Independent Curators International (ICI) supports the work of curators to help create stronger art communities through experimentation, collaboration, and international engagement. Curators are arts community leaders and organizers who champion artistic practice; build essential infrastructures and institutions; and generate public engagement with art. Our collaborative programs connect curators across generations, and across social, political and cultural borders. They form an international framework for sharing knowledge and resources — promoting cultural exchange, access to art, and public awareness for the curator’s role.
Konjit Seyoum
Konjit Seyoum (b. 1963 Addis Ababa) is a freelance conference interpreter who was trained at the School of Interpretation and Translation at the University of Trieste, Italy. In 1996 Seyoum opened ASNI Gallery in Addis Ababa with the aim to promote contemporary Ethiopian art, focusing on experimentation and supporting young and emerging artists. She conceived ASNI as an independent alternative space that runs with no predefined programs and maintains a low budget, avoiding aid, sponsorship, funds, and even art sales in most cases. She has curated numerous solo and group shows, and has organized talks, workshops, residencies, community works, and children’s activities. Seyoum has also been promoting innovative vegetarian cooking at her gallery, drawing on traditional Ethiopian cuisine. She creates black and white photographic works that emanate from her time-based cotton sculptures through which she explores womanhood, the personal, and spirituality.
involved in:
Curatorial Intensive in Addis Ababa
This May, ICI, in collaboration with Zoma Contemporary Art Center (ZCAC), produces the Curatorial Intensive in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
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