AC Booklet

ARTS
COLLABO
RATORY
ASSEMBLY:
INDONESIA
2014
WORKING DOCUMENT
MAPPING,
KNOWLEDGE,
PRACTICES,
SOCIAL COHESION,
CONFLICT,
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION,
NEW NARRATIVES,
BUREAUCRACY, CURATORIAL,
ART/POLITICS,
SELF-ORGANIZATION,
COLLABORATIVE METHODOLOGIES,
ALTERNATIVE ECONOMIES
ARTS COLLABORATORY KEYWORDS IN PROGRESS
URBAN INTERVENTION,
ART HISTOR(IES),
SUSTAINABILITY,
ENVIRONMENT,
COMMONS,
ETHIC/AESTHETIC,
RESIDENCIES,
RADICAL PEDAGOGIES,
ART & COMMUNITIES,
COOKING,
PUBLICATIONS,
CONTEMPORARY/TRADITIONAL,
ARTS COLLABORATORY KEYWORDS IN PROGRESS
NOTES TOWARD THE
WORKING GROUPS
OF ASSEMBLY:
The main objective for this Arts Collaboratory
Assembly is to lay the foundation of concrete
collaboration amongst AC participants for the
future. The hosts ruangrupa and KUNCI have
organized events and visits to a number of arts
organizations and artist run spaces in Jakarta,
Jatawangi, and Yogyakarta. The core of the
assembly consists of diverse working groups
on topics and institutional practices based on
the suggestions by participants. The intimate
meetings focus on the present and past projects
by the participants addressing these concerns.
The topics of the working groups are selected
on the bases of the information you provided in
your questionnaires by a team with people from
ruangrupa, Kunci, Casco, Hivos, and DOEN and will
be the starting point thinking about collaborations.
The aim of the working groups is to build common
knowledge and also to reach consensus on a
few joint new projects or strengthening existing
projects (including a minimum of 3 AC participants)
that will be developed and carried out by the end
of 2015. The workshops will therefore focus on
the practical, starting from existing projects and
programs you are working on.
o Arts Collaboratory reserved an amount
of 160,000 Euro for the development of joint
projects. On Sunday we will also discuss
in which way we will select the projects to
pursue further and how to distribute this
money. Collaborative projects do not have to
be proposed during the Assembly, there will
be deadline decided together of approximately
a month later so there is time to discuss and
develop proposals further. The criteria and
decision making process of these proposals
will be collectively decided. These are some
initial possibilities:

The whole group will vote on the bases
of pre-defined criteria (during the meeting,
but probably after the meeting through
email, when projects are developed further).
The whole group selects a committee
and criteria. The committee will decide
on which projects to pursue further.

We nominate a few experts that do
the selection.

Decisions are made by the Arts
Collaboratory Steering Committee.
We look forward to spending a productive
and meaningful week together!
WORKING GROUPS OUTLINE:
(Important to Read)
o Every participant can participate in 2 working
groups that each last 2 sessions of 3 hours.
We have pre-selected some of 8 themes, 2
topics remain open for unexpected themes
or interests that come up during the
introduction.
o Preparation: it is important that you think
about which working groups you would like
to join before the meeting starts. Please think
about which of your projects/programs can
be an example to contribute to the discussion
and which could potentially be developed
further within the framework.
o Each working group will select a moderator
and reporter to take notes. The discussions will
also recorded and transcribed to add to
the pool of knowledge on Arts Collaboratory
practices for future research or publication.
o Reporting back from the individual groups to
the collective will occur during the final
meeting on the Sunday 25 May. We have the
entire day to discuss the findings of the groups,
the initial ideas around collaborative projects,
other joint facilities (travel grants, residencies,
website), and future of Arts Collaboratory.
13.3014.30 Visit Trotoart Community
location: Penjaringan, North Jakarta
Transport via bus
15.3016.30 Visit Serrum Community
location: Rawamangun, East Jakarta
Transport via bus
18.0021.00 Dinner at Jakarta Arts Council
location: Taman Ismail Marzuki, Central Jakarta
Soto H. Maaruf
21.00 Back to guest house/Free time
location: Tebet, Jakarta
Interview among participants
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
09.0012.00 Working Groups 1
location: ruangrupa
12.0013.00 Lunch
location: ruangrupa
13.0015.00 Visit Forum Lenteng
location: Lenteng Agung, South Jakarta
Transport via bus
15.0018.00 Visit Gardu House
location: Tanah Kusir, South Jakarta
Transport via bus
18.0021.00 Opening Exhibition
location: ruangrupa, Tebet
21.00 Back to Guest House/Free time
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
07.00 am Gather at ruangrupa
location: ruangrupa
breakfast
ARTS COLLABORATORY SCHEDULE

Saturday, May 17, 2014
Ongoing Participants Arrived At Airport/ No Program
location: Jakarta
ruangrupa arranging pick-ups direct
to Guest House - Fontana Residence
Ongoing Participants go to ruangrupa individually
to install exhibition works
location: ruangrupa
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Ongoing Participants Arrived At Airport
location: Jakarta
ruangrupa arranging pick-ups direct
to Guest House - Fontana Residence
Ongoing Participants go to ruangrupa individually
to install exhibition works
location: ruangrupa
19.0021.00 Dinner At Restaurant Sarang Oci (Manado Cuisine)
10 minutes walk from ruangrupa

Monday, May 19, 2014
9.0010.30 Welcome by ruangrupa and AC Introduction
All
10.3012.30 Collective exhibition walk-thru introduction
location: Ruangrupa
Moderators: Antariksa, KUNCI & Mirwn Andan, ruangrupa
12.3013.30 Lunch
location: ruangrupa
location: Yogyakarta
Friday, May 23, 2014
09.0012.00 Working Group 3
location: Kedai Kebun Forum, Yogyakarta
12.3014.00 Visit and Lunch together @ Mes56
Transport via bus
14.3016.30 Visit Ace House Collective
17.0018.30 Visit LifePatch
19.0021.00 Public Discussion at KUNCIs space Catered
8 Saturday, May 24, 2014
09.0012.00 Working Group 4
12.00 - 13.00 Lunch
13.00 Back to Jakarta/Fly
location: KUNCI
15.35 Arrive at Jakarta
Fontana Residence
18.00 Rudolf Mrazek Discussion Catered
ruangrupa
08.0011.00 Travel to Jatiwangi Art Factory
location: Majalengka, West Java
Transport via bus
11.0013.00 Lunch at Jatiwangi
location: Majalengka, West Java
13.0015.00 Presentation/Introduction from Jatiwangi
16.00 Travel to Yogyakarta
20.0021.00 Dinner at Rest Area
00.00 Arrive at Yogyakarta
Thursday, May 22, 2014
09.0012.00 Welcome by KUNCI/Working Group 2
12.0013.00 Lunch
13.0016.00 Visit Bumi Pemuda Rahayu
location: Imogiri, Yogyakarta
Transport via bus
17.0018.00 Visit Cemeti Art House
18.0020.00 Dinner at Bu Ageng Restaurant
location: KUNCI
10 minutes walk from hotel
20.0021.00 Visit South Square (Alun-Alun Selatan)
10 minutes walk from Kuncis space
TrotoArt
TrotoArt was established in 2001 by a group of painters
at Jalan Pintu Besar Selatan of Kota Tua [the Old City],
Indonesia. Along the way, TrotoArt collaborated with many
communities engaging in various artistic endeavors. This
project marks the beginning of their collaboration with the
cultural organization, Jatiwangi Art Factory, which was es-
tablished in 2005 in Jatiwangi, West Java, Indonesia. This
cultural organization focuses on rural cultural studies of
the local area through various art and cultural activities.
TrotoArt
Jl. Kampung Baru Kubur Koja RW.015
(Kel. Penjaringan, Kec. Penjaringan),
North Jakarta - Jakarta, 14440
LOCATIONS
Sunday, May 25, 2014
09.0012.00 Sharing Working Group Findings Meeting
location: ruangrupa
12.0013.00 Lunch
location: ruangrupa
13.0017.00 Future of ArtsColl Meeting
location: ruangrupa
17.0019.00 Free Time
19.0021.00 Cooking Time Together for Final Dinner
location: ruangrupa
Transport via bus
20.0001.00 Final Party at Jaya Pub
location: Thamrin, Central Jakarta
Transport via bus
01.00 Back to Guest House
Transport via bus
Monday, May 26, 2014
12.00 Check Out / Go to airport
ruangrupa arraging airport transfer
Jakarta Arts Council
The Jakarta Arts Council (Dewan Kesenian Jakarta DKJ)
is one of several organizations founded by Indonesian artists
that was ofcially sanctioned by The Governor of Jakarta,
Ali Sadikin, on June 17, 1969. The responsibility and function
of the Jakarta Arts Council is to build partnerships with the
Governor of Jakarta, formulating policies for supporting the
activities and development of the arts in the capital region.
During the early stages, the members of Jakarta Arts Council
had been appointed by the Academy of Jakarta, consisting of
intellectuals and people of the cultural and arts of Indonesia.
As time progresses the selection process is conducted trans-
parently through a team of art scholars and experts, both
from within and outside the Academy of Jakarta. They receive
the candidates from the public and respected arts groups,
and their administration term will run for 3 years.
The arts development policies will be carried out through annual
programs from each committee, all prudently curate it inter-
nally. DKJ consists of 25 members and divided into six commit-
tees: Film, Music, Literature, Fine Arts, Dance and Drama.
Jakarta Arts Council
Taman Ismail Marzuki,Jl. Cikini Raya 73, Jakarta Pusat.
Phone: +62 21 319 37 639
Serrum
Serrum focuses on social critiques through the medium
of art. Established in Jakarta in 2006 it was founded by
MG Pringgotono, Arif Kurniawan, Arief Rachman, M. Sigit
Budi S, JJ Adibrata, Gunawan Wibisono, and RM Herwibowo.
Serrums program consists of Art Projects, Exhibitions,
Graphic Propaganda, Residencies, Comic Workshops,
and Publishing. Active not just in the arts, Serrum also
organizes workshops in schools and drawing classes for
children. Through working on social programs, Serrum has
also collaborated with Rumah Bambu to aid street chil-
dren and orphans in making libraries, book collecting, and
organizing training courses such as in English, rst aid,
drawing, along with eld trips to Ragunan Zoo.
Serrum produces murals, paintings, comics, photography,
posters, sculptures, videos, graphics, airbrushing, design
and installation. Serum also works both individually and
in collaboration with other organizations such as Jakarta
Arts Council, France Culture Center, German Culture
Center, ruangrupa, Tempo Institute, AtapAlis Community,
RESPECTA STREET ART GALERY, Forum Lenteng, H.O.N.F
and Sanggar Anak Akar.
Serrum
Gurame Street No. 3, Rawamangun, East Jakarta, Indonesia
Email: serrum_studio@yahoo.com
Phone: +62 021 4896717
Gardu House
Gardu House was established collectively by street artists
who also took part in artcoholic, a workshop and non-
prot gallery gallery non-prot intended as an alternative
space for street artists to exhibit their works. Gardu House
is also as a forum for street artists to get to know one
another, and collaborate in joint projects and exhibitions to
further experiment in the possibilities for street art in Indo-
nesia. Gardu House also provides a store where street art-
ists can put their artworks or anything they like connected
with street art to be seen and purchased by the public.
Gardu House
Jl Rc Veteran Raya No 1, Gg H Ropiah/Route 66,
Tanah Kusir Jakarta Selatan.
Phone: 081380483125 (Sandra)
Site: garduhouse.blogspot.com
Forum Lenteng
Forum Lenteng is an egalitarian non-prot organization,
founded in July 2003 by communication and journalism
students, artists, researchers and cultural analysts, as a
vehicle to examine problems of culture in society, in order
to support and widening chances to empower social and
cultural studies in Indonesia. Forum Lentengs research
gathers social and cultural data including historical and
current aspects of Indonesia into a frame of study that
conjoins that both tracks and critiques develops in moder-
nity in Indonesia and beyond. With lm, video, and publica-
tions (books, magazine and its website) Forum Lenteng
shares its research and ideas.
Forum Lenteng
Jl. Raya Lenteng Agung No.34 RT.007/RW.02,
(Jalan Lenteng Agung Timur), Lenteng Agung, Jakarta
Selatan, Jakarta-12610, Indonesia.
Email: info@forumlenteng.org
Phone: +62 21 78840373
Cemeti Art House
Cemeti Art House was founded in 1988 by Nindityo Adipurn-
omo and Mella Jaarsma, and since has been exhibiting and
communicating the works of both Indonesian and foreign
contemporary artists. From the beginning of Cemeti Gal-
lery in 1988, it has functioned as an exhibition, information,
documentation and promotion center for the visual arts.
All the les archive and network was lodged in 1995 at the
Cemeti Art Foundation. Recently, the Cemeti Art Founda-
tion has changed its name to Indonesian Visual Art Archive
(IVAA). Cemeti Art House and IVAA function as two sepa-
rate organizations, each with their own vision and funding.
Cemeti Art House focuses on exhibitions, art projects, resi-
dencies and art management. IVAA focuses on documenta-
tion, education and information. They often work together
and both organizations contribute to art discourse and art
developments, locally, nationally as well as internationally.
Cemeti Art House
Jl. D.I. Panjaitan No.41 Yogyakarta 55143, Indonesia.
Email: cemetiah@indosat.net.id
Phone: +62 274 371015
Jatiwangi art Factory
Jatiwangi art Factory (JaF) is a not-for-prot organization
that focuses on discourses of local rural life through arts
and cultural activities such as festivals, performances, visu-
al art, music, video, ceramics, exhibitions, artist in residen-
cies, monthly discussions, radio broadcasts and education.
JaF was founded on September 27, 2005. Since the year
2008, JaF in cooperation with the Jatisura Village Gov-
ernment undertake research using forms of collaborative
engagement in contemporary art that aid in connecting
one another. JaF has a Biannual Residency Festival, Video
Residency Festival and Ceramic Music Festival that invites
artists from various disciplines and countries to live, inter-
act, cooperate with the villagers, to feel life in Jatiwangi
rural society, formulate and create something that can
then be presented to everyone.
Jatiwangi art Factory
Jl. Makmur 604 Jatisura, Jatiwangi, Majalengka,
West Java, 45454, Indonesia.
Email: jatiwangiartfactory@gmail.com
Phone: +62 81 324 334 006
Lifepatch
Lifepatch citizens initiatives in the arts, science and
technology, is a community-based organization that works
in a creative and effective application in the elds of art,
science and technology. In its activities, Lifepatch focuses
on art and science education through exploring technol-
ogy that is useful for the community. It does this through
the development of creativity and innovation in the eld
of technology such as biological technology, environment
technology and digital technology.
In its implementation, Lifepatch culture emphasizes the spirit
of DIY [Do It Yourself] and DIWO [Do It With Others] by inviting
members and anyone involved to examine, explore, develop
and maximize the function of technology in both the theo-
retical and the practical use for the people and culture.
With the spirit and activities undertaken, Lifepatch expects
to be able to spur on the emergence of a new pattern and
straightforward system for the creative processes of in-
dividuals and communities, as well as interaction between
individuals in a series of interdisciplinary community works.
Lifepatch has a mission to be useful in the development
of human resources and in exploring the potential of local
natural resources, by building bridges, in domestic and
Ace House Collective
Ace House Collective (Ace) is a form of art laboratory,
consisting of several young artists from the 2000s era.
