Curatorial Intensive Indonesia 2024

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Application deadline: November 5, 2023

ICI and in-tangible institute present the Curatorial Intensive in Indonesia. The program will take place from February 26–March 6, 2024, in collaboration with the Indonesian Visual Art Archive in Yogyakarta, and the Bali Purnati Center for the Arts in Bali.

The Curatorial Intensive Indonesia draws from the history of independent art spaces and curatorial initiatives in the region to generate new thinking on how to foster a sustainable, socially responsible, and community-focused contemporary art ecosystem. It will explore the ways in which artistic research can guide curatorial investment in community/site; how curatorial practice, collaboration, and intergenerational networks can form the foundation for resilient, inclusive arts infrastructures and institutions; and the role of curatorial research in attending to troubled histories and sociopolitical realities. 

Over nine days, the participating curators will engage with the vibrant cultural landscape of two Indonesian cities (Yogyakarta and Bali). The program consists of group discussions about the nature and needs of art ecosystems, as well as seminars, site visits, and one-on-one meetings, which support the process of developing an idea into a full proposal for a curatorial project.

The program is targeted toward self-motivated individuals at an early stage in their career (3-5 years of experience working with artists) who are working independently or in institutions. It is a unique opportunity to forge a close network of peers and embark on future collaborations. This program is the seventh Curatorial Intensive in Asia since 2010, following past iterations in Mumbai, Beijing, Tokyo, Manila, and Bangkok.

Seminars, site visits, and roundtable discussions will be led by a group of professionals that includes Riksa Afiaty (Head of Program, Indonesian Visual Art Archive and Curatorial Intensive alum, Auckland 2019), Zoe Butt (Curator and Founder, in-tangible institute), Khanyisile Mbongwa (curator, sociologist, Sangoma, and curator of the 2023 Liverpool Biennial), Renaud Proch (Executive and Artistic Director, ICI), Grace Samboh (independent curator, writer, researcher, and Curatorial Intensive alum, Tokyo 2013), and Lê Thuận Uyên (Artistic Director, The Outpost).

Application guidelines

12–14 applicants working internationally will be selected to participate in the Curatorial Intensive. The applicant must have 3+ years of curatorial experience, or similar experience organizing cultural projects.

Applications must be submitted in English; working proficiency in English is essential, as the program will be held in English.

Applications are now open, and should be submitted through ICI’s application portal. Applications are due by November 5, 2023 at 11:59pm EST.

Required materials

• Description of an exhibition or project that the applicant would like help in developing. This description should outline the proposal concept and any artists or work under consideration (500 words max)
• Bio (250 words max)
• Letter of intent (250 words max)
• Description of a recent curatorial project that has made an impact on the applicant (that you experienced, not that you curated) (250 words max)
• Scholarship request (optional) (250 words max)

Please reach out to ICI’s Programs Coordinator, Zoe Dobuler, at zoe@curatorsintl.org with any questions.

Fees and scholarships

The program fee is $1,900 USD. Participants are also responsible for covering travel and accommodation expenses, and securing visas.

Generous scholarship packages that subsidize or eliminate the program fees, travel, and/or accommodation costs are available and awarded based on merit and need. If you would like to apply for a scholarship, please include a scholarship request with your application. We are unable to award scholarships to curators who did not indicate their interest in one at the time of application.

In addition, ICI offers a limited number of scholarship packages available to Indonesian curators. Please indicate your interest in a scholarship in your application.

Credits
The Curatorial Intensive is made possible by the Bali Purnati Center for the Arts, in-tangible institute, ICI's Board of Trustees, and ICI's Leadership Council. Special thanks to ICI Trustee Cindy Livingston.

About the Indonesian Visual Art Archive
The Indonesian Visual Art Archive (IVAA), a nonprofit organization that focuses on serving as a central organizer of Indonesian visual art archives, was established in Yogyakarta April 2007. The IVAA evolved from the Cemeti Arts Foundation (1995–2007) and became a meeting point for artists, curators, scholars, and those engaged in the arts and humanities. In general, the IVAA collection consists of photographs, audio-visual recordings, and printed documents about artistic practices from pre-independence to the present. Printed documents include exhibition catalogs, research reports on the visual arts, newspaper clippings, artist portfolios, and textbooks. This collection can be accessed offline in the RumahIVAA library and online at http://archive.ivaa-online.org.

Starting from the necessity for an art infrastructure independent of governmental activities and the academic setting, IVAA then examined the platforms and information that Indonesian artists were attempting to communicate. IVAA believes that art, namely fine art, can provide insight and understanding into what is happening in the surrounding environment. Local knowledge and critical thinking need to be documented, researched, and shared. 

The IVAA recognizes the value of making the stories found in the archives accessible to the general public as one of the archival exploration initiatives. Through a variety of public activities, including archive exhibitions and interdisciplinary arts forums, history is portrayed as a fluid and friendly experience. The emergence of intimate interactions then generates new, frequently underappreciated histories.

About the Bali Purnati Center for the Arts
The Bali Purnati Center for the Arts was founded in 2000 as a nonprofit cultural foundation dedicated to supporting new multidiscplinary works of art and performance. The Center has developed over 150 projects with Indonesian and international artists and seeks to inspire and create bridges of exchange, collaboration, and understanding between people, traditions, and cultures. The Center engages in all art fields and especially in the development of ground-breaking works fusing original Asian traditions with contemporary artistic treatment. 

About the in-tangible institute and POLLINATION​
in-tangible institute offers curatorial mentorship, educational programs, strategic advice, and industry consultation, towards the nurturing of productive, critical, and innovative relationships between curators and their various stakeholders in the arts. We work with artists, collectors, writers, teachers, researchers, business entrepreneurs and more in the interest of building a diverse interdisciplinary ecology for the arts. in-tangible institute will possess modest office, display, and residency space in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 2024. Its programs are carried out with community and partners globally. 

This Curatorial Intensive collaborates with in-tangible institute and its ‘POLLINATION’ platform (established 2018). POLLINATION provides emerging curators and artists in South East Asia the opportunity to co-produce, collaborate, and share (or pollinate) their critical ideas and activities in the interest of building contextually responsive houses of culture. Its alumni, who are invariably leading their own institutions and initiatives across the region, have been invited as guest faculty for this Intensive. Learn more at www.in-tangible.org.