between peers, fostering conversations and connections that extend beyond the classroom and the duration of the course.

From knowledge to project

The course culminates in the development of a collective curatorial project, allowing participants to apply the knowledge and perspectives developed throughout the programme to a concrete exhibition context. The process provides an opportunity to engage with the complexities of curatorial work, from the initial development of an idea through to its articulation and realisation.

Develop your next exhibition project in Venice.

Join an international learning experience designed to transform research,
dialogue, and collaboration into a concrete curatorial project.