Curated Matter is a non-profit venture dedicated to the curation of exhibitions and events that catalyse social innovation. It was founded by Christophe Bruchansky in February 2009 and is at the origin of collaborative projects in London, Brussels and Hong Kong. Artists, philosophers, entrepreneurs and academics are invited to take part in the projects and to think together.

Mission

Curated matter can be described using a scientific analogy. The mission of curated matter is to:

Collide cultural artefacts in open contexts. Be the catalyser for cross-disciplinary emanations.

“Cultural artefacts” are man-made productions.  They can be artistic, scientific, philosophic or industrial for example. This definition avoids deliberating indefinitely on what the boundaries are between human activities; the aim being to remain open to any type of cultural materials.

In the collision metaphor, the role of the curator is to select “particles” and make them collide in an exhibition space. The operation can be compared to what happens in a particle accelerator like the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The aim is to analyze the effect of collisions and the potential apparition of unknown particles; the ultimate goal is to better understand reality through experiments. The benefits of such experiments are not only intellectual, they can occasionally lead to practical applications the could not be discovered otherwise.

The scope of Curated Matter experiments cannot be reduced to the category of the exhibited artefacts. Sought impacts can be philosophical, social, personal, artistic, scientific, industrial. They can be intellectual or practical, introspective or inspiring. Their variety is encouraged by cross-disciplinary platforms of exhibitions, by organizing events and discussions, by opening the experiments to  a maximum of people.  Special care is also given to the selection of the artefacts in order to achieve a wide spectrum of effects.

Vision

Be the initiator of exhibitions that bring significant value to people.

Examples of added values are:

• Recognition for individuals who take part in the exhibitions and events
• Bringing undiscovered artwork to the attention of the audience
• Demonstrating new semantic connections between cultural assets, enriching meaning and patrimony
• Providing inspiration and forums for social innovation

Core values

Non conformism

Open debates, critical thinking, non conformism is beneficial for everyone.

Openness

Everything is to be shared in life and everyone should have a chance to take part in what he likes.

• Exclusivity is justified only if it makes possible something that either could not have existed, or could not have been exposed otherwise.
• Curated Matter’s ambition is not designed to appeal to the masses but aims to make its projects available to the widest possible audience, so that more value can be generated from the curatorial collisions.
• Curated Matter’s methodology will always be documented alongside the completed exhibitions and events.

All works exhibited will be selected on the basis of their artistic merit; when necessary the commitment and expertise of the artefact producers will be taken into account. The vocation of Curated Matter is to unwaveringly welcome the work of all rather than affirming the work of a small group of established individuals.

Innovation

Innovation is experimental and not always successful. It can disrupt or destabilise established activities or concepts. Most importantly though, it brings new discoveries and is a source of progress for people.

Sustainability

Natural resources must be protected and used responsibly.

• Use of recycled paper, recycling of waste
• Ban on cultural artefacts involving ‘excessive’ pollution or use of natural resources

Life

Life is the most important thing.

Ban on cultural artefacts not complying with fundamental life ethics:

• As poverty is still a reality today, any activity or artefact that involves an ‘unreasonable’ amount of resources without benefiting a large number of people is unacceptable.
• Killing, jeopardizing or torturing animals (including humans of course) is not acceptable within cultural artefacts, even if the intention of the author of the work is to denounce those acts. Things such as leather or meat are commoditised in most societies, therefore their use will be sometimes tolerated. Using corpses of animals if the project didn’t condition their death, directly or indirectly, is not objected to. These ethics take precedence over any artistic licence.

These values are at the core of the Curated Matter’s activities. Partnerships with organizations not sharing them is sought only if the involved activities genuinely promote Curated Matter’s values, to the partners and the public.