Tabita Rezaire, Amakaba, 2021. Video, sound, 4:20 minutes. Courtesy: the artist and the Institute of Modern Art, Brisbane.

In the art world there’s a new emphasis on care—a focus on gentle attentiveness and good works, and a fear of triggering hurt. In curatorial practice, and in culture more broadly, ‘care’ has become a buzzword used to reset policy and practice. However, too often, the complexity and troublesomeness of care are smoothed over by liberal good intentions.

‘Care’ is a murky notion. It is entangled with feelings of obligation and burden, exhaustion and sacrifice. It is sometimes a mask for coercion and control. It is co-opted by commerce as a marketing tool, rebranded and repackaged as ‘wellness’ and ‘self-care’. The ‘uncaring’ positions—libertarians and litterers, meat eaters and gas guzzlers—are regularly overlooked too. How might these contingents inform the practice of care?

Curated by Stephanie Berlangieri, Angela Goddard, and Robert Leonard, Duty of Care is an international group show exploring familial, institutional, and professional care; care and gender; care and race; care and medicine; artists as healers; and extreme care. A partnership between the Institute of Modern Art and Griffith University Art Museum, it encompasses two major exhibitions from 29 June–22 September and 15 August–9 November respectively.

Featuring works by Cem A., Kathy Barry, Benetton/Oliviero Toscani, Jeamin Cha, Joshua Citarella, Martin Creed, Julian Dashper, Margaret Dawson, Florian Habicht, D Harding, The Hologram/Cassie Thornton, HOSSEI, Mike Kelley, Leigh Ledare, Sally Mann, Teresa Margolles, Dani Marti, Lauren Lee Mccarthy, Dane Mitchell, Chia Moan, Tracey Moffatt, Betty Muffler, Michael Parekōwhai, Sam Petersen, Tabita Rezaire, David Shrigley, Michael Stevenson, Sun Yuan and Peng Yu, and Artur Żmijewski.

Opening Event: Saturday 29 June, 3 – 6pm.