Helena Lugo

"I graduated from MFA Curating in 2016, I chose Goldsmiths because I felt related to the way of thinking of the academics and professors. I always enjoyed the thought of studying at a University that produces so much knowledge, debate and new ideas. I felt the art department was a space for exchange, encounters, friends and collaborations, but most of all, with the freedom for creating and developing your own work.

The first year of study was really hard. I guess every Masters degree makes you constantly question your own practice. I was reflecting so much on my role as a curator and my own interests. Yet, in second year everything made sense. The Goldsmiths scheme allowed me to be reflective, critical and speculative. It also gave me a lot of time to think, to read, to see and to reflect on my work. Tutors were continuously challenging and questioning your practice but were also very supportive. 

Besides that, I really enjoyed my colleagues, as we all went through this experience together. I am still friends with many of them and I am part of a curatorial collective some of us created after the course. 

Since graduating, I have done all sorts of things in the art-field! I have curated shows in different cities, I have published a book, I have worked as a Research Coordinator in a contemporary art museum, I have written for different media, and I have funded my own project. My independent practice has allowed me to form relationships with institutions, artists, and fellow-curators whilst also giving me the chance to pursue my own interests. I have had the opportunity to have residencies; last year I was part of Shanghai Curators Lab. Currently I am based in Mexico City and I am working at Salón ACME; I am Fellow Curator at MARCE Museum and I'm chief curator of Palmera ardiendo, an independent platform for contemporary art. 

Goldsmiths gave me the confidence to become a curator. Critical thinking as well as freedom of thought, academic rigour and a practical approach are fundamental things I found at Goldsmiths. Thanks to my whole process of doing an MFA in London nowadays I can engage with projects of any size. I feel like I can take risks, experiment and develop my practice in different areas. 

I would advise current MFA Curating students to engage. Engage with the city, with fellow students, with professors, with the campus, the library and everything else. I would also advise them to realise the projects they imagine whilst they are students, as Goldsmiths opens up an enormous amound of opportunities to make things happen."