Nelson Qin’s Curatorial Approach Prompts Renewal and Iteration. Experimentation as a Method, Change as a Philosophy.

For London-based curator Nelson Qin, exhibitions are conceived as sites of experimentation, giving rise to new creative languages in response to an ever-changing world.

His curatorial practice eschews any singular concept in favour of the pursuit of concomitantly inclusive, collaborative and future-oriented models. There are recurrent conceits of course – the sensorial reception of digital art, biomimicry, as well as the spatial and psychological dimensions of colour – but one of how Qin determines a sustainable curatorial practice is in remaining wholeheartedly committed to revelation. That being said, the serendipitous potential arises from artistic engagement rooted in cultural diversity and interdisciplinary dialogue.

He has curated exhibitions at major institutions, including the London Design Festival, but also leverages various academic platforms to amplify the voices of diaspora artists at the early stages of their careers. As Chief Curator of London Art Collective, Qin’s curatorial approach consistently aligns with the imperatives of the LAC: to emphasise experimental, integrative practices and encourage underrepresented voices in contemporary art. This he successfully realised as curator of ROTOR – The Le Carrousel du Louvre Contemporary Art Exhibition 2024, an ambitious presentation which facilitated the evolution of ideas around renewal and iteration between 84 global artists, some of them established but many emerging from untrained backgrounds. 

The titular ‘ROTOR’, an artfully symmetrical word derived from engineering, represents a rotating, continually moving body, a shape echoed in the iconic glass pyramid of the Louvre as well as the inverted structure of the nearby Carrousel. Delving deeper, the exhibition also discusses the philosophical aspect of the word ‘rotor’ as the root word for ‘revolve’, which Qin adopts as a metaphor for replication and development, involving the evolution of thought, opinions or ideas. To this end, he assembled and choreographed work existing at the intersection of contemporary art, digital culture, and science and technology studies. In the rapid digital landscape today, the metaphor of “ROTOR” reflects the acceleration of social change. The works exhibited show more than integration of art and technology; they also raise profound reflection on identity and the ecological crisis.

Commanding a space of 6,500 square metres with such a large group exhibition is no mean feat. It requires the establishment of a certain rhythm. Qin and his curatorial team divided the space into four distinct sections. A collection of artworks by LAC’s participating artists and a global gallery selection were presented at Espace Delorme, a palatial rectangular room that featured artistic manifestations of personal growth, cultural legacy and identity politics. In the similarly proportioned Espace Le Notre, he gathered nearly 50 sculptures and installations, including works by the likes of Mathilde Thiennot and Sami Korhonen, which also expressed the exhibition’s core visions of personal reflection whilst expanding into political awareness, feminine perspectives and environmental consciousness. 

As an Asian curator, he continuously presents a dialogue between Western modern classics and contemporary Asian aesthetics. Qin is committed to shaping a cross-cultural global artistic context, thereby guiding the public to understand and examine contemporary art from multiple dimensions.

Written by Millen Brown-Ewens