09 Aug 2017
Three New Zealand curators will soon visit leading art museums, galleries, and artist spaces in Taiwan and Japan to build networks and explore potential collaborations.
Sarah McClintock, Sophie Davis and Sarah Wall are the 2017 recipients of the Asia New Zealand Foundation curators’ programme, which is supported by Creative New Zealand. They will visit leading art museums, galleries, and artist spaces in Taiwan and Japan over a two to three-week period in October to build professional networks and explore possible future collaborations and artistic exchanges.
Cath Cardiff, Creative New Zealand Senior Manager, Arts Funding, Capability and International, said the curators will develop their knowledge, profile and networks in Asia during the tour.
“This will enable them to contribute to our Te Manu Ka Tau programme where we host international curators and influencers from Asia in New Zealand to see local work and meet with artists and curators. The aim is that it will lead to future exchange or presentation opportunities in North East Asia for our artists and practitioners,” she said.
Asia New Zealand Foundation Executive Director Simon Draper said there was a very strong field of applicants.
“The final three were chosen based on their track record, personal motivation and the potential long term impact of their participation on the New Zealand art scene,” he said.
“We hope through this experience they will increase awareness of the cultural and artistic practice in Asia and perhaps explore opportunities for New Zealand artists to have their works exhibited in Taiwan and Japan.”
Assistant Len Lye Curator at Govett-Brewster Art Gallery/Len Lye Centre said she is looking forward to the 2017 Curator Tour. “Working with kinetics and moving images, I’m particularly interested in visiting institutions, exhibitions and artists working in and across the fields of contemporary moving images and media arts, and making contacts for future projects and creative exchanges.”
Sophie Davis, Curator/Manager at Enjoy Public Arts Gallery, hopes to use the tour to explore possibilities for collaboration and exchange with independent art spaces. She is interested in learning more about the socio-political contexts and material cultures of Japan and Taiwan directly from arts practitioners. In particular, Sophie hopes to develop her awareness of relationships between art, design and published media in these different art scenes as a way of broadening and reorientating her interests as an emerging curator in Aotearoa.
Sarah McClintock, Curation and Collection Manager at The Suter Art Gallery Te Aratoi o Whakatu, said she hopes to use the 2017 Curators Programme to establish connections with artists and collaborators in Taiwan and Japan. She will also be working towards several exhibitions, examining contemporary and historic links between Asian and Aotearoa New Zealand craft, and is excited by the opportunity to bring a greater understanding of contemporary Asian art back to Nelson.
The aim of our curators programme is to assist participants to develop market knowledge of contemporary art in Taiwan and Japan and its relevance for a New Zealand audience. It also aims to contribute to the long-term development of international opportunities and audiences for New Zealand artists in Asia.
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