Michele Horrigan at Curating Today: Reimagining the Civic 

29–30 October 2026
Independent Curators International, New York 

Askeaton Contemporary Arts curator Michele Horrigan presents at ‘Curating Today: Reimagining the Civic’ in New York, a conference that brings a global and intergenerational group of arts practitioners together to present an expansive range of curatorial models and offer new possibilities for what curating can do and be.

Curators have historically been understood primarily as exhibition-makers and caretakers of collections within institutional settings. Over the past two decades, however, a parallel definition has gained prominence: the curator as a civic leader, who engages with social and cultural issues through the art of our time. The themes of ’Curating Today’ reflect on major transformations in society, and the role that art and culture play in it: growing social fragmentation, political polarization, and economic precarity; a shift in audience expectations from spectatorship to participation; and declining trust in public institutions and increasing attacks on independent thought.

Around the world, curators have responded to these transformations with new forms of practice, ones that broaden cultural narratives to inspire collective action and foster a sense of belonging, dialogue, learning, and civic engagement. Many of the field's most innovative responses have emerged from curators who are working beyond the traditional boundaries of institutional practice: they are developing new curatorial models, building cultural infrastructures and forms of public engagement.

Speakers include Mary Jane Jacob, Tuan Andrew Nguyen, Riksa Afiaty, Drew Kahuʻāina Broderick, Josh Tengan, Michele Horrigan, Azikiwe Mohammed, Faheem Majeed, Risa Puleo, Brandon Alvendia, Keyna Eleison, Gridthiya Gaweewong, Miguel A. López, Marie Hélène Pereira 

For full schedule and booking see ICI website 
https://curatorsintl.org/events/26888-conference-curating-today