Call for applications

DEADLINE: FRIDAY 29 APRIL 2016 at 6PM

4A’s Curators’ Intensive is an initiative developed by 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art to encourage professional advancement amongst early career Australian cultural practitioners with an interest in curatorial practice. In 2016, the Curators’ Intensive, will take place between Monday June 27 – Thursday June 30, 2016.

This is the third Intensive program and will be led by three established curators who are working in an international context with a particulate focus on the Asia-Pacific region.

In 2016 the Curators’ Intensive will feature:

Zarmeene Shah (Karachi, Pakistan)

Pooja Sood (New Delhi, India)

Carol Yinghua Yu (Beijing, China & Melbourne, Australia)

Khaled Sabsabi (Sydney, Australia)

These curators along with 4A will deliver this program over four consecutive days through a mix of public discussions and closed forums. The Curators’ Intensive will consist of public presentation by each international curator followed by closed session workshops the following day, studio visits, exhibition visits and roundtable led discussions where the participants actively engage with issues raised by curators during their public presentations.

This program is rigorous and suited for curators interested in expanding their engagement with contemporary Asian art, in particular, contemporary art from South Asia. While focused on a broad conception of contemporary Asian art, this program will encompass a much larger range of curatorial discussions and have a particular focus on curatorial methodologies, models and frameworks. The participating curators have a wide variety of experiences from socially engaged art, curating local history, international perspectives, as well as museums and independent spaces.

Participants will be required to attend and participate in all aspects of the four-day program. This will include evening presentations and active involvement in the workshops.

Zarmeené Shah is an independent curator and critic currently based in Karachi, Pakistan. Returning to Karachi after an MA in Critical & Curatorial Studies from Columbia University in 2010, she has curated several notable and often large-scale exhibitions, both institutionally and independently. She has previously held positions of Lecturer at the Indus Valley School of Art & Architecture, Chief Curator of the IVS Gallery, Karachi, Independent Consultant for South Asian Art for the CCA Derry-Londonderry (Northern Ireland), and most recently Assistant Director at the Mohatta Palace Museum, Karachi. Focusing on contemporary art and continental and semiotic theory, she is particularly interested in new media, the body, and the political in art. As a writer, she regularly contributes to academic journals, catalogues as well as several print and online publications, including The Herald Pakistan, ArtAsiaPacific, ArtReview and ArtReview Asia magazines.

Pooja Sood is an independent Curator and Art Management Consultant based in New Delhi, India. Working field of curating alternative contemporary art practices in India as well as exploring different models of institution building for contemporary art, with expertise in the establishing and running of cultural networks. She is committed to developing the infrastructure for the arts in India and develop ongoing dialogue in south Asia. Sood is the Director of KHOJ International Artists’ Association, an autonomous, artists’ led registered society aimed at promoting intercultural understanding through experimentation and exchange. It is possibly the only such public organization for experimental contemporary art in India. As a founding member of Khoj she coordinated the KHOJ International artist’s workshop in Delhi from 1998-2001, facilitated the workshops in Bangalore 2002-2003, in Mumbai 2005, Kolkata2006 and Srinagar 2007. Sood is the Regional Coordinator of the international artists’ network facilitated by the Triangle Arts Trust , UK. In May 2009 she assumed Directorship of the project Arthinksouthasia. Sood was on the selection committee of the Fukuoka Triennale # 4, Japan ( Jan 09), the Transmediale Award, Berlin( Oct 2008) and the Sovereign Art Prize, Hong Kong ( October 2008). She is on the board of the Delhi Biennale Society, New Delhi and the South Asian journal of visual culture, Sri Lanka; she is also on the Academic Advisory Board of the Asian Art Archive, Hong Kong starting 2007- 2009 .

Carol Yinghua Lu lives in Beijing. She is a PhD scholar in art history at the University of Melbourne. She is a contributing editor at Frieze and is on the advisory board of The Exhibitionist. Lu was on the jury for the Golden Lion Award at the 2011 Venice Biennale. She also served as co-artistic director of the 2012 Gwangju Biennale and co-curator of the 7th Shenzhen Sculpture Biennale in 2012. From 2012 to 2015, she was the artistic director and chief curator of OCAT Shenzhen. Lu was the first visiting fellow in the Asia-Pacific Fellowship program at the Tate Research Centre in 2013.

Khaled Sabsabi is a Sydney-based visual artist of Lebanese descent. He has been a recipient of the Blake Art Prize 2011, Helen Lempriere Scholarship and an Australia Council for the Arts Fellowship and have participated in the New Media Fest, SoundLAB, Beirut Arts Festival, Electrofringe, Canberra Contemporary Art Space, the Monographic Sample of Art Average Colombia and 3rd Digital Art Festival in Argentina and Italy. He has also presented solo exhibitions in Sydney at Campbelltown Arts Centre, Casula Powerhouse, Gallery 4A and Mori Gallery, and has exhibited in group exhibitions including Making It New: Focus on Contemporary Australian Art, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney; Out of Place, Kunstverein Tiergarten, Berlin; Integration, Assimilation and a fair go for ALL, Gallery 4A; Soft Power: Asian Attitudes, Shanghai Zendai Museum of Modern Art, Shanghai, China; ASIA – EUROPE Mediations, National Gallery, Poland; The Resilient Landscape, Ivan Dougherty Gallery, Sydney; Interdigitate, The Moving Image Centre, Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand; Living Here Now – Art and Politics, Y2K, Australian Perspecta.

APPLICATION GUIDELINES

To apply to submit a single PDF document including:

1, A Cover Page with your name, address, phone number and email address

2. A Letter of Intent addressing your interest in participating in the program; why the Curators’ Intensive will be beneficial to you; how your skills and research will contribute to the process and how it will contribute to the development of your practice. Maximum one page.

3. A Statement which outlines your current curatorial or research focuses and interests. Maximum one page.

4. A CV illustrating relevant curatorial projects or work experience. Maximum one page.

Applications should be submitted via email, post or in person to:

Toby Chapman, Curator, 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art

IN PERSON: 181-187 Hay Street, Haymarket NSW 2000

POST: PO Box K1312, Haymarket NSW 1240

EMAIL: toby.chapman@4a.com.au

Applications are now open and close 6.00PM Friday 29 April 2016.

Applications will be assessed approximately two weeks following the submission deadline.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

–       Up to 10 individuals will be selected by a panel consisting of Mikala Tai (4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art), Khaled Sabsabi (Casula Powerhouse) and Carol Yinghua Yu (Independent Curator) to take part in this program.

–       Participants will be paid a small honorarium for their involvement.

–       4A will offer support for up to three interstate participants through provision of return flights to Sydney and accommodation.

–       4A will appoint a Project Assistant Curator to assist with a South Asia project after the Curators’ Intensive.

If you have any questions in relation to the program or how to apply please contact Toby Chapman on (02) 9212 0380 or toby.chapman@4a.com.au