Curatorial practice is constantly evolving and heavily connected to today's society and politics. In contemporary times, the art world has come under scrutiny for not evolving enough and continuing practices which are unjust and foster inequality. Our job as curators is to be critical and to constantly examine our own practices and correct any possible flaws. 

Shot From Both Sides: 'Productive Conflict' and the Critical (Re)Turn in Curating, a curatorial conference aims to reimagine and reshape the future and continuity of curatorial practice within our current critical turn of the ever changing landscape of the art institution and society. In order to do this, we have identified four key areas of curatorial practice which we would like to contemplate, challenge, and reimagine. These categories are - Space, Identity, Ethics, and Activism.

While each of these subjects are separate and will be treated as such, common themes have emerged in the questions we have and the solutions we are proposing. From the questioning of our use of space to changing the narrative around identity, then onto challenging the notion of ethical practice and proposing further institutional accountability, collectively we are creating a productive conflict in order to rethink and reshape our practices.

In its inception and delivery, Shot From Both Sides: 'Productive Conflict' and the Critical (Re)Turn in Curating, proposes a space where difficult questions are posed, new insights offered and the problems identified are able to be prised open through discursive debate. The conference thus asks:

-What is the responsibility of the curator? Where is the critical curator? How and why was criticality lost? How can a return to criticality occur? How ought the curator reconcile publics amongst museums, when in a position of being torn between the needs of publics and the motive of institutions? That is being shot from both sides.

The overarching aim is to continue critical conversations and build upon existing dialogues for future practice. In result, the critical (re)turn of the curator is called into action, revealed in the platform of the conference.

Through this conference, we are acknowledging the role of the curator as 'shot from both sides', with pressure from the public to be more responsive to societal needs, and pressure from institutions to abide by protocol and attract large audiences. The overarching aim is to continue critical conversations and build upon existing dialogues for future practice.

In result, the critical (re)turn of the curator is called into action, revealed in the platform of the conference.