They came together on the basis of similar ideas and
perspectives on art and society, developing in com-
mon a consistent visual style inuenced by popular visual
consumerism and an evolving youth culture that includes
music, posters, cartoons, movies, toys, skateboard and
bike culture, grafti, and comics. Ace believes in popular
culture as the main source of resistance for art, acting as
a response to the development of information ow in the
global art discourse. This is where they were born and the
condition they live in it. Ace also believes that art is not
limited to working in a studio space, but rather crossbred
into other disciplines.
Ace House Collective
Address: Jl. Mangkuyudan 41 Yogyakarta 55143.
Phone: +62 85 643009700
Ruang MES 56
Ruang MES 56 is a non-prot institution, which was es-
tablished in Jogja in 2002 by a group of artists. The
institution functions as a production laboratory for the
dissemination of ideas pertaining to photo-based art,
emphasizing the exploratory and experimental approach,
both conceptually and contextually. Our mission is to de-
velop contemporary art discourse and visual culture, while
also optimizing the art network in the South East Asia
region. We do this through several programs and activities
such as residencies, presentation/ discussions, exhibi-
tions, and inter-disciplinary art projects.
Ruang MES 56
Address: Jalan Minggiran No. 61 A, Mantrijeron,
Yogyakarta 55141, Indonesia.
Email: ourmes56@yahoo.com
international collaborations, that provide open access for
anyone to research the sources and results of the devel-
opment that has already been done.
Several people from different disciplinary backgrounds,
with both formal and non-formal educations, established
Lifepatch on March 26 2012.The original members re-
sided in various cities such as Yogyakarta, Pekanbaru and
Bogor, which is the main reason Lifepatch initially relied on
communication via the Internet.
Lifepatch
Jl. South Bugisan, dunes Beautiful RT 13 RW 36,
Yogyakarta (Rear ISMS) 55 182 .
Email: patch@lifepatch.org
Site: http://lifepatch.org
ARTS COLLABORATORY
PARTICIPATING
ORGANIZATIONS
IN NUMBERS
These infographics were developed based on the
following questionnaires and will be further developed
along with a qualitative analysis.
Rudolf Mrzek
Rudolf Mrzek is a historian of modern Southeast Asia
and especially Indonesia. He is Professor of History at
the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at University of
Michigan. He is the author of several books, including En-
gineers of Happy Land: Technology and Nationalism in a
Colony; Sjahrir: Politics and Exile in Indonesia, 19061966;
Bali: The Split Gate to Heaven; and A Certain Age: Colonial
Jakarta through the Memories of Its Intellectuals.
PRESENTER
DIRECTOR OF
ORGANIZATIONS
MALE
42%
FEMALE
57%
GEOGRAPHIC
DISTRIBUTION
Latin America
6
AFRICA
6
M
I
D
D
L
E

E
A
S
T
3
A
S
I
A
3
ORGANIZATIONS
BY NUMBER OF STAFF
6-10
10
16+
2
11-15
3
1-5
2
TOTAL STAFF IN
AC PARTICIPATING
ORGANIZATIONS
84
89
173
MALE
+
FEMALE
TOTAL
TOTAL WORKING
PART TIME / FULL TIME
FULL
66%
PART
34%
AGE OF INSTITUTION
5-10
7
1-4
1
21+
1
11-15
5
16-20
3
Participating Organizations:
AL-MAMAL
37
ART GROUP 705
49

ASHKAL ALWAN
59
CASA TRES
PATIOS
73
CRTER INVERTIDO
85
DOUALART
99
KR THIOSSANE
107
KIOSKO
119
LUGAR A DUDAS
135

NUBUKE
145
PICHA
153
PLATOHEDRO
161
RIWAQ
171
RUANGRUPA
181
TEOR/TICA
193
THEERTHA
205
VANSA
217
Associate Participants:
32 EAST
227
CENTRE SOLEIL
DAFRIQUE
249
DARB 1718
249
KUNCI
261
MS ARTE MS CCION
273
Partners:
DOEN
285
HIVOS
295
CASCO
305
ARTS COLLABORATORY
ORGANIZATIONS Q&A
The questionnaire was developed in collaboration with
some of the organizations of Arts Collaboratory and
Casco, Doen and Hivos in order to catalyze the pro-
cess of getting to know one another before the As-
sembly, as well as to begin to form a pool of knowl-
edge on the organizations and their methodologies.
Providing insights into each organizations specicity
in terms of their critical social, organizational and
artistic issues in their respective local contexts, the
questionnaire helps to shape the Assembly. Also it
identies the mutual concerns and shared issues
that form the working groups during the assembly.
The questionnaires also include a description of an ob-
ject or artwork that each organization is bringing to
Indonesia which answers the question: What makes
your organization signicant? This object/artwork
will be put on display at ruangrupa for a week during
the Assembly and open to the general public as a
form of micro-collaborative-exhibition.
A photograph of each representative of the organization
who will be attending the Assembly is also included.
PARTI
CIPA
TING
ORGANI
ZATIONS
PARTI
CIPA
TING
ORGANI
ZATIONS
AL-MAMAL
PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS
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residency period, as well as with the general public are
also encouraged.
The Residency program encompasses:
Invitation of fve to seven artists/curators/researchers per
year to live in the Tile Factory studios, to conduct neces-
sary research for new projects.
Inviting visiting artists to give public presentations of their
work at Al-Ma'mal and in cooperation with institutional
partners in the West Bank and Gaza.
Inviting artists to get involved in the Al-Ma'mal workshop
program and conduct workshop sessions with youth partici-
pants in art workshops in collaboration with local partners.
Organizing exhibitions for artists who took part in the resi-
dency, presenting their completed research and projects
developed while in residence at Al-Ma'mal.
Providing Palestinian artists with the opportunity of participat-
ing in residencies abroad for the development of their work.
Exhibitions:
Bimonthly exhibitions are organized at the Tile Factory,
and encompass:
Three solo exhibitions for the visiting/resident artists.
Three solo exhibitions per year for Palestinian artists as
well as thematic exhibitions related to Jerusalem's his-
tory and cultural heritage that engage local audiences
while promoting tourism in Jerusalem.
In addition, the Tile Factory also hosts a part of the Jerusa-
lem Show exhibition and program in October of every year.
The Public Outreach Program:
Artists, writers, historians, musicians and performers are
invited to give public presentations at the Tile Factory. The
program runs on a monthly basis and includes talks, read-
ings, discussion circles, performances and lm screenings.
The Workshops:
The Workshop Program was developed in 1998 with the main
purpose of providing young individuals from the Jeru-
salem community and vicinity with the opportunity to
1 General
Please describe your basic structure and if applicable facilities?
Al Ma'mal is located in a renovated tile factory a trea-
sure of native architecture in the Old City of Jerusalem.
Through time, and due to unique circumstances, many of
these architectural gems had fallen into disrepair. The Tile
Factory was one such place. Situated in the New Gate area
of the Old City of Jerusalem, the Tile Factory was founded
in 1900 and, while still in operation, functioned as one of
the two primary traditional tile-making factories in Pales-
tine. After the cessation of the industrial activity in the Old
City in the 1970s, the building was abandoned and left in
conditions of total disrepair.
The renovated building opened in 2013, and houses two living
and working quarters for guest-artists, two multi-purpose
spaces and a roof garden. The total surface area available
is 270 square meters.
What kind of organizational structure have you chosen to work in?
The Residency:
The Artist-in-Residence program provides local and visiting
artists, curators and researchers accommodation and
studio facilities in the Tile Factory for the creation, presen-
tation, development and exchange of creative ideas and
projects. The program serves as a meeting place for art-
ists, facilitating creative encounters, discussions and the
exchange of experiences that are also open to the public
thus becoming a conduit to the outside world.
The Artist-in-Residence program is set as the igniting tool
for the dissemination and exchange of ideas, experi-
ences and representations, that activate the Tile Factory,
engaging the public within the region and abroad in
activities planned to help create awareness for ones own
cultural difference and uniqueness.
Visiting artists are given the opportunity to focus on a par-
ticular project of their own proposition while in-residence,
which may also be inuenced or inspired by the reality of
daily life in the city, the country and the region. Working
on further possibilities with local artists throughout the
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How many people work for your organization? Please specify gender.
One Female and Five Males.
What are the working conditions for the people in your organization?
For example, interns, paid, voluntary, full-time, part-time, flexible etc.?
Four part-time and two full-time positions.
What are your primary sources for funding?
The EU Representative ofce to the west bank, and other
representative ofces, depending on the project. Most
funding is project-based.
2 Practice
Please describe the vision or philosophy behind your organization,
particularly in terms of your ideas on life, society, art and the world
as a whole?
We aspire to create opportunities for experimentation,
inspiration, and education. We provide art workshops for
youth, and we invite artists to Jerusalem to work and pres-
ent their creations. Al-Ma'mal Foundation is determined
to make Jerusalem a center for contemporary art, while
never allowing ourselves to become oblivious to the situa-
tion on the ground or the enduring qualities of Jerusalem.
The platform we make available is a conduit through which
we strive to contribute to the development of the cultural
fabric of society, giving art more possibilities to become a
mode of expression and a way of life, on a local and inter-
national scale.
We believe that creative industry starts with individual cre-
ativity so developing creativity, learning about the culture,
engaging with it, and developing both personal and na-
tional narrative is fundamental, not only to a good educa-
tion but also to long-term national development. Al-Ma'mal
Foundation has been aware of this reality since its estab-
lishment in Jerusalem in 1998.
Al-Ma'mal Foundation took the old city of Jerusalem as its
operational base and point of departure, given that Je-
rusalem is at the heart of the conict and the Old City is
the jewel in the crown maintaining a Palestinian cultural
voice there was an imperative.
engage in creative practices designed to encourage self-
expression. The workshops teach participants to express
themselves more effectively regarding issues of concern
to them, their peers and their community in general,
developing their overall aesthetic awareness and apprecia-
tion to their surroundings. The workshop program demon-
strates our ongoing effort to connect and collaborate with
institutions and individuals at the local, regional and inter-
national levels. Our workshops are organized in partner-
ship with community centers, youth clubs and educational
institutions and are taught by local and foreign artists.
The Jerusalem Show:
The Jerusalem Show is an art and culture event organized
primarily in the old city of Jerusalem that is comprised
of art exhibitions, performances, workshops, talks, lm
screenings, and guided tours. The Jerusalem Show takes
the whole Old City as a context and a venue to engage with,
presenting works and events that reect the importance of
Jerusalem as an artistic, cultural, political, and social urban
space. Up to 30 local and foreign artists are invited to pres-
ent their projects. The event is open to the public over a
two-week period, during daytime and evening hours, espe-
cially illuminating the Old City of Jerusalem for example
when places tend to be lifeless and vacant from 5pm.
The Jerusalem Show runs on an annual basis, and every
two years, it is organized in the framework of the Qalandiya
International, a biennial of Palestinian art and culture that
takes place in partnership with seven institutions in Jerusa-
lem, the West Bank, Gaza and historic Palestine.
Partnership:
A number of partnerships are formed to improve our local
and international reach and network. Partners include indi-
viduals, artist groups and institutions in Europe, the Middle
East and Asia. These partnerships are strengthened
through ongoing collaborations on projects and programs,
such as the Jerusalem Show, the Education program and
now, the Residency program.
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We aim to assist individuals affected by conict and violence
by providing a creative platform that offers the build-
ing of creative skills, facilitating venues for dialogue and
exchange, and promotion of activities that strengthen
cultural life. We invite artists, and young people to confront
issues of signicance pertaining to the social, political,
cultural factors of Palestine.
We collaborate with art and culture institutions in Ramal-
lah, West Bank, Gaza and historic Palestine and organize
it that the exhibitions presented at Al-Ma'mal are later
exhibited at their respected venues; so that Palestinians
unable to travel to Jerusalem (due to permit controls)
have a chance to experience the event regardless of bor-
der/checkpoint limitations and access control. Likewise,
events are run in parallel, so that one part of an event is
presented in Al-Ma'mal while another part is presented at
a host institution in the West Bank.
Artists play a signicant role in the expression and inter-
pretation of society's norms, values and traditions, and
they are invited to utilize their creative energy to project
awareness about Jerusalem, to residents, tourists, and
the general public thereby ensuring that issues regarding
our locality gain the maximum attention, awareness and
understanding. A bonus here is that in doing so, artists
gain respect as creative bodies that have a relevant role
and responsibility to society.
The best project example is with the Jerusalem Show, where
the artists are invited to give performances in both Jeru-
salem and in the West Bank. Guided tours are then orga-
nized encouraging both locals and foreigners to visit the
locations of the projects. Skype conferences are also held
between the West Bank/Gaza and Jerusalem, and the
public is invited to participate in the conferences at their
most suitable location.
What are the most challenging and pressing issues or questions for
you as an art organization?
How do we continue to enhance visual literacy and aware-
ness of social issues?
Our philosophy on art, society, world and art are all related
to the context of engagement, and everything we do is
related to how we can create a successful model for en-
gagement, identifying three counterparts or interlocutors
within that model.
The rst point of engagement is with local artists and the
local art scene that can benet from accessing resourc-
es made available by Al-Ma'mal for the production, pre-
sentation and dissemination of artwork. This program per-
forms a vital function by exposing young members of the
community to art and visual communication in a context
where access to it is otherwise difcult if not impossible.
The second is artists whom we invite and engage with from
abroad. These artists come to discover, learn and interact
with the place, the people, the culture, the politics and
the environment. This experience feeds into their artistic
practice and through their subsequent work they express
their understanding, their impressions and their opinions.
These artists are able to communicate realities that are
not part of standard news reporting and therefore have an
educational function as well as an increasingly important
role as ambassadors for cultural exchange.
Third are the teenagers who take part in our workshops and
other programs and these have been the backbone of the
work we do within the community for the past 15 years.
The rewards and long-term benets of these programs
are already clear. As our teenage participants begin to
understand the potential of their creativity, an enthusiastic
and co-operative attitude emerges which can have a very
positive impact on how they subsequently conduct their
lives and interact with their own communities.
What do you find are the major social issues affecting your neigh-
borhood, city or locality, for example, in terms of conflict, environ-
ment, etc.?
Political conict, the restrictions on freedom of expression
and movement for Palestinians.
Through which modes do you address (these) social issues? As an
example, please describe an exemplary project you undertook.
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of art and art movements that we focus on. This comes
mainly out of the urgent need to prove our existence as Pal-
estinians in an area where all governing forces can really do,
on a daily basis, is to make certain that we are no more.
The conict that we face with Israeli governing forces who
are determined now more aggressively than ever to
annihilate Palestinian identity, attempting to superimpose
rights that only serve or benet some while destroying
others, forcing a sort of Judaism/the Judization of
Jerusalem. Al-Ma'mal refuses to be under siege and we
refuse to see our culture annihilated. Through our activi-
ties, we aim to highlight the Palestinian narrative and
raise the voices of the unheard; we organize, we engage,
we intervene, partner with, share and exhibit, speak,
travel, host, work with the community, engage children,
youth, students the community at large. We do ev-
erything we believe possible in determination to defy the
negative pollution of a government that would do every-
thing in its power to exterminate us. We will do everything
in our power to exist.
Please suggest a text (article or book) that deals with a major social
or artistic issue from your local or regional context.

Arab Art Histories:
The Khalid Shoman Collection.
3 Assembly
The Assembly will focus on getting to know one another, working to-
gether on future projects within the AC platform, and on exploring the
Indonesian arts scene. Do you have any specific suggestions for ways
of working you have experienced as fruitful, particularly in relation to
programmatic elements? Specifically in the sense of non-traditional
How do we raise awareness and acceptance of contem-
porary art practices to non-artist practitioners (the local
community)?
How can we better beneft or serve the local community/
our immediate surroundings?
Is there a method for knowledge sharing your organization has ac-
complished or is still experimenting with?
