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Residency Research and Res Artis 2012
Japan, October 2012- Asialink Arts Residencies Manager, Eliza Roberts was awarded an Australia-Japan Foundation research grant to meet with current and potential new residency host organisations throughout Japan. Eliza’s research took her to Kyoto, Naoshima, Nara, Osaka, Nagoya, Tokyo and Echigo-Tsumari. Eliza participated in the Res Artis General Meeting held at Tokyo Wonder Site, and also took part in a Roundtable discussion on the concept of ‘Microresidencies’ at Youkobo Art Space.
Have a look at photos from Res Artis
The Bookwallah completes its journey
INDIA 21 November 2012 - After 22 days and 2000 kms by train the Bookwallah has finished its journey across India from Mumbai to Poidicherry via Goa, Bangalore and Chennai. Having stopped to discuss their new books, met writers, dined with Indian artists in their homes, conversed with key thinkers and visited some of India’s most thought-provoking places, the ingenious library has been packed for the final time.
A part of Ozfest, the Bookwallah captivated local audiences and drew wide ranging media attention as this team of Australian and Indian writers travelled in search of stories, conversations and connections.
In the media:
Only books, no baggage, Anjana Vaswani, News, Mid Day (Mumbai edition), 4 November 2012.
Hit the road with this Bookwallah, Lifestyle, Mid Day (Mumbai edition), 3 November 2012.
Writers’ pit-stop, Keerthi Basavarajaiah, Lounge, Bangalore Mirror, 1 November 2012.
Six Writers in 2,000-km roving lit fest rail journey, newkerela.com, 19 October 2012.
The Bookwallah: A unique train journey for Australian and Indian authors, The Siasat Daily, 31 October 2012.
Check out photos from the Bookwallah's travels
Utopia@Asialink at Res Artis
Tokyo 26-28 October 2012 - Utopia Director, Natalie King, was invited to participate in a roundtable discussion on “Pan-continental collaboration” in Tokyo at the Worldwide Network of Artist Residencies / Res Artis General Meeting 2012, 26-28 October 2012. The session focused on new regional methodologies and intra-continental dialogue.
Participants: Hedwig Fijen (Director, Manifesta Foundation, The Netherlands); Natalie King (Director, Utopia@Asialink, Australia); Sunjung Kim (Professor at the Korea National University of Arts/ Artistic Director, Samuso/ Co-Artistic Director, Gwangju Biennale 2012, South Korea);
Tan Boon Hui (Director, Singapore Art Museum, Singapore); Kadija de Paula (Residencias en Red, Brazil). Moderator: Yusaku Imamura (Director, Tokyo Wonder Site/ Counsellor on Special Issues to the Governor, Tokyo Metropolitan Government).
Images from Res Artis
Asialink Arts and the Asia Century White Paper
Following the release of the Asian Century White Paper, Asialink Arts was delighted that the Government recognised the importance of cultural links as a key component and contributor to developing capabilities and connections with Asia. As Asialink Arts Director, Lesley Alway stated, ‘underpinning these initiatives to build stronger connections and partnerships across the region, there is a need to build Australia’s Asia capabilities- and this applies as much to the cultural sector as any other sector of society and the economy.’
Likewise, the White Paper includes the opportunity for a more detailed policy response for the cultural sector through the Government’s consideration of the Review of the Australia Council and the commitment to the ‘revamp’ of the Australia International Cultural Council. These reviews provide the opportunity for Australia to be at the forefront of global best practice in international cultural engagement.
The White Paper provides a roadmap for the cultural sector to navigate the Asia Century and equip our artists, producers, curators, arts managers, organisation and institutions to both contribute and learn from the opportunities emerging in the region. As the paper also notes, these challenges will require further community conversation.
Lesley Alway in the Media:
Art an important pathway to Asian engagement, Ben Eltham, Crikey, 2 November 2012.
