Gabriel is a researcher, curator and museum developer from South Africa. He graduated from the MRes Art: Exhibition Studies at Central Saint Martins in 2024.
Why did you choose to study MRes Art: Exhibition Studies at Central Saint Martins?
I chose the MRes Art: Exhibition Studies because it offered a critically engaged, interdisciplinary approach to exhibitions as sites of knowledge production. The programme stood out for its openness to experimental research and its strong methodological grounding, allowing for a balance between historical inquiry and independent exploration.
A key factor was its connection to Afterall, a leading research unit and publishing platform focused on exhibition histories and critical art discourse. This promised access to a rich network of ideas, publications, and research-driven projects, aligning with my interest in how exhibitions shape cultural narratives.
The course’s structure encouraged students to question established frameworks, engage deeply with archival and theoretical research, and explore exhibitions as dynamic spaces of discourse. This combination made it the ideal environment to develop and refine my approach to exhibition studies.
What’s the most interesting project you worked on during your time at CSM?
Working with The Showroom’s archive of Margins and Institutions: Art in Chile 1973–1989 was one of the most compelling experiences of my time at CSM. The project examined how Chilean artists resisted censorship under Pinochet’s regime and how the exhibition itself became a form of counter-hegemonic discourse as it travelled.
This research deepened my engagement with the role of archives in rewriting and reclaiming histories - a theme that continues to shape my approach to exhibition-making today. It also reinforced my interest in how exhibitions extend beyond their original moment, shaping historical narratives, activism, and memory over time.
What have you been working on since graduating?
Since graduating, I have started my PhD, expanding on the research I began in my Master’s thesis. My focus is on re-examining Sebidi’s artistic praxis through the concept of fugitive communication, drawing on her living methodology of movement, refusal, and ancestral transmission.
This research builds on my involvement in retrieving Sebidi’s lost works from Sweden, which were taken during her 1991 residency at Nyköping Folk High School. Recovering these works and co-curating Ntlo E Etsamayang (The Walking House) at the University of Johannesburg Gallery (2024) shaped my understanding of how her practice operates beyond institutional legibility, engaging instead with coded symbolism, fugitivity, and intergenerational knowledge.
Alongside my PhD, I am working on two major museum projects:
Both projects allow me to apply my research in real-world spaces, ensuring that exhibitions serve as platforms for critical engagement with history, science, and culture.
What important piece of advice would you give to students thinking of studying this course?
Be curious, be open, and embrace uncertainty. The MRes gives you space to experiment - whether in writing, archival research, or exhibition-making - so take full advantage of that freedom.
It’s a programme that values multiple perspectives, so rather than looking for a single answer, explore the different ways an exhibition can be approached. Some of the most exciting research happens when you follow unexpected connections and challenge conventional narratives.
Most importantly, engage with your peers and lecturers to build community. The course thrives on discussion, and the more you contribute to those conversations, the richer your experience will be. Research isn’t something you do in isolation - it’s shaped by the people around you.
What was the highlight of your Central Saint Martins experience?
The depth of discussion and exchange within the programme was a major highlight. The range of voices—classmates, visiting curators, scholars, and artists -meant that every seminar became a space of critical debate, often challenging assumptions and pushing research in new directions.
What is the most important thing you learned on the course?
That an exhibition is never neutral -it is a constructed space that mediates knowledge, power, and perspective. Every curatorial decision—what is included, what is excluded, how objects and narratives are framed - shapes how history is told.
I also learned that research isn’t just about gathering information; it’s about making connections that shift understanding. My work continues to advocate that exhibition histories are fluid, always being rewritten through new interpretations and institutional frameworks.
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