We share knowledge through social media, through our
website, through our email listing, through publicizing in a
monthly Palestinian publication entitled This Week in Pal-
estine, and through printing out event yers and distrib-
uting them locally by hand.
We are also in the process of working on a Retrospective
publication, which will document our activities and events
over the past fteen years; once completed, this will have
a print as well as an online edition.
Do you have a specific artistic focus, conceptual interest, and/or a
methodological approach that you employ? Please describe.
Our focus encompasses a variety of media, it is not so much
the material or media but the concept, and we therefore
like to focus on Jerusalem as a theme, or ideas that relate
to the region. Our projects therefore are an extension of
daily life in Palestine, whether through contemporary art
presentations or through focusing on Palestinian heritage
and historical narrative. So far this year, we have been fo-
cusing on painting exhibitions, and conducting workshops
in drawing and painting. In October, in the framework of
the Jerusalem Show, we will invite artists to focus on urban
interventions and site-specic art projects. Furthermore,
through our public outreach program, we organize monthly
musical evenings, these present an array of styles, from
classical, contemporary, to the experimental.
What do you think are the main historical concerns taking place
within the current cultural scene?
The Palestinian historical narrative, its expression and its
awareness are important issues within the cultural scene;
so it is the context of the place rather than the history
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4 Network
What do you think the Arts Collaboratory platform could do?
The platform could encourage the initiation of collaborative
projects and/or parallel events to take place in different ven-
ues in cooperation with the platform members/participants,
in other words, joint projects that happen simultaneously
(selected or in parts) in two, three or four venues globally.
How do you think the participants of the Arts Collaboratory plat-
form could enrich, support or benefit from any activities you might
have? And what do you think you could offer in terms of facilities,
research, and skills to share with the others in the network?
Providing knowledge about our local artists and art scene,
exchanging ideas about similar social, political, and cul-
tural issues and how to work within them. Al-Ma'mal could
offer our residency facility, and we could also share events
as we do with institutions locally, a similar model could
be adopted internationally. For example, a lm-screening
program organized by one partner could travel to Jeru-
salem, or vice versa especially when the context of the
program is relevant to the location/culture.
What other networks are you a part of that are of particular interest
to you and why?
The network of the Qalandiya International, the Palestin-
ian biennial that was rst formed in 2012. For the rst
time in Palestine, seven institutions (from various parts
of Palestine) operating in the art and cultural sectors
formed an imperative network, synchronizing our projects
and presenting them under one umbrella: the Qalandiya
International Festival.
5 Objects and Description
Please give details about the object/artwork you will bring to Indone-
sia that answers the question, What makes your organization signifi-
cant? Please include: Materials, Title, Artist [if it applies], Year, Size,
and Duration. Please also list any equipment you might need.
I will carry the object in my pocket, that's how small it is (but
not too small). No other equipment is needed for it.
forms you have found to be successful for conferences, symposiums,
meetings, etc.? Please feel free to make any suggestion.
Visualizing activities before group discussions.
Group games/icebreakers.
Divide into smaller groups and then shift group members.
During the Assembly we will organize working groups surrounding
topics of shared interest to AC participants. Our hope is that these
work-groups will help facilitate future collaborations. Do you have
any particular topics you would like to suggest?
Urban interventions.
Site-specifc projects.
Community and art-related collaborative projects.
In brief, please describe a current project of yours you might like to
strengthen or extend by collaborating with other AC organizations?
The Residency Project, particularly in the framework of the
Public Outreach hospitality program; inviting artists to
initiate projects related to food culture and heritage.
Do you already have a concrete activity you would like to propose
for a possible future collaboration during the Assembly?
We would like to propose our activities to the group (such as
the residency, public outreach) and discuss the potential
for future collaborations.
What would you like to accomplish at the Assembly?
Getting to know the other institutions, their projects and aims.
Strengthening networks, opening doors to potential collabo-
ration, and getting to know the art scene in Indonesia.
In addition, I would like to keep a diary, an Assembly Jour-
nal that documents my experience as a representative
of Al-Ma'mal. This could be kept as personal documenta-
tion or shared publically within the group. I see this as an
important record or map, not only of the experiences but
also of the network to be formed, so for example, entries
into the journal could take the form of questions, reec-
tions and/or wish lists. The wish list will be essential in
that it will encourage a sort of promise for future collabo-
rations and engagements and a step towards developing
shared goals to achieve.
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ART GROUP
705
Please provide a short text of one hundred words for the general
public, including the reasons why you selected the object.
When Al-Ma'mal was rst founded, and its name decided, we
had this sense of being on a verge, and the allusion to dif-
cult terrain was very appropriate for Jerusalem. We could
envisage Al-Ma'mal as a goat in the desert or of navigat-
ing the intricate terrain of Jerusalem regardless of wheth-
er we had resources or only plastic bags to feed on, we
would still survive. Thus, the Al-Ma'mal logo or emblem was
decided upon. In addition to the reasons mentioned above,
it is a beautiful animal and a strong symbol in Palestinian
culture so it was also a marker of our identity.
Jumana Abboud,
Co-Director
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Art Group 705 = Engagement, Cohabitation + Site-Specic
Theatre (working with the space) + Theatre of the Ab-
surdity + Experimental Animations + Power / Society /
Space / Body / Human Themes + Kitchen
Group 705 is based on the principles of inclusion, engage-
ment, participation and coexistence of people of different
professions and civil society activists for the possibility of
reection through the language of art. The main form of
expression is street theater and experimental animation.
The very form of street action involves some engagement
in society, working with communities.
ment, etc.?
Summarizing the Art Group 705 experience we could formu-
late the main themes as Authority / Society / Space /
Body / and the Human Being.
We are interested in the human existential experience in a
particular system and environment. We are also interested
in how the concrete space functions with social mark-
ers. Our art works cover such topics as authoritarianism,
patriarchy, social and economic inequality, environmental
issues, and migration.
We approach these issues through interviews and self-reec-
tion on current affairs.
In 2010, there was a coup d'tat, which resulted in the
authoritarian system being overthrown; the country then
began to form a parliamentary system of government. The
problems associated with authoritarianism however remain
for the Central Asia Region. Group 705 reected on this
situation through the project Central Asian Autumn of
the Patriarch, in which we developed a series of mono-
performances entitled King of the Rats, Slave Maris
and Black Hole. These performances were made up of
personal experiences while the actors also reected on
1 General
Art Group 705 consists of both permanent and temporary mem-
bers who have the opportunity to be included in the group's
activities in accordance with their interests and abilities.
Staff:
Marat Rayymkulov Art Director, Producer
Symbat Satybaldieva Project Coordinator
Diana Rakhmanova Events Coordinator/Logistics
Talgat Berikov Technical Coordinator
The Art Director has the nal decision, but before that we
try to practice mutual involvement with active members to
gain the different points of views on any given situation.
How many people work for your organization? Please specify
gender.
Concerning the permanent staff, we are four: two men and
two women.
What are the working conditions for the people in your organiza-
tion? For example, interns, paid, voluntary, full-time, part-time,
flexible etc.?
We practice exible schedules and individual tasks, which is
dependent on the performance and preparation deadlines.
The permanent staff are all paid part-time workers. We try
to pay whoever is involved from our own funds.
Our primary sources are from commercial orders for anima-
tions and illustrations. We also fundraise through grants and
contests of various international organizations and projects.
2 Practice
as a whole?
We could explain the group through the following formula:
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We also feel the danger of being perceived as Western
Agents [Russian rhetoric] in the current geopolitical ste-
reotyping of the country. We are sometimes compared to
or described as radical activists.
We practice knowledge sharing through meetings, minutes,
and rehearsals.
The texts from our meetings are available on our website:
http://705.kg/category/lenta-2
We work in a mode of permanent self-reection.
Yes, they are as followed:
Urban intervention
Animation
Collective Action
Performance
Theater of the Absurd
Cantor's Zero Theatre, and The Theatre of Death
Art of Interaction
The Kitchen of Rirkrit Tiravanija
The Bread and Puppet Theater
All sources for our work can be found here:
http://705.kg/pressa
English-language source:
http://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/07/18/kyrgyzstan-
patriarchal-society-as-seen-by-artists
3 Assembly
the authoritarianism. These performances were not only
shown and discussed in our own country but also in our
neighboring countries: Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.
Within the Kitchen Pro-meeting project we have begun
to develop the performance 27 ha, which is about the
catastrophic situation of a city dump. On the one hand the
landlls are growing quickly, but on the other hand many
people earn money through this garbage. Journalists and
artists alike have repeatedly raised the social aspect of
this issue, but the situation has not changed. We saw a
necessity to continue the discussion using the art form
of collective action. Visiting this landll we have collected
stories of the people who live and work at the site and
have also taken documentary photographs of their daily
lives. Some of these stories and photos have been posted
on the Group's ofcial social media pages. We invited the
citizens of Bishkek, along with City Hall and civic activists
to the landll, and organized a discussion alongside food
prepared by the local communities.
Working with the local communities we are continually
faced with the reluctance of people to share their life sto-
ries and experiences, mainly because of their precarious
positions in society. They feel if the situation is not open to
public, it is somehow more secure for them.
We are also faced with the possibility of the local commu-
nity misunderstanding our artistic action, which is some-
times greeted with an aggressive attitude. Many people
have trouble accepting art outside the theater hall and off
the museum's walls.
Other challenges also involve the risks and safety of a
place. We understand the need to continue the practice
of street actions and performances, but it's denitely not
safe. The risks include such factors as: the local commu-
nity's attitude towards us as alien, ecology issues such
as the sanitation of the space, etc. Sometimes we do not
have a clear idea as to how to protect ourselves when we
are out interacting with the community and the site.
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4 Network
The AC network may function for us as a discussion plat-
form; we are particularly interested in topics such as:
(1) Social issues:
Authoritarianism/Power
Ecology
Economic Inequality
Migration
The Other
(2) Art and the Social:
How art can overcome social challenges?
How art can interact with local communities?
We understand that the issues above are actual and rel-
evant not only for our region. Therefore, we assume that
such discussions can be integrated into the activities of
some AC network participants. These discussions can
also be held within partnerships of the network represen-
tatives, some events could also be arranged via the sites
of the AC partners.
Discussion and reection are important tools in the develop-
ment of our projects. So within the network we see the op-
portunities to build contacts and to engage partners to aid
in this reection process. We believe that it would create
easy access to art works while also creating simple ways
to join the discussion. It may, for example, be online fo-
rums or ofine presentations at some AC partner venues.
For us the ofine presentation is more effective and deep. But
the challenge for the AC participants is if we are ready to
provide physical space for such an engagement and to dedi-
cate time for this? The answer today is not obvious for us.
We have no specic suggestions, but we would like to note
that working in small groups can be effective, but it would
also be great to create opportunities so that we can com-
municate regardless of our afliations to certain groups.
We would see this as being important as we generally see
interdisciplinarity as quite powerful in artistic practices.
We want to suggest the following topics:
Working methods of artists in regards to local communi-
ties and the problems of environment, space, and site.
Effciency in regards to the usage of AC resources so as
to facilitate AC projects.
Currently out main project is Kitchen Pro-meeting. We would
like to strengthen it through collaboration with the other
organizations as well as including them as discussion
partners and participants.
As a future collaboration, we would like to propose:
Open offine platforms for discussions and representations
of the members art works.
Create some educational resources through the collabora-
tion of AC artists network.
To meet the other members of the AC network.
To consider the possibilities of cooperation with the other
members of the AC network.
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Duration: 30 minutes
Street action 27 ha is an interdisciplinary performance,
carried out under the project Kitchen Pro-meeting,
supported by Hivos Foundation, Arts Collaboratory, and
Stichting DOEN.
Photographic documentation, video documentation, perfor-
mance, and kitchen.
We design the kitchen and ingestion as a platform for discus-
sion. The performance includes the procession as an ele-
ment of participation, solidarity and as an opportunity to see.
Street action 27 ha unfolds from the city to the landll site.
Art form of performance is process of interment beginning
from the singing Kyrgyz song of interment koshok inside
the funeral services agency bus, the procession at the
city dump, burial/planting, discussion after the burial and
lunch, prepared jointly with the local community.
The song (koshok) tells the story of a man whose life was
spent on the dump landlls and ended here on the dump.
This song is associated with some real stories that we have
collected from people living and working at the landll site.
The initial version of performance planned to use a fake
human body brought to the landll, but nally we used
the Tree as a symbol of life and nature. At this city dump
you realize that it is an ecological disaster here that has
become as daily life practice for local communities. How-
ever this symbolism does not seem important to us, we
thought about the post impressions after performance,
we wish to give not bad ones to the spectators, so we re-
fused from burial and cremation. In the nal version, in the
contrary we plant a Tree in the midst of garbage waste-
land. This fact echoes with the located near grave where
put on the articial Tree, and on the other hand it became
an opportunity of changes for this place where live a lot of
marginal, that there is still life at the city dump.
Required equipment: projector, DVD player.
We also think it is important if the network power used for
online resources generation and ofine platform for the skills
exchange. We think it would be better to create such educa-
tional practices when the AC members talk about their expe-
riences in the form of lectures, exhibitions, workshop, etc.
to you and why?
Blogbasta.kz Resource with the main aim to de-
construct all kinds of myths, planted in the minds of
people for years of stagnation through analysis, discus-
sions and contemporary art. Here, the important point is
the authoritarian critique through art.
Bir Duino Kyrgyzstan Platform with talks about human
rights via lms. For us the interesting point is about civil
problems in art.
Bishkek Feminist Collective SQ http://bishkekfeminists.
kloop.kg Feminist group of activists in Bishkek, Kyrgyz-
stan. The group is based on the principles of collective
emancipation, solidarity, mutual support, equal decision-
making, and non-violence. For us the interest is their reec-
tion on the social situation. The following abstract from SQ
also corresponds to our thoughts on street action: We have
to get out of our ofces, to get out of conference rooms
and come to the street and the community by stop talking
about vulnerable groups as some indicators from warm and
comfortable spaces, lets express your own political posi-
tion and work in solidarity with those who do not have equal
access and rights. Its time to join the forces in response to
hatred and violence; its time to work together.
Video documentation of the street action 27 ha.
Type: Video
Year: 2014
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ASHKAL
ALWAN
We have chosen the performance 27 ha because in this
piece we have tried to present our main areas of interest
and activities: the kitchen, street actions, and discussions.
Marat Raiymkulov,
Chairman and Art Director
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The governance comprises of:
Executive Committee, who is fscally responsible and rep-
resents the organization legally: Christine Tohme (Chair),
Lina Saneh (Vice Chair), and Masha Refka (Secretary and
Treasurer).
Board of Trustees, who oversee the fnancial wellbeing
of the organization: Joumana Asseily, Carla Chammas,
Tamara Corm, Zaza Jabre, Robert Matta, Hoor Al Qasimi,
Rana Sadik and Jimmy Traboulsi.
Curriculum Committee, who oversees the Home Work-
space Program / HWP: Joana Hadjithomas, Walid Raad,
Khalil Rabah, Lina Saneh, and Gregory Sholette.
We are a core team of ten, two males and eight females:
Christine Tohme (Director & Chair), Amal Issa (HWP
Director), Rewa Baassiri (HWP Coordinator), Nisreen Kaj
(Assistant Director), Marie-Nour Hechaim (Program and
Development Coordinator), Zeina Khoury (Ofce Manager).
Monica Basbous and Jessika Khazrik (Library Coordina-
tors), Romain Hamard (Technical Coordinator), and Saf-
wan Halabi (Space Caretaker).
flexible etc.?
Our core team comprises eight individuals who are paid full-
timers, and two paid part-timers (the library coordinators),
with the occasional involvement of interns, temps and
volunteers, when needed and for specic projects.
