Monday, November 20, 2006

Artists Forum International (AFI)



Artists Forum International (AFI) is most pleased to announce you that we are hosting the 2nd workshop of the Intra Asia Network (IAN in collaboration with SSamzie Space and Intra Asia Network. This workshop entitled, New Ways of Engaging Asia - Artists’ Mobility and Artist-in-Residencies is a workshop for directors from artists-in-residence programs of Asian region. Supporting the vision of Intra Asia Network to promote artists’ mobility through close network amongst culture organizations in Asia, AFI aims to provide a platform on which arts organizations discuss pertaining issues that artistes-in-residence programs face. This is a workshop for directors from artists-in-residence programs of Asian region who value the power of collaboration, so all the participants will be asked to be a part of discussion and to create collaborative projects proposals for the year 2007. The workshop to be held in Korea, scheduled from September 8 through 12th, 2006.

This program is prepared as an umbrella program of AFI’s annual event, Artist Forum International that showcases the contemporary avant-garde art forces. Through this forum, AFI aims to raise critical questions to contemporary art field, mediate continuous international cultural exchanges, and reach out broader audience. The main theme of this year’s Artists Forum International will be Public Moment. There have been numerous discourses on publicness and public art. While these tend to focus on places, such as public sites, “Public Moment” will pay close attention to processes -- of public communication, public interface, dialogue and exchange, and formation of public opinion. As such, this workshop explores the process through examining the role of artist-in-residence program for public and projecting the possibilities of such programs as collectives. The theme is designed to examine domains of individuals and the public. It focuses on how individual interacts with another individual, individual with community, and community with communities as we create public structure of our society. The forum includes exhibitions, symposium, art fair and of course the workshop and symposium site visits on Asian Artists’ Mobility and Artist-in-Residencies. AFI 2006 is initiated by Alternative Space Network in Korea with goal to expand the scope of participation from various organizations, institutions, as well as individuals.

What we do through this:
- To discuss and create collaborative project proposal for 2007 among AIR organizations in Asian Region (this discussion is internal meeting).
- To offer opportunities for AIR organizers to reach out Korean artists through the presentation that introducing their activities.
- To offer general public to learn about the activities of artist-in-residence programs in Asia through public presentations entitled, AIRs in ASIA.
- A conference, that will present the report of IAN workshop in Korea, how visiting artists can impact the local environment, and also how their experience at the residencies, affect their own artistic developments.

New Ways of Engaging Asia - Artists’ Mobility and Artist-in-Residencies;
These are the currently scheduled projects:

First, there are small workshop groups of following three topics. At this internal small workshop groups, will discuss case studies and will be asked to draft a collaborative project proposal for 2007. For this, the group leaders (Resource Coordinator for Research and Structuring the Framework of the Workshop: Jay Koh (topic #1), Davide Quadrio (Topic#2), Margaret Shiu (topic#3) will help realization of this objective.

The topics are:
Topic#1: Start Up and Management- Alternative Strategy of Residency Program
Leader/Jay Koh
members/Howard Chan, Hyunjin Shin, LY Daravuth, Tasuhiko Murata, Yap Saubin, Brian Wallace

Topic#2: Funding Intra Asia Connection and Resource Development
Leader/ Davide Quadrio
members/ Yusaku Imamura, Dihn Q.Le, Gina Wong, Motoko Uda, Audrey Wong, Anne Yao

Topic#3: Reinforce Cooperation: New Models of International Exchanges for Residencies
Leader/ Margaret Shiu
members/ Mella Jaarsma, Norberto Roldan, Jagath Weerasinghe, Nick Tsouta, Penelope Aitken, Yao hua Su

Second, the collaborative project proposals for 2007 will be collected and taken to the second day general meeting of IAN. In this meeting, the participants will discuss their projects in comparison the future direction of IAN. Also we will try to invite funding organizations to review the projects.

Third, the participants will also get the chance to give public presentation where they will introduce their organization to Korean artists. This is an excellent opportunity to reach out to Korean artists as well as international art professionals. The participants will also get to talk to the artists directly. The workshop will be held within partner artists-in-residence organizations of Korea. Partner organizations are: SSamzie Space and Gwangju Municipal Residence Program. They will be holding Open Studios at the same time. We are expecting additional foreign visitors, since this workshop will coincide with the openings of 2006 Gwangju Biennale.

Fifth, a symposium under the same title, New Ways of Engaging Asia will be held. This symposium explores the artists’ mobility in relation to the artists in residencies, impact of residencies on the artists’ practices and on the locale.
- 'Possibility and Mobility of AIR in Asia' keynote presentation on the preparation of 2nd workshop and current condition of Asian AIR practices by Margaret Shiu, IAN Network President. - 'The New Cosmopolitan,' on the impact of AIR on artistic practice by Penelope Aitken with discussant, (TBA).- 'What do residence programs contribute to local culture?' by Kim Kyuwon, researcher at Korea Culture and tourism Policy Institute with discussant, Jay Koh.

Sixth, participants are cordially invited to visit Artist Forum International events throughout the country. Site visits are scheduled on 10th and 11th. Detailed schedule will be handed out at the workshop.

For more detailed information of the workshop, you may contact
AFI: Hyunjin Shin, ssamziemail@yahoo.co.kr, tel. +822-3142-1693.

Intra Asia Network, Margaret Shiu, Representative, bamcur2003@yahoo.com
Gwangju-si, Kim Jonggab, gjg116@empal.com
Gwangju Biennale Gwangju Uijae Cultural Foundation: Sung Kim, mailto:ksnewslove@hanmail.netSSamzie Space contact: Jungyeun Kim http://www.ssamziespace.com/mail/mailing/web/kjy78109@naver.com




1 comment:

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