Chats with Curators

Chats with Curators

How have curators pivoted the way they worked in the past year to continue working with artists and their communities? We check in with four curators: Alia Swastika in Indonesia, Đỗ Tường Linh in Vietnam, Chum Chanveasna in Cambodia and Rebecca Yeoh in Malaysia. They talk about how they have intentionally developed their curatorial practice in the past year, including setbacks and highlight projects, what has stood out to them in their local art scene, and their recommendations for places to visit.

Alia Swastika

Director, Biennale Jogja Foundation

Could you talk about your curatorial practice in the past year? For example, how did you intentionally develop it, what were thesetbacks (if any) and what were highlight projects for you?

Like many other people working in the arts and experiencing pandemic with quite limited sources, I significantly changed my life and slowed down in the last two years. After a decade of high frequency of traveling around the world for exhibitions abroad and conferences, I stay grounded, finally. The first months gave me a sense of peace and calm, since I got what I felt I lost before. But after a year, there was an insecurity, and I started wondering if my life would be the same again. Would I be involved in those large-scale exhibitions abroad again, or would the world leave me behind? And with all the problems revealed during pandemic, how would I contribute more to the world I live in?

Etza Meisyara, ‘Aarth’, project for Bilik Korea Konnect ASEAN, Biennale Jogja XVI Equator #6 2021. Image courtesy of Biennale Jogja Foundation.

While I was working for the Biennale Jogja Equator series #6 2021, where Oceania was our focus area, we also expanded the exhibition to Korea, Taiwan and Southeast Asia. I particularly would like to see how communities have become the frontier of the Covid struggle, and the spirit of collectivity across the region was something that helped us to survive the pandemic. In the exhibition of women artists in ‘Bilik Korea- Konnect ASEAN’, I featured some projects that were dedicated to the women who fight for their land and food resources, for the sustainability of our ecology based on their local knowledge and beliefs, and included for example works by Fitri DK and Etza Meisyara.

In individual work, I thus changed the priority of what art should be, even if I would do it slowly. The shifting was intriguing, and uncertain. I started working in our small studio in the village, that was planned as a residency studio before the pandemic, and invited young local artists to live and work there, engaging with the villagers. I wanted to document the situation: the people, the plants, their history and such. Bringing the youngsters to talk to old farmers, following their rituals and juxtaposing to their urban body and habits, touching moments were created. In the end, we put up a small exhibition, but we invited only the neighbours and artists friends, so we had such intimate connections.

For many of the villagers, it was their first time entering an art space, and encounter a so-called “exhibition”. There were no wall texts and no captions; all were explained by people talking each other. And I want to do this again and again in the near future, because you can feel how the arts can connect people. While undergoing the residency, I hope the artists we are inviting would learn more from the villagers and develop an engagement with their social surroundings.

‘Exhibition at Home’ attended by villagers around Lohjinawi. Image courtesy of Lohjinawi. Photo by Rizkya Duavania.

Alia Swastika with the artists after the presentation for the project at Lohjinawi. Image courtesy of Lohjinawi. Photo by Rizkya Duavania.

The second project I realised and enjoyed so much was the small exhibition in Lasem, an old port city on the north coast of Java, working with the heritage foundation members there. The city itself has a long complex history, which is significant to mark the seeds of tolerance and diversity of Indonesian people since they have strong connections with Javanese, Chinese and European cultures particularly manifested in their architecture heritage, foods and many others. To emphasise the important role of the women in the early days of Peranakan culture, this exhibition focused on the theme of Nyah Lasem, which is the nickname of an old lady who was a part of a Chinese family with a local business and wide range of social roles. I invited some artists from Yogyakarta and Jakarta, and put them together with artists from Lasem. The exhibition was held in an old original house of Lasem that functions as Nyah Lasem Museum owned by a local philatelist and also in another old beautiful house — where we used only terrace part — that was owned by the richest person living there in the early 20th century. I was glad to be able to learn the history of this very interesting city, to meet young artists there and to show some works of Indonesian renowned artists in a smaller city. I think in the future this would be my direction too; creating small-scale exhibition in small cities in Indonesia, and to connect people so they can produce and share knowledge, rethink and rewrite their own history.

Could you speak about a show/project (feel free to share more thanone) in your local art scene that you particularly enjoyed in the pastyear (that is not your own)? What was compelling about it/them?

