Ikon appoints new curator: Melanie Pocock

 

Ikon is delighted to announce the appointment of Melanie Pocock as Curator.

Pocock is a curator and writer with over 10 years’ experience in Europe and Asia, and moves to Ikon from her previous position as Assistant Curator at the Institute of Contemporary Arts Singapore. There she organised more than sixty exhibitions with local and international artists since her arrival in 2014.

During her term at the ICA, Pocock curated Dissolving Margins (2018–19), Native Revisions (2017) and Countershadows (tactics in evasion) (2014), a trilogy of exhibitions exploring paradoxical aesthetics in contemporary art. With ICA Director Bala Starr, she also led curatorial collaborations with the Musée d’art contemporain de Lyon, Palais de Tokyo and the Singapore Biennale. Her essays, articles and reviews have been published in Art-Agenda, ArtAsiaPacific, Eyeline, Frieze, Kaleidoscope, LEAP, Ocula, The Financial Times, divan | Journal of Accounts, Journal of Curatorial Studies and Third Text. In 2014, she edited and co-wrote the first monograph on the work of Malaysian artist Shooshie Sulaiman, published by Kerber Verlag. Prior to joining the ICA, Pocock held curatorial positions at Modern Art Oxford and Art Scene China. She holds an MA (Distinction) in Curating Contemporary Art from the Royal College of Art, London.

I’m thrilled to be joining Ikon at this time. I’ve long been inspired by the internationalism of Ikon’s programme and the depth of its work with local communities. For decades, Ikon’s artist-centric approach, from career-changing solo exhibitions to pioneering off-site projects, have set its programme apart. I look forward to developing Ikon’s artistic programme with Director Jonathan Watkins and the gallery’s exceptional team. Melanie Pocock

Ikon’s curatorial team is led by Director Jonathan Watkins:

Ikon is delighted to welcome Melanie Pocock as our new Curator. She brings a wealth of experience that fits well with our programme overall, complementing and refreshing our engagement with the international art world. In turn we look forward to introducing Melanie to the cultural life of Birmingham with its increasingly dynamic artistic community. Her adventurous spirit suits Ikon perfectly.

Find the full press release here.

Image: Melanie Pocock. Photograph by Ken Cheong.