Pidginization as Curatorial Method: Messing with Languages and Praxes of Curating

by Bonaventure Soh Beje Ndikung, Steven Henry Madoff (Editor)

A new vision for activist curatorial practice.

In Pidginization as Curatorial Method: Messing with Languages and Praxes of Curating, renowned curator and director Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung proposes Pidgin languages as expressions of resistance to settler colonialism and pidginization as a way to approach curating (and the world), creating new spaces for encounter, knowledge, and pluralities. Deftly deploying the thinking, writing, and rhythmic beat of musicians, philosophers, linguists, poets, and novelists, Ndikung offers a new vision for activist curatorial practice and beyond. This is the third volume of the series Thoughts on Curating, edited by Steven Henry Madoff.

Genres: Nonfiction

64 pages, Paperback

Published August 15, 2023

Reviews

[Aisha Pectyo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this essay. Ndikung’s idea of pidginization as a curatorial method is refreshing. He reframes pidgin as a creative, living practice rather than a failure of language, and his writing embraces messiness in a way that feels true. I also appreciated being introduced to Fela Kuti through this lens.
My only real critique is that I wanted more concrete examples of how pidginization might work behind the scenes. How would it shape categorization, metadata, or descriptive practices within institutions? The theory is compelling, but I found myself craving practical applications. Still, this essay is a powerful piece that has stayed with me and continues to shape how I think about language, authority, and curating.

[Sarah Cavar · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an excellent read! I'm excited to think more about pidginization in the world of craft, art, and curation/editorial work, particularly as it relates to the challenge between curating effectively for an audience, and honoring the illegibility of subaltern creatives.

[Sally Elhennawy · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many brilliant ideas here! I learned tons and am very taken with pidginization as praxis and pedagogy, although I will say that while the book did a wonderful job of contextualizing pidginization and of elaborating a capacious curatorial method, I don’t think the two frameworks cohered as well as they might have for the purposes of the book. I didn’t come away with a real depth of understanding around why pidginization in particular is the best schema to organize this type of curatorial style, rather than just being useful shorthand for a set of parameters. But! As I said I was very taken with it all and I can’t wait to learn more. Also, it was written beautifully and with lovely nods to collaborators, revolutionaries, and inspirations of all stripes.

[Amogelang Maledu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incisive essay on democratising what we understand to be curatorial practices especially in relation to moving beyond Art-as-objects as the arbiter of where curating starts and ends. The anecdotal book thinks through social practices of conviviality as part and parcel of curating where pidgin/pidgindization becomes a metaphor of thinking interdisciplinary and multilaterally. A must have book for any curator practicing today!