While gaining a deeper understanding of local contexts, some projects are giving me the chance to expand my horizon of artistic experiments and mediums, and re-look at local mythologies and histories in different ways. One of the projects that haunts my mind is the exhibition by Nadiah Bamadhaj held in Kiniko Art Space in collaboration with A+ Works of Art in Kuala Lumpur. This exhibition was titled ‘The Subversive Feminist’. Even the title is already quite contradictory, and it is about the things that would subvert the mind of the audience, where she connects her personal experience as a modern woman living in Java to what it has taught her about a different approach towards feminism, which is based on local narratives and mythologies.

Nadiah works carefully and beautifully with paper collage, creating black and white two-dimensional installations that strongly catch our eyes to their twisted iconic symbols, such as the keris, batik, the comb, and other forms that comes from everyday objects in Java. After the exhibition, I saw again one project she presented in ARTJOG 2021 called ‘The Reckoning’, which also came from her investigation of aging and women’s role and position in society. It is based on calon arang, the myth of an old lady who is powerful in her medicine knowledge, but who is alienated and later called a witch. She is a symbol of how the society has demonised the power of women with knowledge.

Nadiah Bamadhaj’s project for ARTJOG 2021 titled ‘The Reckoning'. Image courtesy of A+ Works of Art and the artist.

If someone were to visit your local art scene before the end of 2022, where would you recommend they go to experience the best of what it offers? You could respond to this in broad strokes i.e. an enclave, a space, or particular exhibitions and events.

In the immediate future I see how the art world could be working more on local contexts, and I think Yogyakarta is a perfect place to see the blend of modern conception of art and traditional ones, which have contributed almost equally to the development of contemporary art today. Artists also engage in various way with their surroundings, creating interesting connections between art and community. When you come to Jogja, please visit the spaces initiated by artists, reflecting the discourses and practices across mediums and generations, where you can find intimate and non-intimidating way of connecting with artists. You can also find here events such ARTJOG that display in quite spectacular way works from established and younger artists, becoming the not-to-be-missed among the trendy audience, or pay a visit when they organise the Biennale Jogja equator series where you find how artists commit to deep research and experimentation, and yet manage to transform them into powerful works of art. I think Jogja is truly a place where you see art is not a bubble of our own community, but is something you find in every place and everyone.

Chum Chanveasna

Arts Administrator & Curator

Could you talk about your curatorial practice in the past year? For example, how did you intentionally develop it, what were the setbacks (if any) and what were highlight projects for you?

I have been working in the arts since 2006, first as Company Manager for Cambodia’s leading independent dance company, Khmer Arts Ensemble, and from 2013 to 2016 I shifted from performing arts to visual arts, working with Cambodia’s leading contemporary art gallery and reading room, SA SA BASSAC as Gallery Manager and Curatorial Assistant. During that time, I was curious to work with different artists and curators, to learn their art practices, to provide support to artists and curators for solo and group exhibitions, commission the production of artworks, and organise symposia and other public events. I have enjoyed developing portfolios for the artists and I have actively engaged with artists, arts administrators and cultural leaders through my involvement in numerous performances, exhibitions and workshops.

From 2015 to 2019, I participated in numerous national and international programmes for professional development including ‘Dislocations: Remapping Art Histories’, Tate Modern, London, 2015; CuratorsLAB with Goethe-Institut, Jakarta, Indonesia, 2015-2017, and ‘FIELDS: on attachment + unknow’, SA SA BASSAC, Phnom Penh, 2017. I was assistant to artist, Khvay Samnang for the ‘Preah Kunlong’ work in documenta 14, 2017; a curatorial-in-residency at Tokyo Wonder Site Residency, Tokyo, 2017; a researcher for IMPACT project (Peascebuilding and the Arts), Brandies University, Boston, USA; and a curatorial and artist assistant for ‘Capsule 10: Khvay Samnang’ at Haus der Kunst, Munich, Germany, 2018; and I was in Delfina Foundation’s cultural exchange programme in London, 2019.

From 2016 until now, I am Project Manager to artist Khvay Samnang who is one of Cambodia’s leading contemporary visual artists. From 2017 until the present, I am also Manager of Sa Sa Art Projects, a non-profit artistrun space dedicated for experimental art practices. Working in the arts has renewed my passion for arts administration and curating, and I enjoy my work to support Cambodian art and culture.

'Elements' by Mech Choulay and Mech Sereyrath, 2020, installation view at Sa Sa Art Projects. Photo by Prum Ero.

