With the growing art scene in Sabah and Borneo as a whole comes the potential for exploring ideas in presenting work and to engage audiences. This Exhibition-Making Toolkit aims to start conversations and networks among experienced and new exhibition-makers, while providing participants the opportunity to create exhibitions together, guided through a series of practical workshops and online mentoring.
Participants will be introduced to different concepts of exhibition-making, planning processes, related skills and considerations, with added insight provided from across the Southeast Asian region.
All physical sessions of the workshop series and outcome exhibitions will be held in Kota Kinabalu. The Toolkit series is open to a group of up to a maximum of 20 participants from Borneo.
TOOLKIT FRAMEWORK IN BRIEF
END AUG – DEC 2020 Make an exhibition together!
Session 1: 28-31 Aug @ KOTA-K Studio, Kota Kinabalu
28 Aug, 5pm onwards preliminary meet-up
29 Aug, 930am-5pm More than just hanging pictures on a wall: sharing session with Sabah and Southeast Asian curators and collectives (overseas speakers will share online)
30 Aug, 930am-5pm Full-day workshop on exhibition-making processes
31 Aug, 930am-5pm Full-day workshop on conceptualising and communicating
Ongoing: 1-18 Sept Participants prepare and present exhibition proposals online; start the ball rolling; online mentoring
Session 2: 19-20 Sept
19 Sept, 930am-5pm Group updates, exhibition and other related site visits
20 Sept, 930am-5pm Full-day workshop on practical and technical exhibition preparations @ Sabah Art Gallery
Ongoing: 21 Sept-Nov Participants prepare for exhibitions, online mentoring, check-in sessions
Session 3: End Nov/early Dec (precise dates to be confirmed with participants)
Installation and launch of exhibitions; critical feedback session
Dec 2020/Jan 2021 Post-mortem online regroup session; participants produce brief online presentations on exhibitions for final sharing session @ HOM Art Trans, KL.
On language:
The sharing session will include both English and BM speakers; the practical workshops will be conducted mainly in English but facilitators can communicate in BM, English and Mandarin/Cantonese
On health, safety and contingency plans:
The sharing session and workshops will be conducted according to SOPs required to keep everyone safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Should the pandemic situation worsen at any point during the workshop series and disable travel/workshop activities, workshops can be deferred to a suitable time while online mentoring continues.
ABOUT THE ORGANISERS
KOTA-K STUDIO is a shared space between two architectural design firms and an artist studio in Tanjung Aru Old Town, Kota Kinabalu. The space operates as an office during office hours and as an arts space and venue after and between office hours, with the intention of building a community of cross-disciplinary makers and thinkers through workshops and talks related to arts, architecture and crafts. www.kota-k.com
RogueArt are contemporary Southeast Asian art specialists, focusing on the creative, strategic and organisational management of art and cultural projects, exhibitions, collections and publications. www.rogueart.asia
FACILITATORS, MENTOR & SPEAKERS
Leading the programme are RogueArt (Rachel Ng and Beverly Yong), Kuala Lumpur-based art specialists with over 20 years’ experience working on art exhibitions and projects with galleries, institutions and independent art organisers across the Southeast Asian region. They will be joined on the ground by community leader and event-exhibition organiser Jared Abdul Rahman. Independent art critic and consultant Lee Weng Choy will be a guest mentor to participants online offering feedback on exhibition texts and exhibition outcomes.
For the kick-off sharing session, invited guests include Sabahan artist-organisers Pangrok Sulap, Yee I-Lann, Harold Egn Eswar and Christianne Goonting together with Bayu Utomo Radjikin, founder of HOM Art Trans and Curator of Sabah Art Gallery Jennifer Linggi, friends from Indonesian collectives ruangrupa and Ruang Mes 56, Ayos Purwoaji of Kelompok Kurator Kampung, Yeoh Lian Heng of KL collective LostGens, Merv Espina of Green Papaya Art Projects in Manila and curator Lim Qinyi, who has worked at Parasite Hong Kong and National Gallery Singapore.
This workshop series is made possible by friends and supporters, investing in Sabah art. Strategic partner: CENDANA.