Manufacturing consent in the art world within the scope of curating

This thesis investigates the manufacturing of consent in the art world within the scope of curating and how curators shape public opinion and the art market through the selection, exhibition and interpretation of artists and artworks. Drawing on theories and practices of communication, sociology, psychology, politics, power, media studies, public relations, language, culture, and art history, the effects of globalisation, the internet, and social media on art discourse and the reception of art and curatorship are analysed by adopting a multidisciplinary approach. The main findings of this thesis are that the manufacturing of consent in the art world is a complex and dynamic phenomenon involving various actors, factors and strategies. Curating is a key factor and actor in this phenomenon. This thesis provides a comprehensive and critical overview of the concept of consent manufacturing and its reflections in the art world. It also proposes a new framework for analysing the role of curating in the manufacturing of consent in the art world. The study includes a detailed case study of Documenta 5, an exhibition that challenges traditional notions of art and exemplifies the processes and consequences of consent manufacturing in the art world. The thesis is supported by examples from primary and secondary sources that can ensure the generalisability and comparability of the findings, examples from the art world, and examples from the artist Burak Arıkan's network diagrams. This study has some limitations such as the fact that it is based on the 2000s, the years when the concept of curatorship started to be popularised and the power of the curator in the art world reached its peak. However, the factors that constitute these years have been analysed in detail. Finally, the thesis adopts a mainly descriptive and interpretive approach, which may not fully capture the causal mechanisms and effects of the manufacturing of consent in the art world. The main recommendations for future work on this topic are to explore the ethical and social implications of consent manufacturing in the art world, to examine the changing dynamics and challenges of consent manufacturing in the art world in the digital age, and to develop and implement more innovative and participatory curatorial models and methods that encourage greater dialogue and collaboration between actors in the art world.