kurator

Kurator is the German term for a person responsible for planning, developing, and presenting a cultural collection or exhibition. In museums, galleries, libraries, archives, and cultural institutions, a Kurator conducts research, selects works or objects, negotiates loans, oversees conservation and documentation, and designs or interprets exhibitions and programming. The position may also involve publishing catalogs, coordinating with researchers, and public education.

The word derives from the Latin curator, meaning caretaker or guardian, and entered German usage in the 19th century as professional museum staff expanded. The feminine form is Kuratorin; the plural Kuratoren or Kuratorinnen depending on gender.

Typical responsibilities include: researching collection holdings, acquiring new items through purchase or donation, developing exhibition concepts, writing labels and catalog entries, organizing loans and returns, collaborating with conservators and registrars, and engaging audiences through tours, talks, and digital media. Some institutions differentiate roles, such as chief curator, senior curator, or assistant curator, with varying levels of authority over acquisitions and program direction.

Curators work in various contexts: traditional museums, contemporary art spaces, anthropology or natural history museums, archives, and digital platforms. The rise of curation as a concept in media, music, and online communities has broadened the term to include the selection and organization of content for audiences beyond physical spaces.

Professional standards stress provenance research, ethics in collecting, accessibility, and inclusivity. Training often combines art history or science with museology, archives studies, or curatorial studies, and may include internships, fellowships, and collaboration across disciplines.