Akane Miki

After having finished my BA in printmaking in Japan, my interest shifted to curating. I decided to enrol in Goldsmiths MFA Curating since the course provides both theoretical and practical approaches to this field. I was also attracted by the truly international nature of the course. Although I had a strong desire to work as a bridge between art and society, I did not have a clear perception of what 'curating' is. During my time on the course, I kept facing this radical question, which is the most valuable thing I experienced while at Goldsmiths.

As with most other international students, learning abroad was a tough road for me to follow. I remember that I was very impressed (and even shocked) that students were encouraged to approach the knowledge on various matters such as politics, technology and cultural anthropology. This interdisciplinary approach was truly challenging and it brought me to new levels of thinking.

I appreciated that the tutors and my fellow course mates were very kind and supportive people. My perspectives broadened thanks to the great guest lecturers and seminars. The student-led workshops in the second year of the programme particularly influenced me in terms of putting various idea together and sharing different insights. From every single assignment, I learned something new with my wonderful course mates, a creative process that I really enjoyed.

Developing a career in the art world is not easy. The course gave me confidence that curatorial ways of thinking can be used in any position in any institution.

When I graduated I initially worked at an art fair, which enriched my skills of management and communication. These abilities were highly valued when I worked as an Assistant Curator at the Aichi Triennale 2019. Working with international artists who had little information about the context of Japan, I paid attention to how each artist communicates. This was crucial to ensure that artists felt comfortable to install their works or to produce commissioned works on site.

These experiences have shown me that curatorial ways of thinking are not just about knowledge gained. They involve strategies that are vital to working in a team, and to implementing and managing projects. Through the different roles I have held I have placed myself as an interpreter between other curators, artists, and the administration team. Bridging different people and thoughts is what I learnt most from my research about curating at Goldsmiths.

My advice to current students, especially international students, is to enjoy the many different insights that you can exchange with your course mates, who themselves come to London from many other parts of the world.