Through extensive research in curating and writing, Eloise Sweetman has delved into themes such as the interplay between not knowing and intimacy, as well as the roles of intuition and emotion in curatorship. Currently, her focus lies on the concept of "lingering" as a metaphor for exhibitions. Each exhibition is approached as a unique research site that informs subsequent projects. Sweetman particularly enjoys developing a deep understanding of artworks over time and collaborating with artists across multiple exhibitions. Sweetman draws inspiration from the artist's relationship with the site, found or industrial material, and the ways they break hierarchies of form. Often, her exhibition texts emphasize how artists disrupt conventional exhibition structures through their work.
Aside from her independent work, Eloise Sweetman is the co-founder and co-director of Shimmer, a curatorial studio in the Port of Rotterdam, alongside artist Jason Hendrik Hansma. As a curatorial studio, they present experimental exhibitions with artists from the Netherlands and beyond. Some of the shows curated by Sweetman and Hansma include A Door Ajar Singing, More, More, More, Than, Than, Than, Lovers, Lovers, Lovers, Lovers and World as Lover, World As Self with Ellen Gallagher, Dora Economou, Geo Wyeth, Harm van den Dorpel, and Magali Reus
Among others, Sweetman has have worked with (and in some cases continues to work with) include Zarouhie Abdalian, Etel Adnan, Basma Alsharif, Malin Arnell, Alaa Abu Asad & Ulufer Çelik, Giles Bailey, Adelaide Bannerman, Gwenneth Boelens, Dagmar Bosma, Dean Bowen, stanley brouwn, Ruth Buchanan, Sofia Caesar, Liu Chao-tze, Raqs Media Collective, Fayen d’Evie, Elizabeth Boon, & Sofia Lo Bianco, Nico Dockx, Theo van Doesburg, Harm van den Dorpel, Amalle Dublon, Marcel Duchamp, Joseph Grigely, Tamar Guimarães & Kasper Akhøj, Gordon Hall, Ian Kiaer, Lee Kit, Çağlar Köseoğlu, Bernd Krauß, Élisabeth Lebovici, Miyeon Lee, K.r.m. Mooney, Elena Narbutaitė, Kate Newby, Charlotte Posenenske, Magali Reus, Shanta Rao, Arin Rungjang, Laurel Schwulst, Sydney Shen, Matthew Stadler, Isabelle Sully, Lisa Tan, Jo-ey Tang, Himali Singh Soin & David Soin Tapperser, Nicoline Timmer, Chai Siris, Ma Qiusha, Abdullah Qureshi, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Lawrence Weiner, Katie West, Louwrien Wijers, Geo Wyeth, Mia You, Damon Zucconi, et al.
In 2021, Sweetman published Curatorial Feelings, co-edited with Jo-ey Tang, bringing together texts on curating, curated exhibitions, and collaborations with artists. She also hosts the podcast I Hope This Message Finds You WelI with Kris Dittel, where they openly discuss and question their work as freelance curators and engage in conversations with colleagues.
Sweetman has collaborated with collectives, organizations, and institutions worldwide, including A Tale of A Tub, Cookies, De Appel, Kroller Muller Museum, MADA Gallery, Monash University, Perth Arts Festival, Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts, PUBLICS, Stedelijk Museum, Treignac Projet, Gallery VER and Van Eyck Academy. She has also been involved in teaching and lecturing at various institutions, including the Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Van Eyck Academie, BEAR at Artez, Royal Academy of The Hague, University of Amsterdam, Piet Zwart Institute, Columbus College of Art and Design, and Monash University of Art and Design. She holds a Master of Fine Art from the School of Missing Studies, Sandberg Institute, Amsterdam, a Master of Art in Arts Management from the University of the Arts Utrecht and Open Universities London, and a Bachelor of Art in Arts Management from Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, Perth.
