Invitation to the 6th Kuala Lumpur Triennial: Artifice090603009794

On behalf of the curatorial team of KLTsix, I would like to extend an invitation to all artists and digital media users who are interested to participate in a conceptual Triennial art exhibition taking place in the Second Life avatar platform. The Triennial is an experimental and conceptual space –a meta-shell game– through which to explore avataric performance, virtuality, the screen, coded networks and economies, and the GEC. Artists, curators and theorists have been invited from Finland, Malaysia, Singapore and the United States to take part.

The major Triennial space in 2ndL is “Little Chechnya”, conceptualised by Finnish artist Pekka Niskanen as a safe meeting place for dispersed Chechen refugees. It is a mosque designed and constructed by the refugees with technical assistance by another Finnish artist, Mikko Torvinen. Around the mosque Torvinen has now constructed a simulation of the downtown Kuala Lumpur Central Market Annexe Gallery, recently renovated into a hybridised space of knowledge and creativity by Malaysian architect, Nani Kahar of LabDNA.

Currently in the development phase is an on-line 2ndL sweatshop, euphemistically called the ‘KLT6 Goldfarm’. It will hopefully be on-line in time for the official opening the Triennial at 8pm on 6 August 2009, or soon thereafter. To model systems of financial exchange, KLT6 will deploy the triennial form as a shell game for commodity production. Keep abreast of developments at the KLT6 website at http://www.kuala-lumpur-triennial.org. The coordinates of the Triennial site in 2ndLife will be released at the website on 6 August 2009.

If you would like more information, or are interested in participating in the Triennial, either by labouring in the sweatshop, or by presenting an avataric performance, contact jay koh (kohjay@gmail.com).

Processes /Thesaurus /References of Participative Art Practices

Processes /Thesaurus /References of Participative Art Practices
Research Proposal for any site in the Asian region:

To investigate the methodology of participative art practices in a seminar and over the next few years create a web platform for peer inputs. These inputs are to be generated by interested artists, cultural activists, researchers and related interest groups (art and non-art groups and institutions collaborating in participative projects). After collecting data over a 5-year period, the collected materials will be realised into a publication. An editorial committee will be formed to scrutinise the collected materials, at the earliest point of 2 years after the start of the project. Each regional research group can determine and define their criteria for the project and have ownership of their collected materials.

Tentative Conceptual framework:
This project will not only investigate the concepts, terminology (language) and processes being employed in participative art practices but also to collect references of artistic practices that are considered participative (through documentation). Residencies, public engaged art, community art and cross cultural artistic activities are all part of art and cultural efforts moving towards being more inclusive and participative. However, critical assessment and evaluation of these activities using an appropriate metric (to be identified in each context and locality) will reveal the different forms of participative directions, priorities and interests. Explorations and challenges to terminology and the process of recognition, to be carried out by parties from different disciplinary and professional backgrounds, will widen the understanding of what is considered ‘participative’ in each local context.

This proposal is for artists, intellectuals and cultural workers involved in participative practices to examine their practice and define their methodology, concepts and provide references in the area of participative art practices. It hopes to draw out the different understandings and experiences of persons working in different forms of participatory practices, from different disciplines, in different local contexts, and to encourage and develop dialogue and discourse to examine/ imagine models of practice and exchange learning. It aims to bring attention to common and yet contestable terms employed across disciplines and to bring these into an open and common dialogue platform, so as to make visible differences that could be factors impeding productive collaborations between disciplines

Working Process:
IFIMA has been given a small grant by CityArts, Dublin to hold a research seminar in Dublin for the art communities in Ireland, in collaboration with the National College of Arts and Design, Dublin. This seminar, the first of a series of seminars to be held in different localities, will take place in November 2006, and will investigate the structure and frameworks that are most appropriate for the project, and work towards setting up a platform for peer input and discussion. This peer platform will be a reservoir for knowledge for participative art practices operating in different cultural systems and conditions and hope to function as a point of reference for future artistic practices and research.

IFIMA (International Forum for InterMedia Art) is working as a facilitator for any Independent organisations, researchers, artists and non-artist collaborators in Asia who is interested to initiate a research site and perhaps host and participate in subsequent seminars and discussions. Please write to jay koh (ifima@gmx.net) if you are interested to participate in this project. Thank you.

Empowering of collaboration capabilities of IAN members

Problems of alternative units that limits their culture exchange capabilities,

* artistic directors are hard pressed, overloaded, cannot add more responsibilities
* minimal supporting staff with adequate professional training
* lacking in financial and mobility project management skills,

Solution A:
Provide directors chance to travel, to see, to mentor, to collaborate with other IAN members, and to think out of the BOX and be creative again.

Solution B:
Give their key staff short term internship 3 to 6 months in similar units in Asia.

Solution C:
Special section in next meeting, conduct professional training for business management, plus workshop on running independent culture NGO, guidelines on support needs of visiting artists, and method for seeking corporate support in kind

Host:

* IAN member to sign up and be hosting a traveling member for short stay
* IAN member to find accommodations and living costs for trainee
* IAN to seek for next meeting, from professionals volunteers.

Funding:

* International foundation for travel grant for AB solutions,
* Seek corporate support for secondment of professional consultant in Asia

Result:

o Improved the scope and quality of Asian artist mobility and AIR
o Documentation of process for advocacy on the importance of AIR in Asia

Culture Strategies for Urbanization Stress

Historical Asian Harbors (Proposal to alternative artists’ mobility project by Bamboo Culture International)

Vision: Asian economic development is now at the expense of a lot of traditions and heritage. The Taipei country government is interested in possible culture solutions to hyper development of historical Tamsui harbor. Property developers’ overdevelopment for culture tourism, and are now comparative culture solutions in other cities are needed. Reciprocal exchanges to partnering harbors for mutual advocacy for change.

Parameters of participants: culture workers in fields of artist, historian, urban planner, social environmentalist, educator…..

Possible Asian harbors:
Yokohama, Shanghai, Hong Kong / Macau, Singapore, Sydney, Hue…

Timeline of project:
Dec 2006 to Dec 2007

Activities:
In resident for about one month, working with local partnering organization of related profession, investigation into nature of local development, suggest engagements to highlight awareness, and possible solution.

Local engagements:
Will find related host culture unit to manage project, connections to university, artists groups, government bureaus, historians, schools, businesses, to help visiting artist understand local conditions and hopefully set up a collaborating team

Residency:
In local basic studio setting of Bamboo Curtain Studio or hosting organizer’s arrangement.

Funding:
Already secured funding for on land costs for six persons for one month, plus 500 USD per micro project.

Final result:
Documentation of process, and presentation to public for discussion and further action. Recipient should try to find system for reciprocation and host a Taiwanese professional back to his or her old harbor town.