In The Curatorial Condition, Beatrice von Bismarck considers the field of activity and knowledge that relates to the exhibiting of art and culture. The curatorial, in her analysis, is a domain of practice and meaning with its own conditions, rules, and procedures. Focusing on the relations between human and nonhuman participants, she emphasizes the interplay of the process of curating, the subjective approach of the curator, and the presentational format of the exhibition.

Alongside the concept of curatoriality, von Bismarck introduces three additional concepts that view the curatorial condition in terms of relations: constellation, transposition, and hospitality. Within each section, she presents case studies of exhibitions and artistic practices since 1969 that profoundly altered the curatorial and whose importance is still felt today.