Who is heading to Asia in 2016?

Arts Hub online article by Gina Fairley, 18 February 2016.

Transcript also available at artshub.com.au

Asialink has announced its successful 2016 Arts Residents, with an emphasis on both innovation and craft.

Ever popular with 227 artists and art professionals applying to Asialink 2016 residency program, the successful candidates were announced today.  

33 individual artists were awarded residencies to Asia, including 22 grants to Australian arts professionals.

Reciprocal residencies were awarded to six visual artists between Japan and the ACT, Taiwan and WA, and Korea and NSW.

In addition, three models from Asialink’s Arts Residency Laboratory will be tested, involving five arts professionals from Australia, China and Indonesia.

This program was launched in 2012 with the aim of trialling new models of residencies to ensure Asialink’s program remains at the forefront of international developments.

The recipients are: Joanna Bosse (VIC), Naomi Eller (VIC), Adam Liaw (NSW) with the Fukutake House Asia Art Platform, for Setouchi Triennale 2016; Tony Albert (NSW) and Timoteus Anggawan Kusno (Yogyakarta) pairing up Artback NT, Alice Springs and Cemeti Art House, Yogyakarta under the ‘Kerjasama’ or ‘Collaborate’ Platform; and Yiyun Chen (Shanghai, China) working with SymbioticA at University of Western Australia on researching the biological level of her speculative design.

Asialink saw a 150% increase in applications from Indigenous Australian applicants this grant round.

‘Asialink Arts is one of few Australian arts organisations whose work is primarily outward bound and dedicated to supporting artists to build networks and knowledge to work in Asia,’ said Director Asialink Arts Lesley Alway.

‘The residency program is fundamental to the mission of Asialink Arts in delivering both cultural engagement and international capability opportunities with Asia,’ she added.

The contribution of up to $12,000 each will provide recipients with professional development opportunities in Asia.

Twenty-seven of the successful residents have been matched with one of Asialink’s 55 host partners; ranging from publishing houses, private galleries, theatres, universities and dedicated arts residency spaces.

Four residents will be the first to trial new Asialink host partners including Organhaus in Chongqing, Sanskriti Foundation in New Delhi, Tenjinyama Art Studio in Sapporo and Grey Projects in Singapore.

Self-initiated proposals this year included: Michael Candy (NSW), who will journey to Kathmandu to work with the Robotics Association of Nepal in a structured series of cybernetic experiments and workshops exploring humanity’s spiritual synergy with technology.

‘We now have a residency alumni of over 800 arts professionals who are making an ongoing contribution to our vision of a deeply engaged and Asia capable cultural sector able to make a contribution to the cultural life of the region,’ Alway said in a statement.

This year several Asialink Arts Residents will use their residencies to explore the intersections between art and other disciplines, including Baden Pailthorpe (NSW) who will be travelling to teamLab in Tokyo to explore the intersection between cutting edge technology, conflict and the military and Stephanie Lai (VIC) who will explore the impacts of climate change on cultural traditions at Grey Projects in Singapore.

A new addition to the Reciprocal Residency Program is Asialink’s first ever craft-focused residency supported by Arts ACT. Takeyoshi Mitsui (Japan) will spend six weeks at Canberra Glassworks where he will develop new glass art informed by his experience of Australian flora and fauna. In exchange, Canberra artist John White (ACT) will develop new works influenced by local inventions and innovations surrounding Toyama Glass Studio.

Residents to Asia:

  • Zhiling Gao (VIC) to The Bookworm, Beijing
  • Prue Venables (VIC) to The Pottery Workshop, Jingdezhen
  • Luke Hutchinson (VIC) to Organhaus, Chongquing
  • Soda_Jerk (art duo Dan and Dominique Angeloro, NSW) to Videotage, Hong Kong
  • Mohini Chandra (NSW) to Kriti Gallery & Residency, Varanasi (India)
  • Kate Just (VIC) to Sanskriti Foundation in New Delhi
  • Hannah Raisin (VIC) to 1.Shanthiroad in Bangalore
  • Mandy Ridley (QLD) to Nizamuddin Urban Renewal Initiative in New Delhi
  • Natalie Sprite (NT) to Saritaksu Editions, Bali
  • Willoh S. Weiland (VIC) to Yes No Klub, Yogyakarta
  • Leonie Andrews (ACT) to Youkobo Art Space in Tokyo
  • Raewyn Hill (WA) to Tokyo Wonder Site
  • Reuben Keehan (QLD) to BankART1929 in Yokohama
  • Baden Pailthorpe (NSW) to teamLab in Tokyo
  • Nadège Philippe-Janon (TAS) to Sapporo Tenjinyama Art Studio, Sapporo
  • Anna Horne (SA) to Cheongju Art Studio, Korea
  • John Mateer (WA) to Hotel Penanga, Penang (Malaysia)
  • Michael Candy (NSW) to Robotics Association of Nepal, Kathmandu
  • Stephanie Lai (VIC) to Grey Projects, Singapore
  • Rachel Ogle (WA) to Maya Dance Theatre, Singapore
  • Tim Cole (NT) to Kuandu Museum of Fine Art, Taipei

Reciprocal Residencies

  • John White (ACT) and Takeyoshi Mitsui (Japan) swap between Canberra Glassworks and the Toyama Glass Studio in Japan.
  • Marilyn Schneider (NSW) will head to the MMCA Resideny Goyan at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea and a Korean artist (yet to be announced) will return to BigCi, (Bilpin international ground for Creative initiative) in NSW
  • Kimberley Pace (WA) and Liu Yao-Chung (Taiwan) will swap between the Fremantle Arts Centre in Perth and the Department AIR, Taipei Culture Foundation in Taiwan.

 

Additionally, Asialink is also welcoming two young arts professionals from Singapore who will undertake 3-month attachments with Next Wave and The Push as part of the National Arts Council of Singapore's Youth Arts Overseas Attachment Program, starting this month.

What is apparent with this year's selection is that Asialink continues to grow its charter and has looked to innovative partnerships in forging new territory in art production and art thinking in our times.