The coursework for my students in the Curating & Exhibition Management course entails conceiving an exhibition and its delivery on a topic of their choosing. Past topics have included Bauhaus, Female Artists in the 20th Century, the Environment or the collection of a known art institution. From time to time their suggestions open up complex avenues to explore, for example, an exhibition of work by the late amateur street photographer Vivian Maier, who was never interested in presenting her work to the general public !
Maier who had no family, left a huge archive of negatives and undeveloped films after her death in 2009, without a testament indicating what should happen with this material. Thanks to John Maloof a Chicago estate agent the case takes an interesting twist. Needless to say he was presented with a legal conundrum, which took time and financial resource to settle. This issue also draws attention to the importance of artists’ estate planning.
To read more about Vivian Maier and her artistic legacy click here
I am proud that my students explore complex topics, as their tutor I am here to help them explore these ideas and come to their own conclusions.
Courtesy and ©Vivien Maier Estate and John Maloof.