Exhibit Columbus Launches Curatorial Fellowship

(photo courtesy of Exhibit Columbus)

Exhibit Columbus has announced its inaugural Curatorial Fellowship. The program, an initiative of the Landmark Columbus Foundation, says the fellowship aims to attract international leaders in architecture, art, and design to bring a critical, research-based perspective.

Iker Gil and Mimi Zeiger have been named co-curators for the organization’s 2020 Symposium and 2021 Exhibition. Chicago-based Gil is the founder of MAS Studio and nonprofit MAS Context as well as executive director of the SOM Foundation. Zeiger is a critic, editor and curator from Los Angeles.

“Exhibit Columbus is excited to build upon its first two cycles by introducing new curatorial voices to the third iteration of the program through the Curatorial Fellowship. As curators, Mimi and Iker bring a great interest in Columbus’ design legacy and an enthusiasm for this city as a context for experimentation and collaboration,” said Anne Surak, Exhibit Columbus director.

Exhibit Columbus says both Gil and Zeiger bring an extensive background in researching and creating exhibitions and publications around architecture and design.

“They also bring a deep understanding of the ways architecture and design, at a variety of scales, shape our cities and inform the ways we relate to each other. Now more than ever, this innovative addition allows us to strengthen our ability to engage locally, while simultaneously considering the program from a global perspective,” added Surak.

Working alongside the Exhibit Columbus team, the co-curators will develop the curatorial theme and shape the upcoming two-year cycle of programming, which includes a 2020 Symposium this fall and the 2021 Exhibition, scheduled for August 20 through November 28.

“What makes Columbus’ design history so unique is the investment in architecture as a social project,” said Gil and Zeiger. “We are thrilled to join the Exhibit Columbus team and the Columbus community to shape conversations, installations, and research honoring this past, while recognizing the complex social and ecological issues facing American towns and cities at this very moment. And it is through architecture and design—through the symposium and exhibition—that we hope to explore meaningful and necessary ways forward.”

Exhibit Columbus says it will continue to closely monitor health recommendations related to COVID-19 as it prepares for its 2020-21 cycle of programming.