Cultivating ‘Response-ability’: Curating Coral in Recent Exhibitions

Abstract

This article explores the reasons for the recent surge of interest in exhibitions and displays featuring corals and coral reefs, as well as the challenges and opportunities involved in curating coral. I argue that, while it can be difficult to convey the complex natural characteristics of corals through displays of coral specimens in museums, exhibitions such as Coral: Something Rich and Strange (2013–14), and artworks such as Christine and Margaret Wertheim’s Crochet Coral Reef (2005–present) and Tamiko Thiel’s Unexpected Growth (2018–19), can deepen a sense of wonder in exhibition visitors and foster experiences of connection between humans and marine invertebrates – ultimately to encourage ‘response-ability’ to and for the natural world. I suggest that collaborative, cross-disciplinary modes of exhibition making – such as displaying works of art alongside scientific or natural history specimens – provides curators with opportunities to intensify the affective responses of audiences.