Ramifications of asking about group show curation
So I’ve been invited to be in a group show, I am very open to it and will likely end up committing to doing it, but the initial ask is from just the gallerists and the curator with some information about the theme but no information at all about what other artists may be included. This is a frequent issue I run Into with group shows, whether the final curation changes drastically or it’s not mentioned until I have already committed to the show.
I understand that this may sound a bit strategic, but as artists with our limited ability to control the context of how your work is digested, being in conversations/exhibition rooms with artists that feel aligned or, even better, that I enjoy the work of and aspire to, is important to me. And a roster of artists of a certain caliber can sway me greatly even if the gallery itself isn’t one I would typically gravitate towards.
Is it weird to request the list of artists prior to committing? I don’t want to be offensive but I am curious how that is perceived and if there are unspoken rules around it that I am not aware of.