In a world where art transcends language and geography, Curating Matters has emerged as a refreshing voice connecting diverse cultural perspectives through exhibitions, publications, and podcasts. Founded by Yang Li and Jingwen Weng, this collaborative identity bridges the creative landscapes of London and China. Their platform, accessible at curatingmatters.com, serves as a space where artistic expression, critical thought, and curatorial experimentation converge to form meaningful global conversations.
A Cross-Cultural Vision Rooted in Collaboration
Curating Matters was born out of the shared vision of Yang Li and Jingwen Weng, two curators who embody the fluidity of contemporary culture. Their collaboration began with a simple yet profound idea: to use curation as a means of reflection and learning rather than just exhibition-making. Through their partnership, they have cultivated a dynamic space that merges theory, practice, and accessibility.
Operating between London and China, they have built an ecosystem that reflects their own multicultural backgrounds. Their work challenges the boundaries between East and West, not by contrasting them but by weaving them together through shared artistic inquiry. The result is a practice that embraces diversity and fosters a dialogue that transcends conventional cultural hierarchies.
From Concept to Conversation: The Power of the Podcast
One of the most engaging aspects of Curating Matters is its podcast series, launched in July 2021. Each episode offers listeners an opportunity to dive into contemporary art and curatorial discussions from a unique, global perspective. Available across multiple platforms, these weekly episodes adopt a casual and imaginative tone that resonates with both seasoned art professionals and newcomers to the field.
The podcast embodies what the founders call “embodied criticism,” a form of reflection that captures their learning process in real time. Rather than positioning themselves as distant critics, Li and Weng speak as participants navigating the cultural industries they discuss. This approach turns each episode into a conversation, not a lecture. Through these dialogues, they reflect on art, institutions, and the cultural forces shaping creative expression today.
The inclusive and conversational format of the podcast is what sets it apart. Listeners can experience thoughtful reflections without feeling alienated by academic jargon. In this way, Curating Matters redefines how art criticism and curatorial discussion can be shared with a wider audience.
Exhibiting the Everyday: Street on the Walk
In 2022, Curating Matters expanded its practice into the physical space with its first exhibition, Street on the Walk. This project emerged from the curators’ fascination with the unnoticed gestures of daily life. The show featured six Asian artists who explored the act of walking as a creative and philosophical process. Through diverse media, they captured motion as a form of connection rather than isolation.
The exhibition rejected the static notion of the art object, instead emphasizing the relationships formed through movement and presence. The curators transformed the everyday act of walking into a metaphor for cultural navigation and coexistence. By focusing on the flow of human interactions, Street on the Walk revealed how ordinary experiences can become profound acts of artistic reflection.
Through this exhibition, Curating Matters positioned itself as more than a curatorial platform—it became an ongoing inquiry into how art relates to human experience. This exhibition also showcased the founders’ commitment to collaboration, bringing together voices from across Asia and engaging with the nuances of identity, motion, and social connection.
Bon Voyage: Exploring Identity and Change
Building on the success of their first exhibition, the duo presented Bon Voyage!, a show that featured nine artists and twenty-two multimedia works. This project delved into themes of self-identity, uncertainty, and the fluid nature of human relationships. The exhibition captured the sense of movement and transition that defines contemporary life, particularly for artists navigating cross-cultural realities.
Through installations, video works, and performances, Bon Voyage! examined how individuals imagine their futures amid constant change. The show reflected a world in flux—one where identity is not fixed but constantly reshaped by travel, communication, and cultural exchange.
Curating Matters used this exhibition to push beyond the traditional gallery space. Their curatorial method encouraged audiences to engage not just with the works on display, but also with the ideas and experiences they represented. This approach redefined what an exhibition could be: not a static presentation, but a living dialogue between artists, audiences, and curators.
Beyond the Gallery: Publishing New Perspectives
While exhibitions and podcasts form the public face of Curating Matters, their publishing arm deepens the intellectual foundation of their work. In April 2022, they launched the first issue of their semi-annual publication titled curating matters. This print and digital journal accompanies their exhibitions and extends their discussions into written form.
The publication challenges traditional methods of documentation and archiving in the art world. Rather than treating art writing as an afterthought, it uses publication as a curatorial tool in itself. Articles and essays explore alternative ways of recording artistic and curatorial processes, blurring the line between academic research and creative storytelling.
Through this initiative, Li and Weng are building a platform that connects artists, writers, and curators from diverse cultural backgrounds. Their publication acts as both a record and a catalyst—a space for critical reflection and collective growth. By expanding beyond the white cube, they are redefining what it means to archive and communicate art in the digital age.
Building Bridges Between Cultures
At its core, Curating Matters is about dialogue. It thrives on the idea that art is not an isolated act but a form of communication that brings people together. By working between London and China, Li and Weng embody the movement of ideas across borders. Their projects explore how multicultural perspectives can coexist and enrich one another within the same creative space.
This cross-border collaboration also highlights the evolving role of curators in the 21st century. No longer confined to organizing exhibitions, today’s curators are educators, writers, and cultural translators. Curating Matters embraces this expanded definition, using every medium—sound, text, and visual art—to explore the intersections of culture and creativity.
The team’s bilingual and cross-cultural approach also enhances accessibility. Through their website, curatingmatters.com, global audiences can engage with their projects, listen to podcasts, and learn about their exhibitions. This digital presence ensures that their work remains open, inclusive, and globally relevant.
Rethinking Curatorial Practice
Curating Matters reflects a broader movement toward decentralized, collaborative, and experimental curatorial practices. Instead of viewing curation as a form of authority, Li and Weng see it as an act of participation. They curate not to dictate meaning but to invite reflection. Their work exemplifies how curating can become a method of learning—an ongoing process that adapts, evolves, and responds to the world.
Their philosophy also challenges the conventional art world’s exclusivity. By merging podcasts, publications, and exhibitions, they have created a multifaceted model that welcomes audiences from varied backgrounds. Whether someone approaches art through listening, reading, or viewing, Curating Matters ensures there is a way in.
This inclusivity is particularly important in today’s globalized yet fragmented art landscape. Platforms like Curating Matters play a crucial role in fostering empathy and understanding across cultural and geographic boundaries. They demonstrate that curation is not just about objects—it’s about people, experiences, and conversations.
The Road Ahead: Expanding the Dialogue
As Curating Matters continues to grow, its founders remain committed to expanding their reach and deepening their inquiry. Future projects aim to explore alternative forms of archiving, experimental display methods, and new cross-cultural collaborations. Their ambition is not only to showcase art but to build sustainable frameworks for creative exchange.
Their website, curatingmatters.com, stands as a living archive of their evolving practice—a hub for contemporary art dialogue that connects people across borders. Through their continuous experimentation, Li and Weng are shaping a new kind of curatorial identity: one that is fluid, inclusive, and deeply human.
Curating Matters is more than a platform; it is a philosophy in action. It reminds us that art and culture are not confined by geography but defined by the connections we make. In bridging London and China, in uniting the written word, spoken dialogue, and visual experience, Curating Matters invites us all to walk together on the shared path of creativity and discovery.