'Anonymous Heirloom' by Koeurm Kolab, 2020, installation view at Sa Sa Art Projects. Photo by Prum Ero.

Could you speak about a show/project (feel free to share more than one) in your local art scene that you particularly enjoyed in the past year (that is not your own)? What was compelling about it/them?

In 2019, I curated a project called ‘Generation in Transition: Changing Practice Cambodian Contemporary Art’ supported by Mekong Contemporary Art Foundation and One Asia Lawyer. The project presents the portfolios from different generation of artists of Cambodian who live and work in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and presents video documentaries of artists, telling stories about their art practice and works from their studios.

I have curated a few exhibitions by female artists at Sa Sa Art Projects during the pandemic including ‘Elements’ which presents a new collaborative work by artist sisters Mech Choulay and Mech Sereyrath. They use performance and personal actions in the form of photographs and videos to shed light on the resilience of nature against destruction caused by humans. ‘Anonymous Heirloom' introduces a new painting series by Koeurm Kolab on today's confronting social and environmental

Chum Chanveasna with artist Prak Dalin at Sa Sa Art Projects. Photo by Prum Ero.

'Mchas Teuk Mchas Dei' (Master of Lands and Waters) by Khvay Samnang, Lim Sokchanlina and Vuth Lyno, 2022, installation view at Sa Sa Art Projects. Photo by Kong Siden.

realities shaped by plastic use. The artist produced ten paintings depicting alluring and colourful sceneries of a world in which plastic waste from human consumption threatens the well-being and lives of humans, animals, and nature. And ‘Imagine Material’ presents new artwork by Prak Dalin. Dalin’s practice started with her fascination with materials and sculpture making. The artist explores forms, scales and construction materials to create sculptures, installations and digital photography. The artist’s work takes the form of different shapes, focusing on her own learning, developing, imagining, privileging the creative and emotional, rather than analysing or criticising a specific topic.

I have known Khvay Samnang, Lim Sokchanlina and Vuth Lyno for a long time and I have followed their work from the beginning. Their artworks are exhibited internationally but not much in Cambodia. I proposed to them to present their first group exhibition at Sa Sa Art Projects this year. The exhibition ‘Mchas Teuk Mchas Dei' (Master of Lands and Waters) introduces their recent works in the form of videos, sculptures, photographs, and light installation, focusing on beliefs in nature and

practices in the supernatural, animism, and the powerful spirits that take care of our homes, lands, people, animals, and living beings. ‘Mchas Teuk Mchas Dei' (Master of Lands and Waters)’ asks who the master and caretaker of the lands and waters is. Are they humans, animals, plants, or spirits? Through the works in various media and forms by the three artists, the exhibition brings to the fore the interaction and complex relationships between nature and the supernatural, humans and non-humans, the tangible and the intangible, and between states, which continue to shape the politics, economies, cultures, traditions, livelihoods, and essentially social structures. If any member of nature or the supernatural has a crisis, it may lead to risks, irregularities, and imbalance for lives and ecologies, whether they are visible or not. This exhibition is traveling to present in documenta 15 by adding a few artists from the region and it is the exhibition presented by Sa Sa Art Projects.

If someone were to visit your local art scene before the end of 2022, where would you recommend they go to experience the best of what it offers? You could respond to this in broad strokes i.e. an enclave, a space, or particular exhibitions and events.

First, I would recommend them to visit Bophana Center which collects image, sound and video archives related to Cambodia. Second, Sa Sa Art Projects, which strives to support the development of contemporary art in Cambodia. We assist and promote younger Cambodian artists and their works locally and regionally through our education programme, residency programme and exhibitions. We practise an openness to experimentation – both of our programming as well as what artists can produce – and the commitment to the quality of what we do. We also facilitate a sense of community by listening to the changing needs of the artists. Our programme has evolved over the years to accommodate these needs which is essential to the growth of the field. Looking back, it is this nature of learning and growing together that is at the core of what makes Sa Sa Art Projects remain relevant. And third, Silapak Trotchaek Pneik, a newly established contemporary art space run by curator Reaksmey Yean.

Đỗ Tường Linh

Curator

Could you talk about your curatorial practice in the past year?For example, how did you intentionally develop it, what were thesetbacks (if any) and what were the highlight projects for you?