There is no public funding for the arts in Lebanon. Our prima-
ry sources of funding are funding institutions and grants,
Board of Trustees memberships, individual donations, and
occasionally sponsorships and in-kind donations.
2 Practice
Please describe the vision or philosophy behind your organiza-
tion, particularly in terms of your ideas on life, society, art and the
world as a whole?
1 General
Ashkal Alwan is a non-prot organization based in Beirut,
Lebanon. Since its inception in 1994, the association has
committed itself to production, research and diffusion in
contemporary artistic and intellectual practices.
The associations platforms include: Home Works, a forum
on cultural practices that takes place for 10 to 15 days
in Beirut every two to three years; Home Workspace
Program (HWP), a free annual arts study program;
Video Works, a support program for video production in
Lebanon; artist residencies in Lebanon and abroad; a
multimedia library and archive of local / regional cultural
practices; the publication of critical, artistic and literary
works; curated projects; production facilities and grants;
and public programming and workshops.
In 2011, the organization opened a 2,000 square meter
multidisciplinary space known informally as Home
Workspace aimed at providing an educational hub for
the region. The Philippe Jabre Association has donated
this space to the association for a period of 10 years.
Home Workspace was developed using a seed fund from
Ford Foundation and with the pro bono interior design of
Y.TOHME Architects & Associates.
The facilities feature: a large collective workspace; shared stu-
dios; one large multipurpose auditorium; two other auditori-
ums, one of which is soundproofed; a multimedia library; an
editing suite for sound and video work; as well as a selection
of audio, video and other technical equipment.
Ashkal Alwan currently functions with a core team com-
prised of ten members who while assigned specic
positions and tasks in the organization communicate,
consult and coordinate thoroughly across the different
activities of the association. Christine Tohme, the found-
er and director of the association, leads the team. Amal
Issa was assigned director of the program in 2013, and
has been with the association since 2010.
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forum, which is conceptually centered around asking and
addressing current, pertinent and pressing questions in
our society. And what links the forums participants to-
gether is this approach to a common set of urgent, timely
questions. The work of artists, curators, cultural practi-
tioners and everyone else involved in the forum endeavors
to create methods of critical inquiry and aesthetic forms
capable of conveying those questions meaningfully and
proposing possible solutions.
Home Workspace Program (HWP) Ashkal Alwans annual
educational program aims at supporting an open, alter-
native arts study program that is tuition-free and remains
unique to the region. HWP provides a rare opportunity for
graduate-level education in the region that is free, address-
es relevant concerns, embeds practices in critical thinking,
and offers a vibrant platform for dialogue through its open-
ness to public participation, to students from all over the
region and elsewhere in the world, and its collaboration with
artists and thinkers. HWP also acts as a space for research,
collaboration and production, and has established itself as a
major hub for dialogue for the city and for the Arab region,
attracting a diverse community and audience across the
artistic and civic disciplines, and beyond the direct partici-
pants. Most recently, the open registration format of the
20132014 edition of HWP has facilitated the participation
and work of over 180 people from Lebanon, the Arab region
and elsewhere, and has allowed the program to create and
build a wider international network.
Video Works, the associations video production and screen-
ing grant, facilitates the production of new projects by
local and regional lmmakers and artists. It aims to build a
sustainable support structure for video production and its
diffusion in the region.
Ashkal Alwans artist-in-residency program was developed
for emerging and established artists, cultural practitio-
ners and researchers from the region and beyond, and
further the associations aim to build dialogue, foster
debate, and create a dynamic network across art com-
munities in the respective countries.
Taking civic realities in Lebanon as a starting point, Ashkal
Alwan endeavors to foster critical discourse, and explore
and expand the (individual, collective, institutional) models,
modes, and means of production and education in the arts.
What do you find are the major social issues affecting your
neighborhood, city or locality, for example, in terms of conflict,
environment, etc.?
Issues include:
The Lebanese chronic context of normalized political insta-
bility, and most recently, the overall political situation in Syria,
which continues to impact economic, social and political life,
and affects the work of arts and cultural organizations on
many levels from funding to logistical implementation.
Legislation: while Lebanon has considerably more demo-
cratic governance and law structures in comparison with
other countries in the region, there is much to be done on
the civil rights level: a non-secular governance and legisla-
tive system based on sectarian representation and refer-
ence; gender, sexual orientation, labor, and racial discrimi-
nation; extra-legislative cultural censorship; among others.
Urban planning and mapping, architectural heritage, real
estate development, environmental concerns, public space:
the decades of instability, and the absence of a reliable and
transparent governance that regulates these issues, have
resulted in considerable damage to Lebanons urban, public
space, architectural, and ecological heritage still ongoing.
Addressing these issues is embedded in the associations vi-
sion and practices: from providing a space and resources
for independent initiatives working on social issues like
censorship, secularism, LGBT rights, etc.; to initiating public
platforms and programs that facilitate freedom of expres-
sion and debate across the arts and civic disciplines.
In particular, Ashkal Alwan addresses a number of pertinent
social issues through its various platforms:
For each edition, Home Works goes through a process of
conceiving, formulating and writing the thematic for the
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15 years by artists, collectives, individuals and organiza-
tions. A large number of art and cultural practitioners,
students, researchers, and so on, visit the library on a
daily basis; and this year, two part-time library coordina-
tors have been recruited to reactivate the library with
the mission to program a regular schedule of workshops,
reading sessions, and so on.
Our main artistic focus and interests center on: visual arts;
lm; sound; art and intervention in public space; edu-
cation in the arts; performance arts; and publishing
and translating contemporary critical, artistic and liter-
ary works (particularly with a focus on enriching cultural
discourse in the Arabic language, and diffusing Arabic-
language texts to a wider audience).
These include: a focus on how to create modalities that
are specic to and embedded in the region; and a focus
on the writing of history and of art histories in the Arab
world, vis--vis the current proliferation of museums, fairs,
collections, biennials, galleries, publications, exhibitions,
study programs, and other initiatives in the region how
to address and engage with these practices in a critical
way, and how to resist overhyped market interest that
could lead to cultural ination and burnout? How do these
practices write our histories?
The association suggests How Nancy
Wished That Everything Was an April
Fools Joke: A Play by Rabih Mrou,
text by Rabih Mrou and Fadi Touq
and published in Arabic and English by
Ashkal Alwan in 2012. This book is the
publication of the plays script, rst
performed in Beirut in 2008:
Finally, the associations various grants, curated projects and
weekly public programming, as well as its venue (known
informally as Home Workspace) with its studios, audito-
riums, editing suite, public library and so on provide art-
ists, cultural producers, students, and the general public
with a genuine hub, in use as a production, research and
gathering place for local and international communities.
The most challenging and pressing issues for the association
include:
Promoting a diversity of voices, openness, freedom of ex-
pression, and exchange of ideas through public discourse.
Promoting an interdisciplinary dialogue within arts and
culture focused on innovative research, production and
context engagement.
Promoting initiatives, collaboration, networking and infra-
structure as means of affecting and shaping the civic and
cultural sphere in Lebanon and the Arab region.
Initiating platforms and supporting initiatives that challenge
political and social hegemonies in the global art market.
Providing an alternative educational model in the Arab
world that is tuition-free, and emphasizes collaboration
and critical engagement.
Ashkal Alwans practices revolve around knowledge production
and the inclusion of a diversity of voices, primarily through:
Our programs, such as: HWP, our annual arts study pro-
gram; Home Works, a forum on cultural practices; Video
Works, our production and screening platform; our public
programming of seminars, lecture, lecture-performances,
workshops; and so on.
Our monthly newsletter, which promotes not only our own
programs, but also relevant programs and opportunities
(grants, study, employment) of other initiatives in Leba-
non, the region, and beyond.
Our library, which was opened in 2011 and currently holds
over 4,000 publications and videos donated over the last
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From experience, informal discussions within a social setting
that one could come back to after a couple of days is an
effective method.
How can art practices develop and navigate within contexts
of conict be it social or political?
The association is currently working on a program to address
an urgent need within the arts and culture sphere in Leba-
non: Project Spaces and Artist Studios (PSAS) aims at
providing open and exible studios and spaces for emerg-
ing to mid-career artists and curators to explore and cre-
ate projects; and it also aims to set up a unique model for
a curatorial summer school in the region.
The need for PSAS falls into four distinct areas:
That of independent curators and artists for a space in
which to develop and mount projects;
That of individuals working in performance for a contempo-
rary, professional studio in which to rehearse and present;
That of artists for inexpensive and suitable studios in
which to work;
That of regional art practitioners for a space in which to en-
gage and share in critical and civic thinking and practices.
PSAS aims at providing a model that facilitates more effec-
tive artistic production. It combines spaces for exhibitions,
performance and other projects with artist studios for lo-
cal, Arab and international artists. These spaces are:
10 studio spaces
An exhibition space
Four combatants recount chapters from the Lebanese wars
through the battles they fought and still do, weaving thus
part of the networks of political and military alliances and
conicts among Lebanese partiesas well as the various
other organizations operating on Lebanese territoriesin
whose wars the four imaginary ghters valiantly fought, and
whose politics and ideological goals they valiantly defended.
We chose this publication as it very much represents the work
we do and collaborate on, and the issues we deal with.
In Lebanon, plays (lms and books too) must submit to the
General Security Ofce Department of Audiovisual Media
to be approved before they can be shown to the public.
This practice is not exactly a legislated one there is no
law that states you have to do this yet the GSO requires
you to do this or it can ban your play, performance, book,
or lm if a permission is not obtained. Ashkal Alwan usually
bypasses this practice by using a number of strategies,
such as presenting a limited number of performances.
In a country where there is no consensus yet in writing the
history or histories of the civil war(s), and where as yet
this cannot be taught in schools, it seemed especially im-
portant to push for works such as this to be shown. It was
initially censored, and the matter eventually attracted the
attention of the press, and the intervention of the minister
of culture at the time. It reached a point until eventually it
was put on the constituent assemblys meeting agenda,
but before it could be discussed, the GSO reversed its
decision to censor the play, and we were able to show the
complete uncensored play for ten performances.
It meant a lot for us to publish the text of this play, as it
represents not only freedom of expression and an instance
of triumph over censorship, but also the importance of the
writing of histories. Indeed, this work is very much part of
the history of Ashkal Alwan.
3. Assembly
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model for cultural promotion and support, that can greatly
affect the practices of the institutions involved, and that
Ashkal Alwan is looking forward to being part of.
Ashkal Alwan has developed a number of strong and inter-
connected platforms over the years that are looked at as
models in the region. We feel that the Arts Collaboratory
platform would especially benet from the following:
Home Works is a 10 to 15 day multidisciplinary and interna-
tional forum on cultural practices with a focus on the
Arab region that takes place in Beirut every two to three
years. It provides both a regional and international plat-
form for artists and cultural practitioners: to demonstrate
their work, share their practices, and exchange ideas,
opinions and interests; to engage with the general pub-
lic; and to ask pertinent questions and address pressing
issues through their work. The forums last edition alone
saw over 100 artists, writers, intellectuals, performers and
collectives from Lebanon, the Arab region and around the
world invited to present their works in exhibitions, lectures,
Q&As, lecture-performances, performances of dance and
theatre, book launches and lm and video screenings.
Ashkal Alwans residency program offers two to three art-
ists each year a two to three month research residency in
Beirut, covering travel, accommodation and per diem. It
acts as a transnational platform for Arab and international
artists, writers and curators emerging or established
and is mostly by invitation, with spontaneous applications
occasionally considered. Being research-based rather
than production-based, it acts as an incubator, offering
time away from product delivering commitments to focus
on reection, research, networking and connecting with
the citys urban and cultural environment; and ultimately
provides an opportunity for organizations within the Arts
Collaboratory network to utilize this platform by suggest-
ing / nominating applicants.
A performance space with 60-person capacity
A multidisciplinary space
As a separate annual program, a resident curator will be in-
vited selected by the PSAS committee through an open
application process to reside in Beirut for 12 months,
and organize an exhibition during their residency. This
curator will also help devise the structure for the curato-
rial summer school, which ultimately aims to address the
specic curatorial modalities and contexts of the region.
We would prefer to wait for the Assembly.
Meet with, network and discover the other organizations
Explore the Indonesian art scene
Present Ashkal Alwan, its work, projects and concerns
Discuss shared issues and interests
Discuss ideas for future collaborations
4 Network
The Arts Collaboratory platform is a very important initiative
not only in terms of the funding it provides, but equally in
recognizing the value of networking, knowledge sharing,
and collaboration between like-minded institutions working
in diverse contexts and practices, yet in shared conditions,
and with shared interests, goals, and concerns. And the
Assembly organized by Arts Collaboratory is a wonderful
opportunity for these institutions to present their work and
discover that of the others.
Such a platform can be invaluable in strengthening and expand-
ing the practice and sustainability of each institution, through
direct support, and through initiating inter-institutional
knowledge and experience sharing, conversation and debate,
collaborations, support, and meaningful partnerships.
We believe Arts Collaboratory is proposing an interesting new
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Please give details about the object/artwork you will bring to Indo-
nesia that answers the question, What makes your organization
significant? Please include: Materials, Title, Artist [if it applies],
Year, Size, and Duration. Please also list any equipment you might
need.
The association will be presenting a copy of How Nancy
Wished That Everything Was an April Fools Joke: A Play by
Rabih Mrou as its selected object.
How Nancy Wished That Everything Was an April Fools Joke:
A Play by Rabih Mrou
Text by Rabih Mrou and Fadi Touq.
Published in Arabic and English by Ashkal Alwan in 2012.
This book is the publication of the plays script, rst per-
formed in Beirut in 2008.
Four combatants recount chapters from the Lebanese wars
through the battles they fought and still do, weaving thus
part of the networks of political and military alliances and
conicts among Lebanese partiesas well as the various
other organizations operating on Lebanese territoriesin
whose wars the four imaginary ghters valiantly fought, and
whose politics and ideological goals they valiantly defended.
This work was chosen as it touches on:
Collective memory
Translation; how to translate works
of art and historical documents
Working with non-actors
Issues of censorship and modes of control
Another platform is the associations multimedia, public
library for contemporary arts. Consulted on a daily basis
by a variety of people, the collection continues to grow
through the generosity of Ashkal Alwans supporters, and
it is an important part of its mission to cultivate a collec-
tion of text and video material that is accessible to the
public and focuses on contemporary artistic and cultural
practices in the Arab region and around the world.
Lastly, the association has had a regular schedule of public
programs since 2011, open to the public and for free. It has
hosted, programmed and commissioned over 60 public
events on a regular basis, ranging from lectures and confer-
ences to performances, lm screenings and book launches.
to you and why?
Ashkal Alwan is a partner institution of the Videobrasil Resi-
dency Network, which selects artists for exchange pro-
grams in Brazil and abroad, and involves renowned cultural
and artistic institutions in several countries from around
the world. The network seeks to strengthen artistic ex-
changes in order to create a dynamic that benets artists
from the worlds geopolitical south. Under this partnership,
Ashkal Alwan receives artists of any age, discipline and so
on, in its residency program, who have been selected and
nancially supported by Videobrasil, and who are emerging
and have a consistent and focused practice.
The association is also part of Corpus, a consortium of insti-
tutions (such as Tate Modern, London; Playground Festi-
val (STUK/Museum M) in Leuven, Belgium; and If I Cant
Dance; Amsterdam) that have a solid interest in perfor-
mance. Depending on the type of membership, some part-
ners nancially contribute to the production of performanc-
es and present (a selection) of each others performances,
while other partners commit to presenting a selection of
these performances at their respective venues. Through
membership in this consortium, Ashkal Alwan hopes to
stimulate the development and production of performance
art in the region, and facilitate the exchange of ideas, ex-
pertise and knowledge on performance arts and works.
