In recent years, art collectives and independent art spaces have increasingly engaged with exhibition-making, giving rise to different approaches to curating that catalysed cultural and artistic activity in their localities. This will be further highlighted through the programming of Esplanade’s Visual Arts in 2022, with a key programming focus on featuring collaborative forms of exhibition-making alongside collectives and artist-run spaces. This conversation outlines the various activities and visions of each entity, and reflects on how collaborative models of production have impacted artistic and curatorial practice especially in the context of Singapore and Southeast Asia.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Alfonse Chiu is a writer, artist, curator, and researcher working at the intersection of text, space, and the moving image. They currently head SINdie, an editorial platform exploring Southeast Asian film culture, and are a co-founder of the Moving Picture Experiment Group, a curatorial and research collective exploring the polyvalency of the moving image medium in contemporary practices. They are an Associate Curator with DECK, and the recipient of the 2021 e-flux journal fellowship.

Chum Chanveasna (b.1982) has been working in the arts since 2006, first as a Company Manager for Cambodia’s leading independent dance company, Khmer Arts Ensemble, and since 2013 with Cambodia’s leading contemporary art gallery and reading room, SA SA BASSAC as Gallery Manager/Curatorial Assistant. She became a freelance Exhibition Maker/Cultural Manager in 2017-2018. She is a Project Manager to artist, Khvay Samnang who is one of Cambodia’s leading visual artist from 2016 to now. From 2018 until now, she is a Manager at non-profit artist-run space dedicated for experimental art practices called Sa Sa Art Projects.

Kourn Lyna (b. 1989) is a Public Program Coordinator of Sa Sa Art Projects, a not-for-profit artist-run space dedicated for experimental art practices. Lyna previously worked as a Social Worker for Empowering Youth in Cambodia, which runs community education and social support programs at the White Building. She is a co-founding member of White Building Collective, a group of young artists who has been producing video and photographic works from the White Building neighborhood.

Ong Kian Peng is a media artist based in Singapore. Working at the intersection of art, technology and the environment, Ong creates immersive and reflective environments that offer alternate visions and imaginations of our relationship with nature. His works have been exhibited locally and internationally. Ong graduated from UCLA with an MFA in Design Media Art. Currently, he runs Supernormal.space, an independent art space focusing on emerging and experimental art practice.

ABOUT THE MODERATOR 
Lu Xiaohui is a Programmer at Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay who oversees the curation of exhibitions and visual arts programmes at the centre.

Co-Presented with The Esplanade