I think 2021 was an interesting year for all of us art and cultural practitioners. The pandemic has had a significant impact on the creative process of not only artists but the entire art ecosystem, including museums, galleries, art schools, art markets etc. For me and my team/ co-workers, we had to strategically think of ways to adapt our art and cultural programmes to “the new normal” situation. I was inspired and learned a lot from online art platforms such as art.fervour, Serpentine Podcast, and Dispatch, just to name a few, as well as YouTube talks with artists and curators. These platforms, some of which focus on contemporary art in South and Southeast Asia and others on global art conversations, engaged me with ongoing discussion and allowed me to encounter new ideas and thoughts. So I guess to sum up: my curatorial practice for 2021 is all about learning and unlearning.

'Paving the Way', an art talk with Dinh Q. Lê and Ha Manh Thang. Photo by Do Tuong Linh, VCCA

I think the project that was the most challenging and fruitful was a curated series of virtual talks on contemporary art that I collaborated on with VCCA - Vincom Center for Contemporary Art. Over the last decade, contemporary art in Vietnam was only popular amongst the art community and an intellectual expatriate community. Suddenly, over the last 5 years, there is a new hype around art amongst young people – mostly made popular through social media – and a new interest in visiting contemporary art exhibitions. However, there is no proper art education programme that helps the visitors to learn, understand, and appreciate art in a deeper way beyond Instagrammable photo check-ins. We managed to introduce different topics of contemporary arts such as conceptual art, digital art, minimalism and so on to VCCA’s general audience and created an exciting discussion online once every week throughout the strict lockdown in Vietnam, which began in July. We reached 300 participants at one of these events. That was very rewarding for us, to be able to bring art closer and more accessible to more people.

'Like The Moon in a Night Sky'.

'Home Sweet Home'.

'People, Victory and Life after the War'.

'Skylines with Flying People 4'.

Could you speak about a show/project (feel free to share more than one) in your local art scene that you particularly enjoyed in the pastyear (that is not your own)? What was compelling about it/them?

Unfortunately, Covid hit us hard last year, so many great projects were postponed. However I deeply appreciate the efforts of artistinitiated projects, such as ‘Home Sweet Home’, curated and initiated by AP Nguyen & Wiliam Demers; ‘Skylines with Flying People 4’ by The Appendix Group and Nhà Sàn Collective; Nổ Cái Bùm, initiated by Nguyễn Thị Thanh Mai in Huế, Đào Tùng in Ho Chi Minh City and Lê Thiên Bảo in Paris; ‘Format - Photo Hanoi ’21’, curated by Mai Nguyen Anh; ‘Project Edge of the Citadel’ by Nguyễn Thị Thanh Mai; and, more recently, ‘Like the Moon in a Night Sky’, curated and initiated by Trương Quế Chi and Trần Duy Hưng. There was also an important project organised by Nguyen Art Foundation, and curated by Gridthiya Gaweewong and students from Renaissance International School and EMASI Schools called ‘People, Victory, and Life after the War’. I guess what was most powerful and admirable about all of these projects was their endless passion and restless efforts to make them happen regardless of the limited conditions of finances and the threat of the pandemic. I like that ‘Skylines with Flying People 4’ and ‘Home Sweet Home’ were organised intimately in very unconventional spaces. The former was in a storage complex and the latter was in a private apartment. Projects such as ‘Like the Moon in a Night Sky’ was a smart combination of both offline and online activities, and the collective vibrant energy of more than 100 artists from all over Vietnam was felt in Nổ Cái Bùm.

Dom Dom and Ngo Thanh Phuong performance at Pho Bên Đoi, N‮o‬‭ ‬Cái Bùm, Đà Lat.

If someone were to visit your local art community before the end of 2022, where would you recommend they go to experience the best of what it offers? You could respond to this in broad strokes i.e. an enclave, a space, or specifically e.g. particular exhibitions and events.

I am very excited for this year as there are many Vietnamese artists showing their works in major international exhibitions, such as documenta 15, Venice Biennale and Berlin Biennale. Meanwhile at home, there are various new art spaces opening up, both in Hà Nội and Ho Chi Minh City, as well as other cities like Huế, Đà Nẵng, Đà Lạt, Quy Nhơn. Many of those spaces are not yet officially open so I cannot disclose too much information but I hope visitors will keep an eye out, and look forward to a new art scene by local players in Vietnam in the coming year.

Rebecca Yeoh

Independent Curator

Could you talk about your curatorial practice in the past year? For example, how did you intentionally develop it, what were the setbacks (if any) and what were the highlight projects for you?

