Panel Discussion: All History Is Contemporary | EFA Open Studios 2026

All History Is Contemporary, Present Perspectives on Curating the Past brings together leading curators for a conversation on the intersections of the past and the present. In times of uncertainty, we often turn to history to better understand the world around us—yet history itself is layered, contested, and continually reinterpreted.

How do historical narratives shape contemporary art? How can exhibitions illuminate overlooked histories or challenge dominant ones? And what role do curators play in making the complexities of the past meaningful today?

Through presentations and discussion, the panelists will reflect on their curatorial practices and exhibition projects, exploring how artists and institutions engage with memory, archives, cultural heritage, and historical research.

Speakers include:

Sean Corcoran is Senior Curator of Prints and Photographs at the Museum of the City of New York. Previously Assistant Curator of Photography at the George Eastman Museum, he has organized exhibitions including City as Canvas and Above Ground, exploring the history and development of New York’s graffiti and street art. He has written extensively on photography and graffiti, contributing to more than two dozen publications.

Jody Graf is a curator and writer based in New York and Assistant Curator at MoMA PS1. Her curatorial practice engages with contemporary art, political histories, and questions of land, identity, and social justice. At MoMA PS1, she has worked on exhibitions including Greater New York 2021, Marking Time: Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration, Theater of Operations: The Gulf Wars 1991–2011, and Niki de Saint Phalle: Structures for Life. Her writing has appeared in publications including Frieze, Texte Zur Kunst, Mousse, and CURA.

Dr. Gervais Marsh, Associate Director at Creative Time, is a writer, curator and scholar based in New York City, whose practice meditates on questions of relation, intimacy, and the limits of reconciliation. Guided by a desire to foster emotional resonances through texts, exhibition making, public art and programming, Marsh seeks to ignite ongoing reflection rather than definitive answers. 

Moderated by:

Lise Kjaer is a Danish artist, art historian, and educator based in New York. She holds a Ph.D. in Art History from the Graduate Center, CUNY, teaches twentieth-century and contemporary art at the City College of New York, and has exhibited internationally throughout Europe and the United States.

Saturday, October 10, 2026
12:00 – 1:00 PM

LOCATION
323 West 39th Street, NYC 10018