Culturally diverse art: not black and white, Leo Ribeiro, Arts Hub, 1 November 2012.
Utopia in the Media
Melbourne, October 2012- In partnership with the Ian Potter Museum Utopia@Asialink presented two exhibitions, Jitish Kallat:Circa and Gigi Scaria: Prisms of Perception as part of the 2012 Melbourne Festival. The first time both these internationally acclaimed artists have shown in Australia, Scaria’s work examined India’s rapid urbanization, while through multiple interventions across the Ian Potter Museum of Art, Kallat constructed a sculptural conversation within the museum in order to explore notions of duration and restoration.
Listen to audio from the Lemuria Forum and follow along with the artists' powerpoint slides
Steaming ahead but still battling not to fall behind, Robert Nelson, The Age, 31 October 2012.
Gigi Scaria and Chaitanya Sambrani, Weekend Arts, Radio National, 27 October 2012.
Gigi Scaria – A multitalented artist, Hindi, SBS Radio, 24 October 2012.
Asian art enters a new frontier, Newsline, Australia Network News, 8 November 2012.
Jitish Kallat, ‘Circa', 2011,© Courtesy Jitish Kallat Studio, Photo: Viki Petherbridge, courtesy the Ian Potter Museum of Art
Searching for Lemuria India 2012 and Beyond
One of our 2012 priorities has been to promote creative exchanges between India and Australia during the DFAT focus year on India. We are pleased to profile these projects. Since 2011 we have partnered with the Australia India Institute and other cultural institutions at the University of Melbourne to build a long term engagement strategy between the arts and cultural sectors of Australia and India. Working this way has proven to be a rewarding experience for Asialink Arts as the depth and diversity of the partnerships has produced such a rich group of collaborative programs.
The Bookwallah
India 31 October - 21 November 2012 - The Bookwallah takes six writers and an ingenious travelling library across India by train. Three Indian and three Australian writers journey through the cities and towns of modern India in search of stories, conversations and connections. Poet Sudeep Sen, novelist and critic Chandrahas Choudhury, and journalist and fiction writer Annie Zaidi join novelist Michelle De Kretser, young adult author Kirsty Murray, and non-fiction writer Benjamin Law. The tour begins at the Mumbai LitFest, pauses in Goa at Literati bookshop, joins forces with the Bangalore Literature Festival, heads west to Chennai, then finishes more than 2000 km away on the coast in Pondicherry. Along the way they’ll be stopping to discuss their new books and meet readers. They’ll also dine with Indian writers in their homes, converse with key thinkers and visit some of India’s most thought-provoking places.
Gigi Scaria discusses Prism of Perception
MELBOURNE, 15 October 2012 - Asialink Arts talks with Gigi Scaria and takes a look at his exhibition ‘Prisms of Perception’ at the Ian Potter Museum of Art. A precursor to his 2013 solo exhibition, The Ian Potter Museum of Art presents a selection of Scaria’s recent videos for the 2012 Melbourne Festival, providing audiences with the opportunity to experience his work for the first time in this city. ‘Prisms of Perception’ Circa’ is presented in partnership with Utopia@Asialink in association with The Melbourne Festival.
Jitish Kallat discusses Circa
MELBOURNE, October 15 2012 - Asialink Arts speaks to Jitish Kallat about his first solo exhibition in Australia, ‘Jitish Kallat: Circa’ at the Ian Potter Museum of Art. Following the reflective nature of his recent projects, this exhibition is conceived as an evolving narrative; an experiment of multiple interventions across several spaces within the Ian Potter Museum of Art. Throughout the exhibition, from October 2012 to April 2013, some works will appear for few days, while others will remain on display throughout. Still others await conception when the departure of interventions makes space for them as part of an evolving entry and exit of ideas. ‘Jitish Kallat: Circa’ is presented in partnership with Utopia@Asialink in association with The Melbourne Festival.