Throughout 2020 and 2021, I was involved in 3 curatorial projects: ‘May We…’ organised by The Japan Foundation Kuala Lumpur, ‘Constructing Worlds’ funded by CENDANA and ‘... or silence?’ supported by the British Council.

Out of the three, only ‘May We…’ was a physical exhibition, part of an outcome for the Japan Foundation Curatorial Workshop. The intention or goal of the project largely revolved around artists’ responses to the 13 May 1969 racial riots in Malaysia. To achieve personalised experiences for each audience who walks through the exhibition’s door, the team, which includes myself with co-curator Azzad Diah and four artists, Paul Nickson Atia, Shamin Sahrum, Ali Alasri and Dhavinder Singh, had weekly conversations surrounding the riots. These were thoughtprovoking and delicately evaluated for each artist to create works in response to the incident, according to their personal experiences, collective memory, and position as the younger generation.

'May We...', installation shot of Ali Alasri, 'Belas Masa' in the background, and Dhavinder Singh, '"Salvation Can Happen Here; It May Require Some Salt"' in the foreground. Photo by Alvin Lau. Graphic design by Valen Lim.

'May We...', installation shot of Paul Nickson Atia, 'History's Repositories - Chances of Freedom, Serenity and Sanctuary 2'. Photo by Alvin Lau. Graphic design by Valen Lim.

'May We...', installation shot of Shamin Sahrum, 'Kisah-kisah Ibu'. Photo by Alvin Lau. Graphic design by Valen Lim.

Through this project, I was encouraged as a curator to look further into curating memory and literature surrounding traumatic events. I have realised the significance of curating exhibitions about memory and literature surrounding history and traumatic events, which can be shared orally or through written text. Still, a broader audience is willing to dive deeper into these topics via experiential or immersive exhibitions.

Curating an exhibition from 2020 to 2021 through a worldwide pandemic presented a steep learning curve, providing many setbacks that would also be a highlight,. The project was postponed at least three times over the course of 6 months before a physical opening was possible. ‘May We…’ was also delayed by political unrest in Malaysia when our opening date coincided with the announcement of a State of Emergency on 13 January 2021. However, it became worth the challenges when the team saw the exhibition open its doors to excited audiences.

This exhibition was extended into ‘... or silence?’, an online exhibitionco-curated with Chai Yee Thong, which explored censorship throughliterary works, archival material and oral history.

'... or silence?', overview of all rooms. Online exhibition co-curated by Rebecca Yeoh and Chai Yee Thong in collaboration with: Beyond Architecture Outlet (BAO) and Adeline Hong.

'... or silence?', room based on Karim Raslan's short story 'Heroes'. Online exhibition co-curated by Rebecca Yeoh and Chai Yee Thong in collaboration with: Beyond Architecture Outlet (BAO) and Adeline Hong.

Could you speak about a show/project (feel free to share more than one) in your local art scene that you particularly enjoyed in the past year (thatis not your own)? What was compelling about it/them?

One of the few exhibitions I was able to view recently was Yap Sau Bin’s ‘Sensorium of Inversion/Immersion (SENSORii)’, funded by CENDANA as a part of Art in The City, Kuala Lumpur. The exhibition involved various digital and media approaches, combined with music composed by Ahmad Muriz Che Rose, the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra conductor.

I have recently joined academia, and this journey of combining the practicality of curating with academia has allowed me to lay a foundation for myself as a curator — that is, to be a bridge of connection between memory, literature and curating for a broader audience. This constant movement of relationship and connecting resonated as I sat in Rex KL, experiencing SENSORii and ‘internal/external worlds in which inhibit’. The inversion and connection between experiences are all felt, shared and communicated through the various lenses of humankind.

If someone were to visit your local art community before the end of 2022, where would you recommend they experience the best of what it offers? You could respond to this in broad strokes i.e. an enclave, a space, or specifically e.g. particular exhibitions and events.

I am originally from Penang and have moved to Kuala Lumpur overthe past few years. The trouble in answering this question is probablychoosing one exact location to be considered as my local community.

Upon moving to Kuala Lumpur, I found ILHAM Art Gallery educational and inclusive. My exposure to the scene in the city began here, and I would encourage anyone who comes through to visit this space. It holds creative and thought-provoking art shows that question the limits of arts, its community, its own space as an art gallery, and the roles of artists and curators.

I would also add a note here that Rissim Contemporary explores the endless possibilities of the Malaysian art scene through the worlds of new and emerging Malaysian artists. Artists here are powered with vision and enthusiasm to carry their faith and hope as artists.