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.
The Bag Factory
The Bag Factory, more formally known as the Fordsburg Artists’ Studios, is a non-profit organization established in Johannesburg in 1991 to initially provide studio space for South African visual artists. Under apartheid South Africa endured numerous cultural setbacks due to restrictive governmental policies, educational deficits and the international cultural boycott imposed against the country. As a result, generations of South Africans were cut off from the international art scene. The Bag Factory works to promote and develop the visual arts through its provision of subsidized studio space, professional skills development programs and its visiting artists residency program. In 2013 the Bag Factory is working to deal with the distinct lack of curatorial experience within the Country. The Bag Factory is a member of the Triangle Network.