In a few days time I’ll launch Democracy, a crowd sourced exhibition / competition which asks designers from around the world to respond to the theme of Democracy.
The launch is in the shape of a website which will allow designers to post their artworks, debate the merit of the entries and vote for what should be included in the final exhibition.
The website is (if I say so myself) looking great, and after a lot of publicity within the design community we are confident that we’ll get a lot of entries.
So what is the problem?
As the launch approaches I am gripped by a fear, and only time will tell if it is justified.
Had I approached the exhibition in a traditional manner, I would as the curator have a lot of control over the designers and the work selected for the final exhibition. However the format of Democracy means I have no control, anyone can enter work in the exhibition and it is the public who will select what is appropriate for display in the final exhibition, not me.
In a few weeks time I will know if I have an exhibition of great design, or a wall full of entries from high school students (not that the first can’t be created by the latter, but you know what I mean), until then I am getting little sleep and thinking perhaps Dictatorship would have been a better concept then Democracy.
Democracy will take place at the Square Yard Gallery, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
14 - 30 October, 2009.