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CASA
TRES
PATIOS
Christiane Tohme,
Director
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Financing for the administrative staff as well as the teach-
ers is provided.

We have six employees, ve females and one male.
Two paid full-time employees, one female, and one male.
William Anthony (Tony) Evanko,
Director, Legal Representative
Sonia Sequeda
General Coordinator, Secretary of Board of Directors
Four paid part-time freelance employees, four females.
Olga Posada Offce Administrator (part-time)
Monica Cardona Accountant (part-time)
Carmen Cardona Cleaning
Karmina Jimenez Fiscal Auditor
One paid intern, female.
Liliana Palacios Social Media
C3P then employs the following temporary full-time staff of
11 additional persons eight females and three males
to manage a joint educational project with the Secretary
of Culture of Medelln. The staff is paid directly with the
funding for this project.
Estefana Gonzales Coordinator
Cristina Vasco Research Coordinator
Carol Brjesson Communications
Diego Cardona Administrator
Fernando Delgado Graphic Design
Jse Lus Marn Logistics
Juan Jos Rivillas Creative
Juliana Orrego Creative
Guim Camps Creative
Alejandra Meja Creative
Daniel Bustamonte Creative
Elizabeth Gonzalez Creative Training
Catalina Quintero Creative Training
Juliana Serna Creative Training
1 General
The basic structure of Casa Tres Patios (C3P) consists of a
traditional hierarchical structure. C3P maintains a normal
daily schedule from 8:30am until 5:30pm with extended
hours on event days.
The facilities consist of a house of 270 square meters

that
has been adapted to include:
Separate small project space (CuBO.X)
Offce
Central Multi-purpose spaces (exhibition, workshop, con-
versation space)
Library / Offce
Storeroom (Materials for educational project)
Storeroom (Tools, supplies)
Kitchen / Dining / Multipurpose Area
Bathroom
Garage (Space for an allied group: Un-Loquer)
2
nd
Floor:
Sleeping Rooms / Workshops for Residents
Shared Bathroom
Lower Level:
Patio / Workshop area
Sleeping Room / Workshop for Residents
The organizational structure is as follows:
Board of Directors
Director Legal Representative
General Coordinator
General Coordinator RAV
Researcher RAV
Offce Administrator
RAV (Red de Artes Visuales) is a project of the Secretary
of Culture of Medelln that C3P has operated since 2012.
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By promoting experimental and collaborative artistic projects
and exchanges between local, national and international
contemporary artists, curators, architects, designers, theo-
reticians and the public, C3P seeks to develop projects that
can inspire critical thinking and create positive change.
C3P aspires to generate these changes by:
STIMULATING innovation, creativity and critical thinking in the
art community and the general public through its research
and educational programs.
EDUCATING diverse audiences by using art, creativity and
critical reection as a basis for pedagogical practice.
DISCOVERING innovative artists from the city of Medelln,
the country of Colombia, and from the international art
community.
FACILITATING reection, dialog and experimentation between
the public, through inviting artists, critics, curators, de-
signers, architects and other academics in order to con-
stantly redene contemporary art and artistic practices.
PROVIDING a exible, constantly changing environment that
stimulates interaction and the development of new pro-
cesses for the creation of new works of art.
GENERATING unique, quality publications based on critical
dialogue and innovative artistic practices.
CATALYZING the publics interest in contemporary art, by
presenting the innovative approaches explored by artists
and other creative practitioners for thinking about and
experimenting within the context of contemporary art, cul-
ture and community.
RECONSIDERING, INTERROGATING, DECONSTRUCTING AND
EVALUATING contemporary artistic practices.
CO-PRODUCING exhibitions, workshops and publications in
collaboration with local, national, and international institu-
tions, independent curators and educational institutions.
REPRESENTING Medelln in the context of international ex-
perimental contemporary art.
environment, etc.?
Veronica Agudelo Creative Training
Juan David Henao Creative Training
Arts Collaboratory
Project funding that allows a percentage to be used for
administrative costs.
Local Foundations
International Foundations
Project funding that does not allow for administrative expenses.
National Ministry of Culture
Local Secretary of Culture
Artist Residencies
Contracts
Development of educational projects.
Secretary of Women
Network of Libraries
Continuing Educational Projects in collaboration with local
universities.
Seminar on Writing about Art (Art Criticism) Fall 2014
Seminar on Community Based Artistic Practices (in devel-
opment)
Seminar on Project Based Learning (in development)
2 Practice
as a whole?
C3P began in 2006 as a space for experimentation and dia-
log. In the past 7 years it has developed an artist residen-
cy program, and various exhibitions, publications, lectures,
classes and workshops.
C3P believes that contemporary art and contemporary ar-
tistic practices have the power to change the way we see,
the way we think and the way we interact with the world in
which we live.
C3Ps programs involve all elds of contemporary artistic
practice: art, art theory, architecture, urban design, de-
sign, new media, experimental music, etc.
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their creative processes. The artists are required to spend
a minimum of 16 hours per week in the space during which
they can work, think and talk to visitors or invited guests.
They can modify the space in anyway that they want during
the time that they are in the space. The other obligation is
that the artists must share their experience with the public
three times during the course of the month: once at the
beginning, once in the middle of the period and once at the
end. The public is encouraged to interact with the artist, to
question their processes and to offer critical observations
about what they hear and what they see. By exposing the
creative process and through these critical dialogs the
goal is to demystify the artistic process, to promote inde-
pendent thinking about the processes that are observed,
and to develop save atmosphere in which the expression of
critical observations is permitted.
Ondas Expansivas [Ripples] is a program between C3P and
Platohedro. Platohedro is an organization that was formed
in order to provide alternatives for children and young
people based on communication and audio-visual tech-
niques, technology and the open sharing of information.
Ondas Expansivas attempts to recognize the strengths
and weaknesses of each organization and to try to nd
ways that each organization can compliment the work of
the other while strengthening the work of each initiative.
The most difcult challenge has been to nance the orga-
nization. The process of learning about fundraising and
the relationship between the goals of funding organiza-
tions and the goals of C3P has been a very slow process.
The current challenge is to establish a workable balance
between the economic and emotional well being of the
organization and the development of quality projects that
advance the level of contemporary art in the area that
have the potential to generate positive change.
Social and Economic Inequality
Poverty
High Level of Criminality
Pervasive Corruption
Ethnocentrism
In general terms, the projects and programs of C3P are
designed to expose the local community to artistic prac-
tices that diverge from the practices and approaches
that are typically encountered in Medelln. This approach
is intended to provide material for stimulating reections
and analytical discussions about the artists approach and
work. Some of the programs that have grown out of this
approach include the following:
Laboratorios Comunes de Creacin (Creative Comunal
Laboratories) has been the most successful project. It is
a project that attempts to incorporate aspects of con-
temporary artistic practices into a didactical methodol-
ogy that can generate reections about social and inter-
personal relationships. The project is a citywide project
sponsored by the local Secretary of Culture that involves
approximately 800 children and young people in 35 differ-
ent parts of the city. In these projects creatives [teach-
ers] introduce topics to the groups of children and then
build projects based on the childrens ideas about the
topics. The methodology of the project is constantly being
rened and evaluated in order to give more power to the
participants in order to generate independent thinking,
teamwork and creativity.
CuBO.X is another program of C3P that consists of a space
in which local artists are invited to conduct open-ended
research or experiments. It is an open space that exposes
the creative process along with all of the errors and uncer-
tainties that this process entails. The artists are encour-
aged not to produce nished works but rather to explore
areas they have not had the time or space in which to ex-
plore, so as to create new ways of making or thinking about
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often used as a starting point in curatorial proposals, and
the local artists and art students use these proposals as
inspiration in the development of their approaches.
Encuentro de Investigaciones Emergen-
tes Reexiones, historias y miradas,
Instituto Distrital de las Artes, Bogot,
2012 [Encountering Emerging Research
Reections, stories and looks, District
Institute of Arts, Bogot, 2012]
3. Assembly
It would be good to share the information included in this
questionnaire among the group, before the meeting.
Dedicate a lot of time to informal socializing so as to allow
the participants to get to know one another on a more
personal level, then to see if there is a possibility of devel-
oping a professional relationship.
Art and Education:
Artistic practices and their relationship to non-traditional
learning
Project based learning
Other pedagogical models
Open source learning collaborative practices
C3P has invited artists and scholars to participate in the
residency program in order to share our experience and to
learn from the experiences of these residents. As part of
the residency program C3P has consistently insisted that
all residents share their experiences and practice with the
local public. This methodology of these experiences has re-
sulted in the development of the educational focus of C3P.
Since 2011, C3P has begun to emphasize the educational
aspects of its programs. The ideas for these programs fall
into four categories:
The frst is a focus on artistic practices and includes
techniques, critical dialog, experimentation, creativity and
professional development.
The second is the integration of contemporary artistic
practices into programs that have social and educational
goals but which may or may not result in artistic projects.
The third is the development and implementation of a
teacher training program in which future teachers are
given the tools with which they can generate alternative
non-hierarchical learning environments.
And the fourth is a series of continuing educational
programs developed in conjunction with local universi-
ties to offer complimentary courses to those found in
the university curriculums. The methodology that C3P is
attempting to develop is based on dialog and discussion
and the free exchange of ideas as opposed to the knowl-
edge depository model.
Traditional artistic forms of expression heavily inuence the
local cultural scene. In the university system a certain
emphasis is placed on conceptualization and experimenta-
tion, however there continues to be a great deal of value
placed upon representational and narrative work that fo-
cuses on social issues. This often manifests itself in docu-
mentary or illustrative work. Local and regional history is
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side the funding institutions, the platform could develop
activities that promote:
The development and strengthening of the relationships
between the partners
At the minimum, these meetings should be held annually)
Forums for discussing common interests (perhaps the
same meetings)
Assistance in fund raising for projects (or direct funding)
Database of other funding agencies
Knowledge sharing regarding funding and fundraising
strategies
We can share our experiences about large-scale commu-
nity based projects.
We can share the reasons for and the affects of our decision
to frame our programs and projects in terms of education.
The facilities in C3P are available to other groups and col-
lectives that need space to realize their activities. Propos-
als are analyzed according to their relationship with the
mission of C3P.
to you and why?
Currently C3P is part of Residencias en Red Iberoamerica-
nas, which is mostly inactive. However, the web site contin-
ues to function as a platform for distributing information
about its members.
C3P is interested in TransArtists The platform is profes-
sional and free
Scanned images of part of the work Envelope by Luis Camnitzer.
Date 1967
Critical Studies:
Contextualizing criticism Solutions for de-stigmatizing
criticism
Professionalization of young artists
Role of research in autonomous art spaces
Institutional Positions Regarding Funding:
Project based funding versus structural (administrative)
funding
Responsibilities of funding institutions beyond funding
Sharing Funding Strategies
C3P would like to strengthen the educational and research
aspects of its existing programs and projects. Among
these projects is Ondas Expansivas [Ripples], which seeks
to nd ways of integrating the methodologies and pro-
grams in C3P and Platohedro.
One day dedicated to developing a concrete project with
partner organizations including a timeline, budget and
additional funding strategies if required a basic budget
could be pre-established by AC.
Share experience and knowledge with the partner organi-
zations
Establish common ground for developing mutually enrich-
ing projects with partner organizations
Develop a concrete proposal for realizing a project
4 Network
A functioning network is based on motivation, relationships,
common interests and the ability and willingness to ac-
complish common goals. Assuming that the Arts Col-
laboratory platform is comprised of the partners along-
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CRTER
INVERTIDO
Dimensions: 41 x 34.5 cm each
Original series of 10. Images will be printed and brought to
the meeting.
Equipment: The digital fles will also be brought and could
be shown with a standard video projector.
Luis Camnitzers piece Envelope (1967) could be considered
emblematic for C3P. The piece puts into question the con-
ceptual and ethnocentric rigidity of the minimalist theories
of the 1960s, which is metaphorically related to why C3P
is signicant in the context of Medelln. The programs and
projects in C3P are designed to provoke questions relat-
ing to the existing local academic paradigms and artistic
practices. In its practice, C3P attempts to show the many
different ways to see and interpret what we encounter in
our environments.
Tony Evanko,
Director
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flexible etc.?
As a cooperative all the members have different chores that
rotate at certain periods of time. We all have mixed work-
ing conditions and our space is the result of that work,
most of which has been voluntary and the time dedicated
depends on the intensity of the projects.
We provide a small symbolic fee for this work. The amount of
money is calculated depending on the income per month.
There are some chores however we are not t to carry out.
These jobs, such as accounting, are carried out by exter-
nal people that we contract on a direct basis.
Being concerned with the possibility of self sustainability, we
have used different nancing strategies like the creation
of a box containing serial collectible pieces from all mem-
bers, which helped us to start the project and sustain us
for a year.
We have generated regular incomes from projects with other
artist-run cooperatives and collaborations with cultural
institutions, also presentations and publications directly go
to nancing the collectives activities.
Presently our main income is from the AC funding and our
cooperative-small-press.
2 Practice
as a whole?
For us art, politics, activism and society all come together in
our practices in order to form a collective voice, so as to
deal in an active way with the present context.
There was a need to construct an organization that would be
able to quickly act and have an impact in the social con-
text. There was a profound wish to contribute to the re-
construction of the social fabric, which is very fragmented
in Mexico and in the city right now. All these needs led us
to take the decision of creating an open space inside the
1 General
We are an artist-run co-op where decisions are taken hori-
zontally by an assembly composed of ten active artists
that organize the basic maintenance, administration,
and develop specic projects, working groups, publica-
tions, etc. There are weekly assemblies that through a
horizontal dialogue encourage rotational tasks by the
members, hoping to expand individual knowledge and to
overcome limitations.
The rotational tasks are divided as follows:
Maintenance
Producing and coordinating work processes and their results
Documenting and producing public contents
Public relations and communication
Programming and web maintenance
Organizing and cataloging archives, library, zines, and
digital library
Administration and fnance
The nuclear members of the organization are: Andres Villalo-
bos, Dasha Chernysheva, Diego Teo, Juan Caloca, Jazael
Olgun Zapata, Natalia Magdaleno, Rodrigo Frenk, Rodrigo
Trevio, Waysatta Fernndez, Yollotl Alvarado.
Our facilities consist of working space and ateliers, archive
space, common space for presentations, and a room for
residencies.
We are an artist-run co-op that is organized through a hori-
zontal assembly composed of ten formal members of the
organization.
There are ten people who form the cooperative, seven men
and three women.
P.S. We would like to know what is the point of this question?
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to expand the range of material that supports the general
discussion regarding our immediate social and cultural
context. We consider the linking of these two elds (edu-
cational and editorial) to be fundamental for there to be
an integral and productive learning process that has the
possibility to generate its own new contents.
We position ourselves as a space where culture its study
and production are developed in free form, questioning
notions of authority and intellectual property promoting col-
laborative works which may themselves generate knowledge
to be shared. We consider that our artistic work assumes
a social commitment beyond the limits imposed by the art
scene that is tied to market and centralized production.
ment, etc.?
Mxico is currently undergoing a complex socio-cultural crisis
due to several factors:
A very poor and mediocre education system where public
education is being supplanted by privatization and other
competitive models.
Political disregard of culture / political motivation behind
supporting certain artists or institutions.
Lack of democratic access to artistic education and industry.
Monopoly of mass media that strongly aims at creating a
poorly educated society, as well as supporting political con-
servatism and traditional morality. Its stale contents neither
address nor reect the populations more urgent problems.
