Fueling the Vision Behind Our Curation

At Thursdays, our curatorial approach is rooted in justice, identity, and radical empathy. We are committed to creating exhibitions, essays, and features that amplify emerging and underrepresented artists while fostering spaces for reflection, dialogue, and social engagement. Our ideas are informed and inspired by texts that bridge theory and practice, guiding how we think about art, audiences, and activism.

Here are the four books that inspire us the most:

1. Curatorial Activism – Maura Reilly

In Curatorial Activism, Maura Reilly examines how curators can actively challenge systemic inequities in the art world. She highlights exhibitions that prioritize women, artists of color, and marginalized communities, demonstrating how curatorial decisions—what to include, how to display it, and the narratives crafted—can enact meaningful change.For Thursdays, this book underscores the responsibility of curators to intervene, question dominant structures, and create inclusive platforms. It reminds us that curation is not neutral; it is a tool for amplifying voices too often ignored.

2. The Skin of the Film – Laura Marks

Laura Marks introduces the concept of haptic visuality, exploring how audiences can engage with art and cinema through touch, sensation, and emotion, rather than just intellectual analysis. This resonates with us because Thursdays aims to curate experiences that engage viewers bodily and emotionally, encouraging empathy and active participation. Marks’ ideas inspire our approach to installation, exhibition design, and how we invite audiences to connect with artworks beyond the purely visual.

3. Art on My Mind – bell hooks

In Art on My Mind, bell hooks examines the power of art as a vehicle for cultural critique and transformation. She emphasizes that art can challenge dominant narratives, foster critical thinking, and nurture community consciousness. For Thursdays, hooks’ work is a reminder to center underrepresented voices and to approach curation with intentionality. We consider not just the work itself, but the social, historical, and cultural context it engages with, ensuring that our exhibitions are meaningful, reflective, and provocative.

4. Black Skin, White Masks – Frantz Fanon

Fanon’s seminal work explores race, identity, and the legacies of colonialism. He examines how systemic oppression shapes both individual and collective consciousness. This perspective informs Thursdays’ curation by encouraging us to consider histories of marginalization, how materials and methods convey meaning, and how exhibitions can confront inequality. Artists from the Global South, for example, often repurpose materials or archive vernacular narratives to challenge colonial and consumerist legacies, and Fanon’s work helps us frame these practices thoughtfully and respectfully.

Bringing Theory to Practice

These books are not abstract guides—they are practical lenses for action. They influence how we select artists, how we structure exhibitions, and how we engage audiences ethically and empathetically. Knowledge meets practice at Thursdays: what we read, study, and discuss informs the way we craft exhibitions that speak to justice, identity, and radical empathy.

By grounding our work in these texts, we ensure that Thursdays is more than a gallery or magazine; it is a platform where ideas, experiences, and activism converge, and where audiences are invited to witness, reflect, and participate in the pursuit of social change through art.