Curation in the Age of Platform Capitalism

<p>This book employs the figure of curation—the selection arrangement and display of objects concepts and things—to explore the cultures of platform capitalism. Considering its rise in the global art world as an authorial meaning-making activity and an organizational-entrepreneurial endeavour it looks at curation as the interweaving of innovative concepts elaborate storytelling and trusted experts leaking out from galleries to hashtags.</p><p>Its logic encompasses diverse spheres ranging from high-brow art and the fashion world to low-brow experience economies and economies of authenticity from confidence cultures and relationship gurus to algorithmic spectacles. More than an economy “curate and be curated” is a diffused imperative amidst the disorienting spread of information that digital platforms enable: What to post what to wear what to eat what friends to have what music to hear what films to watch what places to visit what socks to choose and what opinion to have about serious issues like climate change military coups AI genetics space colonization and cryonics or everyday issues like football fashion and diet. Drawing on critical platform theory material culture and multi-sited ethnography the book examines curated worlds of coolness authenticity and inspiration including the luxury fashion brands Vetements and Balenciaga Airbnb food experiences and the figure of the life coach. The book argues that the curatorial imperative endorses an aspirational class imaginary and the idea that handling self-narratives is a strategic means of socialization that can assist upward mobilities as well as neoliberal narratives of well-being promotion and success.</p><p>This book will be of key interest to academics researchers and advanced undergraduate and graduate students in the areas of cultural studies media studies communication studies curating contemporary art theory critical management studies and art history as well as to more general readers interested in new media platforms and digital culture.</p>