MUAC adopts new collective curatorial model

Mexico City's University Museum of Contemporary Art (MUAC) has launched a new curatorial approach, moving away from decisions solely made by its director. The museum's programming will now be a collective effort involving the general director, Tatiana Cuevas, alongside the curatorial sub-director, Alejandra Labastida, and the public programs sub-director, Julio García Murillo.

Cuevas envisions an ideal museum as "flexible, porous, and transforming without fear." This new strategy is seen as a step toward that vision. Labastida, who has worked at MUAC for 18 years, stated that the role of chief curator has been eliminated, as the "author curator figure is no longer necessary." She believes this can detract from the team and the generation of richer content.

The new model formalizes a "more transversal" way of working that was already underway. Previously, decisions made by the director and chief curator were communicated late in the process, causing delays. The new structure allows for "anticipation of processes" and "imagining together what happens in the rooms," according to Cuevas. García Murillo added that the structure not only addresses contemporary public issues but also alters how the museum's processes are made accessible to the public.

Beyond joint decision-making, MUAC is implementing two strategic initiatives. The first is an incubator for art-science-humanities projects, leveraging the university's research institutes to foster constant collaboration. An example is the exhibition "Desde el umbral," which involved the Center for Complexity Sciences (C3). The second initiative is an international exchange program with partner museums to discuss shared challenges and evolving museum practices.

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