Disintegration of the countrys very fragile social fabric
due to high levels of inequality and extreme violence.
An elitist artistic scene based mostly on market logic
that contributes to the spreading of an individualistic,
ego-centered culture.
Lack of budget allotment to educational / artistic institu-
tions: both private and public institutions provide very few
resources for the high demand of the artistic community.
Severe governmental repression against political dissidence.
city: a space for meeting, gathering, sharing, collaborat-
ing, to discover each other and to construct networks of
solidarity. We wanted to build one more node to strengthen
the existing network of alternative organizations.
The group works with social environments hoping to
strengthen, and bond with developing independent cul-
tural platforms, where structures such as student/
teacher are temporarily dissolved. We seek to gener-
ate our own collective tools through practice and artistic
experimentation. Due to our particular context, we nd
in self-organization and self-education the possibility to
be an active part of restructuring our social environment
that usually supersedes us. Through editorial work and
publications we nd a vehicle to visualize, materialize, and
share our interests, hoping they will detonate other similar
processes among collaborators. Crter Invertido Co-op
mission is to consolidate a web of interdisciplinary afni-
ties (theoretical-practical) to enable the construction of a
society of cooperation and experimentation, based on the
free sharing, production and distribution of knowledge and
of common space.
We propose different types of collaborations; through confer-
ences and meetings, each work group collectively denes
its organization and dynamics. Through this work plan
the creative process and the results of the investigations
are of equal importance, not only because of the equal
and organic articulation between process and result, but
because we engage in a path of self-formation. In other
words, activities are not just organized in an administrative
sense. On the contrary, we encourage a free, horizontal,
and collaborative environment that allows the members
of the Co-op to be an active part of the ongoing activi-
ties and therefore temporarily blur the wall that separates
those from within the institution and those external.
Parallel to these activities, we encourage the sharing and
distribution of the different results attained in each in-
vestigation through both online and printed publications.
This step has been possible thanks to Crneo Invertido
Editorial, an editorial branch within the project that helps
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our knowledge regarding self-publishing and to open this
investigation. The show at Casa del Lago consisted of us
presenting our zines and self-publications archive, and
developing sorts of seminars at Crater Invertido. We invited
artists and other experts of the theme to give talks,
one-day workshops, four-session seminars, and produced
a book etc. The thing was that this project was ambitious
in the sense not all activities had the same power. This
revealed our lack of experience even though we gained
lots of it! and for this time we would like to have more
solid and powerful participants and working strategies. So
all the feedback regarding how to produce seminars and
working groups is far from welcomed and we are very ea-
ger to give the best of us.
Of course, these are not the only models and we continually
for other search strategies both formal and informal
in order to have organic self-educational experiences that
enrich our cooperative process.
Beyond that, Crater Invertido is focused on being a space for
a range of diverse encounters that few spaces in the City
propose or host. We must insist that Mexico City has a
lack of spaces of this nature, in that sense Crater devel-
ops a cultural program that merges a wide constellation of
publics interested in the free production, discussion and
dissemination of information of projects and strategies.
How to become self-sustainable? How do we sincerely orga-
nize without generating hierarchical positions and exces-
sive bureaucracy? How do we develop a self-educational
process that is more qualitative rather than quantitative?
How is our practice impacting the social sphere? How do
we share knowledge? And how do we make things coop-
erative, from common goods, books, projects, machines,
or any strategy other we choose?
As explained before, we are gearing our working dynamics
This situation has promoted a very individualistic stand not
only in the cultural eld, but also in the whole of society and
economy. However, recently a radical need for change has
arisen; a change in the ways of thinking, creating, and dis-
cussing our practices from within society itself, as well as an
understanding of the need of each individuals engagement
in the construction of a strong local community or scene.
The past Mexican Spring of 2012 awakened the politicized
artistic community who joined the massive student and
popular movement, which took place in the context of the
2012 presidential elections. The movement pledged against
the misinformation and fraud perpetuated by the leading
party, whos main support was the mass media itself.
We have two types of experiences:
Revista cartucho (www.revistacartucho.com) is an editorial
online project that since 2010 has worked as a platform
for visual arts and other disciplines to produce knowledge
regarding certain subjects.
For example, in its last edition Feral Times which dealt with
the imposed notion of time in contemporary capitalism
and how it affects, transforms and shapes how individuals,
societies and communities relate.
The editorial team, formed of six persons did an investigation
of three months, producing
Fanzines, videos, talks and whatever else they thought nec-
essary to feed the discussion.
During this time, this solid afnity invited other persons to
share their knowledge, and write a text, etc.
After four months the online magazine presented an event
that included talks, presentations and an exhibition involv-
ing all the materials generated for this edition.
Another experience was Editorial Movement which was
a project-exhibition commissioned by Casa del Lago in
collaboration with Crater Invertido. We wanted to expand
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Back in the seventies, Mexican militant art theorist Alberto
Hijar claimed the artistic movement of that decade was,
Cluster or die! referring to the effervescent collec-
tive art groups both experimental and militant that
popped up in those days. Taking into consideration that
in the nineties the local art scene saw a boom of artistic
groups and spaces that ourished in an international level
such as Panadera or Temistocles 44 we cant deny
their inuences but nd more afnity with our past com-
rades from the groups such as PROCESO PENTAGONO, NO
GRUPO, TAI, MIRA, etc. that were openly dealing with both
experimental art and militant productions rather that only
looking towards grouping to boom individuals in an inter-
national scene. But as we are a cooperative of individuals
too and we do not always subjugate it to the collective,
something that concerns us deeply is the tension and re-
lation between individual and collective practices within art
produced thanks to collaborative processes where notions
such as originality or authorship are dismantled.
In that sense, we are producing the possibilities of developing
an artistic practice that is politically active in the process
and a way of producing, even though they are not always
explicitly political. Inside the cooperative tendencies exist
in producing a space where feminism, activism, commu-
nism, Situationism, DIY, relational, mail art, anarchism, and
autonomy co-exist, and so instead focusing, more on the
process of the investigations rather than on the results.
One of our constant practices is to draw collectively in a dy-
namic that we call the DRAWING TABLES which we believe
is a way of producing collaborative knowledge through a
copyleft perspective, building on a singular social imaginary.
The Sixth Declaration of the Lacandon Jungle by Ejercito
Zapatista de Liberacin Nacional (1993)
http://www.cloudforestmexico.org/PDF/Sixth%20Declara-
tion%20of%20the%20Lacandon%20Jungle.pdf
out of preference to small afnity groups that develop
an investigation and that establish ways of sharing and
socializing their work to a broader public and other diverse
communities.
The objective is to create a critical space for collective
study and innovative collaborative work, where group work
dynamics, dialogue, discussions, conferences, multidisci-
plinary workshops, etc. that result in publications as a way
of formalizing these experiences in order to be shared.
The contents of the publications are taken from the col-
laborative investigations in a range of artistic experimen-
tation, the study and development of texts that address
critical political, social, artistic and environmental themes,
the construction of an imaginary, the exploration between
image and text, the re-publication of past news, the
ctionalization of news, the use of the editorial space as
a plastic practice within contemporary art that interacts
with the current politics and local cultural context.
We condense as an educational-editorial platform that
reects and develops self-managing and self-educating
projects from the very organization of cooperative work.
We believe in self-teaching as a form of experimenting the
possibilities of creating cultural production processes dif-
ferent to those dominating the eld.
With this project we contemplate providing the tools and
techniques necessary to articulate a platform for indepen-
dent distribution that connects these nets of afnities to
then share with other sectors of the population.
All members come from the visual arts feld, so we en-
courage practices linked to contemporary art, having a
focus on drawing as a practical space of conceptualization
and sharing. Being an artist-run co-op, each individual
shares their knowledge to enrich our creative space: we
produce paintings, drawings, sculptures, videos, photog-
raphy installations, situations both individual and through
collaborations.
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a broader public.
The residency is focused on developing the whole process
from investigationproduction to the exploration of dif-
ferent publishing techniques and possibilities in our all-
equipped-ever-growing space and network with workshops,
printers and crafts.
We offer a space to live as well as a workshop to develop the
project. We would love to conceptualize and realize the
residency project amongst the AC network as well as con-
necting ways of collaboration with other abroad projects.
We would love to organize an up-dateable archive of publi-
cations produced and published by the AC network that all
spaces can have and share.
DRAWING TABLE + Drift: We want to suggest making a com-
mon drift through Jakarta; a walk with no specic mean-
ing. We believe that drifting is a very special way to con-
nect with a specic space or environment. Afterwards, we
can make a drawing table to put down through drawing our
discussion together. The drawing table is a dynamic where
we cover a table with paper, participants then sit around
and discuss a subject and draw making an informal map
of the conversation.
We would like to accomplish nding concrete ways to col-
laborate with the AC organizations and to personally get
to know the people involved in them, and learn from the
other projects to better understand how to produce col-
laborations between the projects.
We would love to push forward the Self-published! residency
as a specic opportunity to bring participants of the net-
work to our space.
4. Network
On the internal: we wish to consolidate our organization with
La potencia de la cooperacin by Marcelo Expsito (Spanish)
http://www.macba.cat/PDFs/pei/marcelo_errata.pdf
3. Assembly
The Assembly will focus on getting to know one another, working
together on future projects within the AC platform, and on exploring
the Indonesian arts scene. Do you have any specific suggestions
for ways of working you have experienced as fruitful, particularly
in relation to programmatic elements? Specifically in the sense of
non-traditional forms you have found to be successful for confer-
ences, symposiums, meetings, etc.? Please feel free to make any
suggestion.
We think open-space-world cafe dynamics (depending on
time and intensity of the activities) for assemblies always
work.
In order to have all the info down, it is important to se-
lect a person(s) dedicated to the writing of what is being
discussed and that the reports are nished the same day
that it ends (meaning nishing the work at the moment)
and that all participants share this document.
To have food and water and coffee available for partici-
pants at all time ;)
Affnity
Self-education
Self-publishing
Self-organization
Formality and informality
Self-sustainability
Collaborative processes
Autonomy and institutions
Collaborative methodologies
Currently we are developing the Self-published! residen-
cy, which is a project to strengthen self-publishing strat-
egies between groups and individuals as a way to address
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vate institutions such as:
Museo de Arte Carrillo Gil
http://www.museodeartecarrillogil.com/
Museo Universitario de Arte Contemporneo
http://www.muac.unam.mx/webpage/index.php
Casa del Lago UNAM
http://www.casadellago.unam.mx/site/
Alumnos 47 http://alumnos47.org/
Lugar a Dudas http://lugaradudas.org/
SOMA http://somamexico.org/en/
Galera Comercio http://www.lagaleriadecomercio.org/
In Education: Students and teachers of different art
schools in Mxico; Escuela Nacional de Pintura
Escultura y Grabado La Esmeralda (ENPEG); Escuela
Nacional de Artes Plsticas (ENAP); Universidad Nacional
Autnoma de Mxico (UNAM).
DRAWING TABLE
Felt-pen on paper
Crter Invertido Cooperative
2014
122x244 cm
Publications
Set of publications by crater invertido
The DRAWING TABLE is a space where the individual and col-
lective voices are confronted, superposed, crossed, waved,
put in dialogue and tension in an informal and organic way.
Participants put aside authorship and originality to experience
a collaborative drift where drawing is the medium to express
different singularities and to mount up a collective imaginary
self-sustainable strategies and processes thanks to the
multi-tools and experiences generated during the period.
On the external: We wish it to become a concrete and non-
spectacular network that has specic ways of collaborating,
for example residencies, publication projects, periodical
encounters in between the spaces, as a way to consolidate
a shared platform of artist spaces between the globe.
Mi casa es tu casa. We would love to extend all our self-
publication and printing project to the AC network. Were
happy to offer our residency, archive-zinotheque, work-
ing space, as well as to share the possibilities that our
link between activism and art can offer a different way of
experiencing our specic realities.
What other networks are you a part of that are of particular inter-
est to you and why?
We are part of the independent art and activism scene,
spaces that have direct links to struggles such as the
Escuela Popular Martires del 68, and other artist co-ops
such as the one developed by artist-educator Jose Miguel
Gonzales Casanova under the name c.a.c.a.o.
http://cooperativacacao.blogspot.mx
There is a thriving independent art scene trying to articulate
collaborative strategies between initiatives (yei! NET-
WORK of independent spaces).
Most recently artist-curator Soa Olascoaga has knitted an
art-activism-critical pedagogy initiatives under the project
Utopy and Disenchantment where members of Crater are
collaborators. http://www.entreutopiaydesencanto.org
Thanks to our editorial practices we have supported, partici-
pated and collaborated with a wide independent self-pub-
lishing scene that involves cartoon editorials, comics and
illustration-focused publications, and politicized groups
that self-edit their materials.
We have participated and shown our work in public and pri-
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DOUALART
that is a result of the process of the shared discussion. We
believe that collaboration is a path to constructing shared
knowledge and the DRAWING TABLE has been a fundamental
common space for Crater Invertido to practice the possibili-
ties of assuming collectivity from each individual voice.
Waysatta Alcaraz,
Collective Member
Andres Villalobos Cuevas,
Collective Member
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What are you primary sources of funding?
Arts Collaboratory
Self-funding
Specifc-projects
2 Practice
If you can, please describe the background vision/philosophy your
organization on life, society, world, and art.
Doualart works in consideration of the context of the city of
Douala to strengthen the citys identity through a volun-
tary cultural policy involving visual arts and heritage. We
are ghting for the project of society, reintroducing the
ability to confront ideas, freedom of thought and speech,
ethics and valorization of knowledge and creativity. Visual
Arts are in the heart of this ght for citizenship, bridging
people from different part of Cameroon and from all over
the world.
What are the major social issues in your neighborhood, city or
locality (conflict, environment, mining, etc.)?
The Cameroonian urban society is characterized by its
fragmentation and a lack of social, political, aesthetic
and philosophical debates. The intellectual and cognitive
eld is underdeveloped, with most valuable Cameroonian
thinkers and scientists having left the country because of
political conservatism, censorship and corruption.
There is no interdisciplinary bridge between the academic,
economic and artistic worlds. Creators have no position in
the contemporary urban society contrasting its place in
traditional societies. Artists now are considered to have
failed socially.
Through what modalities do you address (these) social issues?
Please also describe in brief the exemplary projects you did.
Doualart activities are based on ves modules:
Public art: the design and implementation of artworks in
the city of Douala Cameroon conceived by foreign and
local artists. These are produced with grassroots com-
munities when projects are located in poor urban settle-
ments. These public artworks are initiated to create a
1 General
Please describe your basic structure and if applicable facilities.
Doualart is a non-prot art contemporary centre focused
on art and urban development, created in June 1991.
Doualart organizes artist residencies (with an apart-
ment), exhibits in its diffusion space, and facilitates urban
research practices around public art conducted by senior
researchers.
What organizational structure have you chosen to work in?
The structure is subdivided in 2 operational departments:
Art
Mediation for Urban planning
How many people work for your organization? (Men/Women)
8 employees (5 males / 3 females) +
What are the working conditions for the people working for your
organizations (voluntary/paid, full time/half time, interns, flexible or
structures etc.)?
Full time paid staff:
Marilyn Douala Manga Bell, executive administrator
Didier Schaub, Artistic Director
Yves Makongo Nsobley, Assistant Artistic Director
and Development Assistant
Aristide Juissop Pokam, Administrative Offcer
Victor Njehoya, Documentalist
Francine Edjenguele, responsible for the cafeteria
and hospitality
Gilles Ngateu, responsible for maintenance
Issa Abba, security Offcer
Flexible employees
Caroline Ngoueni, cultural mediator
Simon Moukala, cultural mediator
Daniel Doualla, cultural mediator
Temporary staff:
Interns (not paid)
People of different skills depending on the project
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Do you have a specific artistic focus, conceptual interest, and/or
methodological please describe? (urban intervention, pedagogic,
craft, publishing, photography, painting, craft, participatory, etc.)
