The Global Art Project

About

The Global Art Project was founded by Selene Wendt as a platform for her work as an independent curator, researcher and writer. Her ongoing curatorial focus is on decoloniality and socially engaged art practices, with emphasis on interdisciplinary projects situated at the intersection between contemporary art, music and literature. Prior to founding The Global Art Project, she worked six years as Chief Curator at Henie Onstad Kunstsenter, Høvikodden, Norway and eight years as Director and Chief Curator at The Stenersen Museum, Oslo, Norway. She works regularly with museums and cultural institutions from around the world, such as El Museo de Arte del Banco de la Republica in Bogota, Colombia; the Museum of Contemporary Art (MAC) Niteroi, Brazil; The Prince Claus Fund Gallery in Amsterdam, The Netherlands; The Museum of Cultural History, Oslo, Norway, The Havana Biennial, and the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art to name only a few. Each new project is an opportunity to promote artistic excellence within an international context that also takes local concerns and challenges into account. The goal is to create meaningful transcultural dialogues that extend beyond the art world and to find innovative ways to use art as a tool for societal awareness and change. Throughout her career she has consistently focused on artists from Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, including artists of these diasporas. She places particular emphasis on research-based exhibitions that address contemporary art within the context of cultural studies, and is dedicated to exposing the continued impact of colonial history on contemporary society. She has conducted extensive research about lesser-known colonial histories, with particular emphasis on Norwegian involvement in the transatlantic slave trade. Her book Beyond the Door of No Return, featuring contemporary artists whose works convey narratives of resistance against colonial rule, was co-published by The Africa Institute, Sharjah and Skira, Milan. In 2022 and 2023 she curated Vanderbilt University's Engine for Art, Democracy and Justice program, "Artistic Activism and the Power of Collective Resistance". Currently, she is leading the multi-locational research and artistic project "Sustaining the Otherwise" with Amal Alhaag, which will take place in various locations throughout Africa and Europe over the next few years.

Contact

selene[at]theglobalartproject[dot]no