James Putnam is a London-based independent curator and writer. He studied Art History at London University and joined the Egyptian Antiquities Department of the British Museum, where he initiated the critically acclaimed 1994 exhibition ‘Time Machine’, which juxtaposed contemporary art with historical artefacts. He founded the British Museum’s Contemporary Arts and Cultures Programme in 1999, examining history, art and artefacts in the light of current cultural issues. A Visiting Scholar in Museum Studies at New York University, Putnam has organised major exhibitions for leading institutions, such as the critically acclaimed ‘Daydreaming with Stanley Kubrick’ at Somerset House and curated large-scale collateral projects for the Venice Biennale and various biennials in Asia. He was Senior Lecturer in Curating at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London (2004-2011) and Senior Research Fellow: Exhibitions at the University of the Arts London (2010-2021). He was Senior Research Fellow, Exhibitions at London College of Fashion (UAL) 2010-2021. ​ Through his ongoing exhibition series at the Freud Museum, London, he has collaborated with internationally acclaimed artists including Sophie Calle, Sarah Lucas, Ellen Gallagher, Miroslaw Balka, Mat Collishaw and Gavin Turk. His book “Art and Artifact: The Museum as Medium” (Thames & Hudson,2000/10) surveys the interaction between contemporary artists and museums.