Specialising in visual art, the process experienced by
doualart provides challenges for artists, particularly in
relational art. Art becomes mediation and artists me-
diators. Meanwhile, the densication of public art in urban
space creates landmarks, historic or artistic, which help
create new understandings of the geography of the city
and a knowledge of their contemporary history giving a
strong anchor.
What are certain historical concerns at the moment within the cul-
tural scene (such as 1970s experimental film, Exhibition histories,
Early performance practice 1960s, pre-modern art, (post) colonial
exchange, crafts)
The young history of the art of Cameroon began in the
50s, with expatriates painting on canvas. In the 70s
artists made efforts to organize themselves and events.
Groups were created but they did not last long. It was
not until the early 90s, with the birth of doualart that
an impulse established something that could support a
contemporary visual arts scene.
Please suggest a text (article or book) from your local or regional
context on your major social or artistic issue.
Douala in translation. A view of the city
and its creative transformative potentials.
254 pages. Ed. Episode publishers, Rotter-
dam.2007 www.episode-publishers.nl
3 Assembly
The assembly will focus on getting to know each other, working
together on future projects within the AC platform and on visiting
of ways to work that you have experienced as remarkably fruitful
in relation to those programmatic elements? What non-traditional
forms have worked for you in the past in conferences/symposium/
meetings? Or any other suggestion to try?
dialogue with those involved.
Exhibitions: doualart demonstrates its abilities to the
Cameroonian public and foreign artists through its walls
and space. At least ve to six exhibitions with different
artists are made each year.
Doualart is also a center for documentation and re-
search. We have a library of a large number of historical,
urban and artistic documents.
Doualart welcomes those from different countries for
interdisciplinary curatorial meetings, such as the think
tank called Ars & Urbis.
Finally, doualart runs a triennial festival named Salon
Urbain de Douala-SUD presenting public art in the city
of Douala.
Whats the most challenging and pressing issues and questions for
In this context, where urban development is done without any
consideration of the social fragmentation, we are always
thikning about how we can put art, artists and creators
of shared values at the heart of constructing a new urban
society. This assumes a lack of exchange platforms, facili-
ties for collective speech and for free imagination.
The fundamental question is therefore how to stimulate col-
lective awareness to claim the right to better living condi-
tions and citizenship.
Is there a knowledge sharing method that your organisation has
succeeded to accomplish with or is still in the process experiment-
ing on?
The process experienced by doualart is to invite artists to
enter into dialogue with the urban space and the concerns
of residents in order to enroll public artwork in their im-
mediate environment:
Provide collective meeting spaces
Improve selfawareness of themselves and their environment
Stimulate imaginations and give moments of wonder
Break the fear of the other and divisions, including ethnic
and social class barriers
Bring their knowledge and learning to live together
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foreign artists for 2 residencies, for site selection and
monitoring the design of the art project, mediation be-
tween artists and people.
What other networks you are part of are specifically interesting to
you and why?
Being located in Africa we are part of Arterial network.
5 Object and Description
Details of the object/artwork that answers the question What
makes your organization significant? which you will bring to
Indonesia to introduce your organization. (Material, Title, Artist [if
it applies], Year, Size or Duration) and if applicable any equipment
that is needed for it.
The project of Theater-source: an amphitheater created above
a natural source in an area without access to basic services
and utilities. The exact title is Thtre-Source, 2013.
The video is about 50 minutes. Its a video in French showing
the activities during the SUD. We have not any lm on the
Theater by itself. We can bring videos (then need a beam-
er), photos and few publications.
Please provide 100 word text on the object for the general public
that also includes why you selected the object.
After several residencies in Douala, Belgian artist Philip Agu-
irre y Otegui (proposed by the curator Koyo Kouo) decided
to sculpt an amphitheater in an eroded site located above
a natural source which supplies thousands families. The
Theatre-Source was designed. It allows access to three
scenic plateaus.
The project took about thirty months and was followed by the
architect of Cameroon Mauro Lugaresi.
This achievement, carved in the center of the inner city, is a
real agora accommodating around one thousand specta-
tors. Water binding and artwork radically transformed this
place, which began a location of cultural diffusion. At-
tendance at this public placemostly children in colorful
clothesoffer viewers a painting in perpetual motion.
The people of Ndogpassi III call this art piece our jewel!
During the assembly we will organize working groups around topics
that are of shared interest to AC participants. We hope that these will
help facilitate future collaborations. Are there particular topics that
you want to suggest for such working groups during the Assembly?
Theme: art and urban intervention, including temporary
performances and those aimed at achieving lasting im-
pact. It will be interesting to review such projects from AC
participants.
Briefly describe a present project that you would like to strengthen
or extend by collaborating with other AC organizations.
The SUD (Salon Urbain de Douala) festival, an international
triennial of public art. It takes place in different sites in the
city of Douala. The next edition is planned for 2016. Prepa-
ration for the next edition includes curatorial meetings
with Ars & Urbis and artists residencies.
Would you already like to propose a concrete activity for future col-
laboration during the Assembly?
Wed like to host curators, artists, researchers, architects
and urban planners in residency in Douala for an Ars &
Urbis reection for SUD2016.
What do you want to accomplish at the Assembly?
Those organizations who are interested in this program are
identied.
4 Network
Improve the discussion around public artwork and socially
engaged art.
Help defne common projects and identify funding.
How could the Arts Collaboratory platform (other participants)
enrich, support or benefit from existing activities you might have?
Also what could be offered in terms of facilities, research, skill
sharing to share with others in the network?
By sharing our experiences on these topics we can facili-
tate the circulation of professionals in public art, and
offer new ideas. AC could also help found ways of evalu-
ating public art processes. We can share the experi-
ences gained during three editions of SUD, welcoming
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KR
THIOSSANE
Marilyn Douala Bell,
Director
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This status doesnt mean much to us because we dont have
the papers we need to make Kr Thiossane tax exempt.
I avoid speaking publically about being an NGO because
people in Senegal imagine this to be like a big organisation
giving funds. The only advantage we have with this status
is increased credibility with our institutional partners.
It depends of the projects, charge of work and budgets we have.
Since January 2014 we have been 6 employees:
Marion Louisgrand Sylla
Coordinator Director (full time) / female
Ndeye Man Tour
Production (mid time / full time during events) / female
Daouda Kot
public relation / regie (full time) / male
Angelina Uloma Nwuchakwu
communication / pictures (quarter time) / female
Dodji Koff Honou fablab multimedia (International
Francophonie Organisation volonteer full time) / male
Modou Ngom
electronics fablab (trainee quarter of time) / male
Additional persons
Hamadou accountant / male
Hamadou Ba security (night) / male
Coly security fablab (night)
Germelle cleaning / female
During events we take on additional staff if needed. For ex-
ample, during the Afropixel festival we take on about 10 to
15 more people for communication, artist assistants and
security.
structures etc.)?
Everybody is paid except the young volunteer from France;
his expenses and compensation are paid by the French
organisation. This year we have one long-term contract for
1 General
Kr Thiossane is a Cultural space for artistic and social
experimentation in Senegal. It is a venue for research,
residence, creation and training dedicated to social and
artistic innovation based in a private house. It is a family
place dedicated to the art, the culture, to the exchanges
and to the meetings between tradition and modernity and
between the various cultures. It encourages the integration
of multimedia in traditional artistic and creative practices
and seeks to support mixing disciplines.
Placed behind the stage(stadium) Demba Diop, Kr Thios-
sane is at the heart of Sicap Libert II, a former (old) resi-
dential area of Dakar, quiet and airy. Built in the sixties on
the model of the colonial villas the house is endowed with
a big courtyard, surrounded by vegetation and sheltered
by an old mango.
THE PLACE AND THE EQUIPMENT
equipped with WiFi
a room (multimedia workspace - place of exhibition (expo-
sure) - conferences).
Media lab
an offce
open air spaces down and upstairs
4 rooms toilet, showers and cooking (kitchen) for residences
An ideal frame (executive) for artists or other cultural or so-
cial actors wishing to work in Dakar to set up projects.
There is also a local dedicated to the fablab Defko A Nep
with all the equipment dedicated to fablabs, 3D printers,
CNC, close to Kr Thiossane.
We have been a non prot local organisation under Sen-
egalese law since 2002. It was difcult to get the status
of NGO (Non prot Organisation) in 2010 because of our
request for the European Commission to be the leader of
the project Rose des Vents Numrique we proposed.
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organized three editions of the Afropixel Festival, except
for the Dakar Bienniale event.
Kr Thiossane develops its exchanges and collaboration
with structures in the African continent, but also develops
links with other continents particularly direct South-South
relationships (without intervention from a Western coun-
try). To achieve this, Kr Thiossane sets up projects of
international co-operation, such as the Rose des Vents
Digital project (2010 2012) supported by Arts Collabo-
ratory and a Programme for Cultural Industries set up by
the European Union and the Unions of African/Caribbean/
Pacic States and other partners
locality (conflict, environment,ning, etcetc.)?
Entre 2013 et 2016, lheure o sur le continent africain,
comme ailleurs, les replis identitaires et religieux gagnent
du terrain, et o mme temps le capitalisme galopant
devient la norme dans les centres urbains, nous souhai-
tons approfondir et ouvrir au plus grand monde ces pistes
de rexion dmarres autour des Biens-communs, dans
notre contexte africain.
Si lAfrique, socit avant tout communautaire tend
abandonner certaines de ses valeurs et richesses tradi-
tionnelles, elle est en mme temps capable de retraduire
et de mixer naturellement la modernit avec son pass.
Il en ressort un cadre extrmement riche et complexe,
bien utile pour arriver penser ensemble ce que nous
pouvons partager et comment.
On retrouve alors dans ce cadre l, le caractre minemment
politique des biens communs ; cest dans ce sens que les
nouvelles technologies et leur approche artistique peu-
vent ainsi rendre visible et questionner les biens qui nous
rassemblent, ainsi quactiver et btir des nouveaux rcits
capables de redonner du sens au fait de vivre ensemble.
the director. The others are all under the status of service
providers. After two years working with the EU most of the
team had long-term contracts but we paid a lot in charges
so we decided to return to a more local way of functioning.
Public funds.
2 Practice
Kr Thiossane is a multimedia and cultural space for artistic
and public imagination focusing its activities on research
about art and new technologies, what they imply in our
societies. This happens through residences, training,
meetings and workshops. Kr Thiossane seeks to link the
development of artistic digital practices to other domains
of society; education and training, creative industries,
citizenship, ecology and town development.
A space of sharing anchored in its territory and present on
the international scene.
Kr Thiossane works to democratize multimedia and digi-
tal tools. Through a large range of activities we enable a
larger public, often not familiar with contemporary art, to
discover art and multimedia.
Ker Thiossane aims to propose another approach to media
and technology, emphasizing them as tools for knowledge
that can be appropriated to support the development of
African multimedia production online..
Kr Thiossane prioritizes the communication of art and mul-
timedia to the general public.
Through public events organised in a framework outside of
those from museums or traditional exhibitions, Ker Thios-
sane wishes to create relationships with art and multime-
dia of a different kind.
Several successful events have taken place in this way -
public presentations, outside installations, meetings with
the artists and discussions. Since 2008, Kr Thiossane
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Villes Africaines, conguration des possibles by Felwine
Sarr (11/03/2014)
http://www.sudonline.sn/villes-africaines-congurations-
des-possibles_a_17883.html
3 Assembly
Creating working groups according central affnities.
Making time for informal discussions is important.
Professional speed dating with local cultural actors.
Thinking about an African / Middle East special meeting
point perhaps.
Art & society / Publics
What impact and how to evaluate our actions?
Political positions of our centres
Economy and funding of our centre
Briefly describe a present project that you would like to strength or
extend by collaborating with other AC organizations.
Alors que le mouvement des Communs* commence dans
les pays du Nord crer des Ecoles des Communs ou des
universits des Communs de types universits populaires, il
nous semble important dans nos contextes du Sud, partir
du travail que nous avons amorc, daller au del, en met-
tant en place un espace dexprimentation et de mise en
pratique de lEn-Commun au quotidien dans lespace pub-
lique, au coeur de Sicap Libert II, le quartier o Kr Thios-
sane est bas et agit travers la culture, depuis 2002.
Nous souhaitons explorer ce concept dEn-Commun,
toujours travers lart, mais de manire plus concrte,
Is there a knowledge sharing method that your organisation has suc-
ceeded to accomplish with or is still in the process experimenting on?
Breakfeast in commons
Depuis Le dernier Forum Social Mondial Dakar en 2011, Kr
Thiossane est impliqu dans des projets de dnition et
de valorisation des Biens Communs sur le plan local et
linternationale entre autre avec Remix The Commons*.
Nous avons ainsi choisit daxer la troisime dition du
festival Afropixel et les dix ans de Kr Thiossane autour de
cette thmatique qui nous parraissait essentielle.
An de ne pas aborder ce sujet de faon phmre et su-
percielle, en se limitant un cercle daltermondialistes ou
dintellectuels spcialistes, nous avons lanc au Sngal,
dbut 2012, en amont du festival, une srie de discussions
sur diffrentes facettes des biens communs, sous forme de
petits djeuners ou crmonies de th, dans le but de rendre
possible un espace de rexion collective autour de ce sujet.
Ce chantier autour des biens communs, amorc Dakar,
dans un contexte pr-lectoral violent, en pleine remise
en question de la constitution et de prise de conscience
citoyenne (lections mars 2012), a immdiatement suscit
un grand intrt, aussi bien de la part des artistes, des in-
tellectuels, des acteurs de la socit civile que des sim-
ples citoyens, dans la capitale comme dans les rgions.
Des graines ont t semes et cette prise de conscience
de limportance des communs et de leur prservation
mrite dtre poursuivie et largie.
Cette anne thamtique de la biennale : Produire le Commun
Art & society
citizenship
exchange, crafts)?
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Cette exprience nous permettra dinterroger concrtement
les pratiques culturelles en elles mme, ainsi que le rle
des artistes dans la socit, dans le partage du sensible
et cette construction du vivre ensemble.
Not at the moment.
To get to know the other members of the network.
To better understand what the potential of this platform can
be and what Kr Thiossane can propose.
Connecting with Middle Eastern members from Lebanon,
Palestine, and Egypt/
4 Network
Open new ways of doing culture and art.
Be strong and innovative in our proposals in the international
artistic and cultural scene. Perhaps dene a charter of
Arts Collaboratory members aims and expectations.
To let us understand how others in different contexts are
working and how they deal with similar realities.
The meeting as it was last time in Colombia with other
members and all the meetings with local actors was very
nourishing for my centre and myself.
you and why?
Kr Thiossane is part of Creanumerica Network launched by
Francophonie. They organise meetings of Francophone
multimedia actors (Casablanca / Tunis) about once a year.
Participants of this network have very different proles
(artist, independent organisations, institutions ne art
schools, private schools). It is important and interesting for
autour dun jardin partag et dun ple fablab, dans
lespace publique.
Il sagira de la premire Ecole de lEn-Commun en Afrique,
initie par Kr Thiossane, lieu ddi au multimdia et aux
pratiques artistiques citoyennes, depuis dix ans au Sn-
gal et actif sur la scne culturelle internationale.
Vritable laboratoire des biens communs et du vivre
ensemble lchelle dun quartier de la capitale sng-
alaise, cette cole sera ouverte au reste du monde et en
particulier lHmisphre Sud, via des collaborations, des
changes, des ateliers ou rsidences en partenariat avec
dautres organisations culturelles, lieux artistiques, m-
dialabs, hackerspaces, artistes ou activistes des biens
Communs, ailleurs dans la monde.
