Hans Ulrich Obrist | The Last Mythical Curator? | Reading HUO’s Memoir

Has “Globe-trotter” curator, artistic director of the Serpentine in London, obsessive collector of conversations with artists, Hans-Ulrich Obrist, finally laid down his secrets in writing? What makes a myth? What did he carry from his predecessors and how did he negociate the patriarchal and hegemonic role of the visionary curator? And why does it feel like HUO is the last of his kind? Joana, our host, a curator as well, goes over his recently published memoir, Life in Progress (Allen Books, Penguin, 2025) to discover a young man with a plan, cold-calling famous artists, and acquiring an enviable address book at the very young age. How did he get there and what art career did this auspicious start bring to him and to contemporary art? Exhibitionistas is: An award winning podcast (Women Who Podcast Awards 2026) A companion Substack page with essays, articles and episode announcements. A YouTube Channel with art shorts. An instagram with questions & "visit with me series" All with specific features. We're launching our 1rst Crowdfunding Campaign . DONATE : https://buymeacoffee.com/exhibitionista Become a monthly member: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2624749/monetization/supporter_settings Jingle: "Wunder", experimental poem by Joana P. R. Neves. Did the episode stir Art Wonderment memories? Share them via text or voice message. Support the show Created & Hosted by Dr. Joana P. R. Neves, art curator and writer with over 20 years of experience in the contemporary art field. Artistic director of Drawing Now Paris since 2018, she has worked across the industry, from the art market to education. She co-launched the art residency and project space Worlding in 2020. Exhibitionistas’ first year offered exhibition discussions with guest co-host Emily Harding; organically, it grew into a more experimental show exploring art topics, stories and interviews complemented by Joana’s publication Art Thinkosaurus on Substack. She champions ‘Art Wonderment’s’ embrace of complexity against the lure of ready-made opinions. A polyglot, she grew up in Lisbon, studied and lived in Paris, to finally settle in London with her artist husband, four children and two cats. READ JOANA'S TEXTS: Joana on Substack: https://joanaprneves.substack.com Where you find the Exhibitionistas Files, our Newsletter: ...