Performance Lecture with Asialink Roving Resident Nikhil Chopra
MELBOURNE, 9 October 2012 - Internationally renowned interdisciplinary artist Nikhil Chopra (Goa) captivated his guests at VCA, where he explained his practice by way of a Performance Lecture that weaved in and out of character. In the hour-long event, Nikhil transformed himself into a fictitious ‘futuristic Elizabethan’ character, and showed a slideshow of photographs that document his interdisciplinary performances in Italy, Berlin, India and Australia. Nikhil Chopra is the inaugural recipient of the Asialink Roving Residency, and will ‘rove’ between Carriageworks, Sydney; Asialink, Melbourne; and the Fremantle Arts Centre, WA.
Djon Mundine introduces Shadowlife
TAIPEI: August 2012 - Asialink's latest touring exhibition - Shadowlife - in Asia features nine internationally renowned contemporary indigenous Australian artists choreographing their stories through photography and other new media. The artists give contemporary meaning to age old spiritual practices, seeking a kind of personal truth and challenge against rooted perception of race, culture and creed. Video produced by Bureau of Cultural Affairs, Kaohsiung City Government.
Arts Residency Briefing session - Melbourne
9 August 2012 - More than 70 attended a briefing session in Melbourne tonight to learn more about Asialink's popular arts residency program. Asialink Arts Residencies manager Eliza Roberts was joined by Bianca Looney and Lucas Chirnside (2011 visual arts residents to Japan) and Tom Cho (2011 writing resident to Japan).
Kosuke Ikeda's Open Studio
20 July 2012 For the first time, Asialink has partnered with RMIT’s International Artist in Residence program to continue their annual reciprocal residency with Tokyo Wonder Site, Japan. Kosuke Ikeda began his three-month residency at RMIT, Melbourne on 14 May, while Tasmanian visual artist Alicia King headed to Japan on 8 May to start her residency in Tokyo.Titled Toward the New Vision of Energy and Ecology after 3.11, Ikeda has collaborated with artists and engineers to realise a ‘Melbourne Art-Power Plant’ that explores alternate micro power generation. Ikeda’s project, open now, can be seen until 16 August in RMIT’s Project Space / Spare Room Gallery.
This is the fourth Asialink reciprocal exchange between Australia and Japan, and forms part of Asialink’s annual Reciprocal Residency program.
The Roots of Thai Art
| 29 May 2012 - Asialink and the Gordon Darling Foundation have launched The Roots of Thai Art by Dr Piriya Krairiksh, a comprehensive survey of the origins and history of Thai Art to the 12th century. Sid Myer AM, Chairman, Asialink was in attendance, along with Simon Wallace, Honorary Consul-General for Thailand. As Australia tries to engage more with the Asian region through a range of cultural activities, this book will provide Australian scholars and curators with a deeper understanding of the art of the region. The project will strengthen already existing links between Asian Art curators and Australian cultural institutions with their counterparts in Thailand. The Roots of Thai Art has been translated and published in Bangkok by River Books. |
Our 2012 Residents in the latest Arts newsletter
1 April 2012 See the faces of some of Australia’s leading visual artists, performers, writers, dancers, choreographers and arts managers and read about the spaces they will engage and explore with in Asia through 2012. Also catch up on the latest news and get a sneak peek of what’s in store.
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WHY IS CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT WITH ASIA IMPORTANT?
In 2012, as we enter the second decade of the “Asian Century” there could be no more important moment in Australia’s history to be encouraging, promoting and enabling a better understanding of Asia through cultural engagement between ourselves and Asia. Asialink Arts recently made a submission to the ‘Australia in the Asian Century’ white paper.The following recommendations were made:
1. Make Asia a key priority for the new National Cultural Policy.
2. Provide Leadership and Resources for a ‘new generation’ model of cultural engagement with Asia.
3. Invest in the new generation ‘Asia capable’ cultural workforce.
Dowload the full submission [PDF, 143 kbs]