Par la mise en oeuvre dune cole des Communs Dakar,
au cur dun espace publique, Kr Thiossane permettra
aux artistes sngalais, africains mais aussi internation-
aux, de plus en plus nombreux vouloir interagir avec leur
environnement et la socit, de dvelopper des pratiques
artistiques collaboratives ; dexprimenter de nouvelles
formes dengagement avec les publics, dans un espace
appropri la rencontre entre les pratiques, les disci-
plines, les diffrents acteurs et les publiques.
Il sagira, par la pratique artistique et lchelle de notre
quotidien, travers cette cole des communs et les activ-
its proposes, douvrir des espaces mentaux et sensibles
de possibles, de forger des modes dexprimentation qui
travaillent en acte la question de ltre ensemble.
Les activits et les rexions, dveloppes par les artistes,
penseurs et publics au sein de ce laboratoire constitueront
toute une somme de pratiques, de faire et dexpriences,
traverss par le motif de len-commun (partageable et
partages avec tous).
Par ce choix de sortir de ses murs pour tendre davantage
ses activits et les partager au quotidien, avec les popu-
lations, environnantes et le grand public, Kr Thiossane
souhaite faire voluer la notion de lieu artistique se d-
nissant comme des espaces de partage des savoirs,
ouverts et citoyens ;
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Marion Louisgrand,
Director
us to understand and discover what is done with new media
in other parts of the word and to connect and exchange.
The object we plan to bring to the meeting is not ready yet.
It should be a model of the garden we are doing next to
Kr Thiossane in public space and that will be inaugu-
rated on May 16th.
It should be not so big. It should get the size of a vanity fair.
In the case we have no time it could be a picture of this gar-
den or an object realised from the fablab with 3D printers
or knitting made by young women from the reinsertion
centre we work with.
Please provide 100 word text on the object for the general
public that also includes why you selected the object.
(to do) Model of Jet dEau (Water Jet) Garden / School of
Commons Dakar May 2014
Convaincue du rle de lart comme facteur de transformation
sociale, KT souhaite aller au del de la rexion en met-
tant davantage en pratique les valeurs quelle dfend, au
coeur de lespace publique.
A compter de 2014, elle propose aux habitants du quartier,
dans le cadre de son cole des Communs la ralisation
dun jardin dart.
Ce jardin artistique au del dune structure est un lieu
dexprimentation, un atelier ciel ouvert o les publics
seront conjointement acteurs et spectateurs. Par le biais
dune nouvelle conguration du jardin souvrira un autre
dialogue avec les habitants et riverains.
This model is a representation of this garden Jet dEau we
just inaugurated on May 16th next to our centre, in the fram
of the School of Commons we propose to the habitants.
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KIOSKO
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Kiosko operates through Simple Estudios, a private company:
Simple S.R.L. Estudios was founded in 2006. As a graphic de-
sign studio it generates innovation through visual commu-
nication and aims to contribute to the quality of contem-
porary design in Bolivia. As a company, Simple Estudios is
the cornerstone to generate income and to contribute to
the sustainability of the project Kiosko.
Simple Estudios supports the nancial and administrative
management of Kiosko. The graphic design department
provides Kioskos corporate image and graphic material
for Kioskos events and activities.
We have 13 employees in total, three male and ten female.
Simple Estudios: ve to six employees.
Kiosko: ve to six employees.
flexible etc.?
Currently ten people are full-time, and three people work
part-time in Simple Estudios and Kiosko.
Occasionally university students do their internships during a
month at Simple or Kiosko. The average age in the team
is 30 years old and seven of us combine work and family.
Two of the part-timers are art or graphic design students
in their nal year hired by Kiosko as a means to gain
practice and work experience, knowledge and skills in cul-
tural management.
Kiosko was born from collaborative projects and thanks to
the support of Hivos, Triangle Arts Trust and Arts Col-
laboratory; Kiosko became a permanent, independent
platform in 2006.
Currently our main funding comes from Arts Collaboratory/Hivos.
Other important sources are:
Simple Estudios, Centro Cultural Patio (Foundation Simn
I. Patio in favor of cultural development and education in
1 General
Kiosko Galeria creates, promotes and fosters high quality
visual art in Bolivia, the region and the world through an
independent platform for contemporary art.
Kiosko Gallery is a non-prot, independent alternative plat-
form for contemporary visual art created by artists in
2006 and directed by Raquel Schwartz. Kiosko operates
through the company Simple Estudios S.R.L., a graphic
design studio founded in 2006 that supports Kiosko
as part of its social responsibility.
Kiosko programs exhibitions, residencies, workshops, talks
and events. We produce events related to education, train-
ing, promotion and dissemination of contemporary art. All
activities and our art and graphic design library are open
to the public.
Our international residency program for contemporary art
began in May 2007, with the aim to create a unique meet-
ing space in Bolivia. We provide opportunities for exchange
between artists, researchers, theorists and curators from
Bolivia and internationally. We encourage participants to
take risks in their own practice and experience.
We have an ofce, design and architecture studio, artist resi-
dency, exhibition and event spaces. We curate and host
an international residency program and produce events
related to education, training, promotion and dissemina-
tion of contemporary art.
In June 2014, we will open Kioskos own space that will house
its ventures Simple Estudios (graphic design studio), Art
Store and NUBE Gallery. NUBE Gallery opened on August
1 2013 and provides a new space for Bolivian and interna-
tional contemporary through which the artists can be seen
by international and local collectors and the public. Kiosko
continues to be the platform to create, promote contem-
porary art and foster young and emerging artists.
Additionally, the new space will have an art and graphic de-
sign library open to the public, and a cafeteria.
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work by providing them a platform through which they can be
seen by international and local collectors and the public.
environment, etc.?
Bolivia, in the heart of Latin America, is one of 15 mega
diverse countries of the world, characterized by biological
and ethno-cultural diversity (over 30 indigenous groups).
However, it is one of the poorest countries in Latin Ameri-
ca (Ibisch & Mrida, 2003).
Santa Cruz de la Sierra is one of the fastest growing cities
in the world (Rank 14 of fastest growing cities and urban
areas from 2006 to 2020, ranked 1 to 100 by City Mayors).
The extremely rapid urban growth combined with the lack
of coherent, sustainable development strategies, lack or
mismanagement (corruption) of resources, lack of educa-
tion and lack of interest in social, environmental and cultural
issues, can be named as main problems. In Bolivia, as in
most developing countries, resources (gas, petrol, miner-
als, forests and agricultural land) and opportunities are
very unequally distributed. Political inefciency and extreme
climate conditions can be added to the list of problems.
Currently there are no violent political, religious or ethnic
conicts; however the indifference among different eth-
nicities is problematic in terms of creating a multicultural
society with a diverse culture.
ECONOMIC NEWS FROM BOLIVIA:
According to the International Monetary Fund, Bolivia has
a stable economy and has one of the strongest rates
in the region with an estimated economic growth of 6.5
percent in 2013. The New York Times reports: Bolivia
was a focal point of political and economic instability, and
while it remains South Americas poorest country, much
has changed. [] The portion of the population living in
extreme poverty fell to 24 percent in 2011, down from 38
percent in 2005, the year before Mr. Morales took ofce.
(New York Times: Turnabout in Bolivia as Economy Rises
From Instability, February 17, 2014.)
Bolivia), Synergy (local company), Sales commissions from
Kiosko and NUBE Gallery.
Within the residency program we have been receiving support
among others, from Triangle Arts Trust, Lugar a dudas
(Colombia), Gasworks (UK), Videobrasil (Brazil), Fundao
Iber Camargo (Brazil), Residencias en red (iberoamrica).
2 Practice
as a whole?
Mission:
Kiosko was born from collaborative projects (KM0 and
KM0/0.5 URBAN workshops) and thanks to the support
of various organizations, Kiosko grew into an independent
platform realizing more than 140 exhibitions, 60 residen-
cies and other activities over seven years; exchange and
networking is hence the basis of our work. Sustainability,
independence, quality, growth and participation of this
platform for contemporary art are the drivers of our work.
Vision:
We seek connections with other similar organizations to
share issues, to participate in art and invite others to
do so, and to write new narratives from and to the global
south. We believe in artists and art that goes beyond the
margins. We seek dialogue through the voice of artists
with different ideas and creative senses. Through artistic
expression and creativity we want to make the world a
better place, locally and globally.
Goal:
Our overall goal is to create, promote and foster high qual-
ity contemporary art in the region and the world, stimulat-
ing the practice and reection of artistic processes in a
context of social interaction promoting encounter, dia-
logue, knowledge and experience. We promote young and
emerging Bolivian artists in the world.
In the world of art we intend to show the best contemporary
art from both Bolivia and the rest of the world. We exist to
support our artists in their development and to promote their
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Projects:
2007 today
Artist Residency program
http://www.kioskogaleria.com/residencias.html
Kiosko initiated its international residency program for
contemporary art in May 2007 with the aim to create a
meeting space in Bolivia and provide opportunity for ex-
change between artists from Bolivia and abroad.
The residency provides living, workshop and exhibition
space for a period of one to two months in the city of
Santa Cruz, Bolivia.
We generate encounter, dialogue and exchange of knowledge
and experience, where ideas and processes intersect al-
lowing reection and learning in practice and enhancing
contents.
We encourage participants to take risks in their own practice
and experience.
2010
ART CLINIC
Gustavo Buntinx MICROMUSEO
www.micromuseo.org.pe
http://www.kioskogaleria.com/eventos/clinica_de_
arte_-302.html
2011
Make a Forest
http://www.kioskogaleria.com/eventos/hagamos_un_
bosque_-273.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWdFu8PNz0c
http://www.makeaforest.org/trees/?p_id=64&a=about
Through their involvement in Make a Forest KIOSKO wants to
communicate globally about Bolivias biological richness,
about its importance and fragility. As part of this program
Dutch creatives collaborated with the KIOSKO team on
tree projects at several places in town.
It is important to note the democratic process that has been
initiated in 1982 results in a recent stable political situation
nowadays. Good macroeconomic performance and active
social policies since the mid-2000s have helped Bolivia to
nearly triple income per capita and reduce poverty. (http://
www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pr/2014/pr1445.htm).
DEFORESTATION IN BOLIVIA:
Around the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, deforestation
caused mainly by the extension of intensive agriculture,
especially slash and burn agricultural practices, the use of
genetically modied soya, livestock grazing and unsustain-
able mining are threats to the environment and biodiversity.
Santa Cruz is the most deforested department with the
largest annual deforestation rate of 150,140 hectares per
year according to data collected by the Friends of Nature
Foundation, FAN. FAN also explains the link between de-
forestation and activities such as agriculture and livestock
that generate jobs and economic growth in the region. In
Bolivia, approx. 200,000 hectares are deforested per year
(FAN 2012, http://www.fan-bo.org/).
In order to tackle some of the problems described above,
Kioskos ambition is to generate open-minded alternative
and innovative thinking, sensitivity and respect through
art, building collective work and raising awareness in the
community about ecological and social issues.
Kiosko sees its role in fostering the process of creation of
value in art and the generation of high quality contempo-
rary art and artists. To this end Kiosko organizes exhibi-
tions, workshops and hosts residencies for artists and cura-
tors. At the same time we manage public social cultural art
projects and organize national and international educational
and training workshops collaborations with local cultural
centers and with independent artist collectives, groups or
support independent project from artists and curators. We
participate in international Art Biennales and Art fairs.
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NOVEMBER 2014
ABUBUYA KM0
http://abubuya.tumblr.com/
The Amazon Basin covers about 7 million km2 corre-
sponding to approximately 40% of the total area of South
America. The Rio Mamore is part of the upper Amazon
River Basin; its course is about 1200 km long. In the
Department of Beni, where the workshop will take place,
the central part of Rio Mamore forms annually one of the
largest oodplains in the world.
Creating:
Education
Art
Contemporary
Art
Public
Market
Knowledge sharing method to improve as an organiza-
tion is still an experiment. Example: Skill share organized
among lugar a dudas (Colombia) and Kiosko: Exchange
between the coordinator of the documentation centre
lugar a dudas and the person in charge of the futuere
documentation centre KIOSKO.
Knowledge sharing method to improve artist quality: con-
tinuity of residency program and of workshop and other
activities.
We focus on contemporary visual art and we are open to
all its diverse and varied expressions. We look for artists
and art works that function in our context or that gives
us the insight into other contexts. Through contemporary
visual RT we work with a variety of themes (identify, time,
2012
Artist Talk
Roberto Valcarcel
http://www.kioskogaleria.com/eventos/mi_vida_-_char-
la-461.html
2013
Muestra Itinerante Videobrasil 2012-2013 - Panoramas del
Sur obras premiadas | 17 Festival Internacional de Arte
Contemporneo SESC_Videobrasil, exhibited in the Centro
Cultural Santa Cruz, organized by Kiosko in collaboration
with Videobrasil.
http://www.kioskogaleria.com/exposiciones/muestra_
itinerante_panoramas_del_sur-501.html
2013/2014
Several workshops at local public university
Thanks to the agreement signed with the Art Career of
the Public University, Kiosko gets better access to art stu-
dents. In total 34 students have participated in workshops
offered by Kiosko residents in the second half of 2013.
http://www.kioskogaleria.com/eventos/taller_limen._re-
accion-652.html
http://www.kioskogaleria.com/eventos/taller_el_cura-
dor_no_cura-654.html
http://www.kioskogaleria.com/eventos/taller-666.html
MERCADITO POP Camba Style
Mercadito Pop, a fair celebrating art, independent design,
ingenious craftsmanship, green enterprises, responsible
consumption and the power of creativity. Co-organized by
Mercadito Pop and Simple Estudios/Kiosko, during one
weekend 50 exhibitors and various live bands participated
in this itinerant space that promotes creative micro-
economy and seeks to strengthen local independent art
and design, highlighting the creative, entrepreneurial and
productive local potential.
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Some comments that may lead to a way to work:
Clear objective, good preparation (e.g. this questionnaire is
very good)
DO LESS (not overload the agenda, have room for direct
exchange and discussions among partners)
BE FIRM on maximum time of presentations (dont allow
PowerPoints with hundreds of slides)
Make sure participants, presenters, guests communicate
well in English. If translations are necessary try to make
sure that is for a limited time per day, so it does not get
too long and the concentration gets lost.
If there are working groups with different topics to make
sure that there is enough time to present the results and
to discuss them among all the participants. The time to
share the results or ideas should be more than the actual
working group time.
What works:
Share experiences right at the beginning: With the entire
group talk directly about what AC is and what it can do
and what we have to do to make that happen.
Can we cook together? Or can we have one evening where
each partner tries to do a typical dish for all to share?
Working groups thematical topics:
Collaboration in Artist Residency
Knowledge exchange
Outreach and creation of public
Publications (create, launch, disseminate, interchange
printed and e-publications)
Practical topics:
How to make sure to get Visa for residency or international
participants?
How to manage a contingency plan for residents that dont
space, possibility, evolution, innovation, forest, water etc.).
Kioskos role is to foster young artists and through the
continuity of our work to help new generations of artists to
emerge. Kioskos new gallery NUBE, through its exhibitions
in Santa Cruz and participations in international art fairs,
promotes Bolivian and international artists careers.
Currently (since 2000/2005) there are two movements that
can be noticed:
For one thing, the transformations generated by Bolivias
indigenous president Evo Morales, has produced a body
of work with contesting critique. On the other had, the
perspective has turned towards a type of art that uses
folklore, traditional or indigenous elements and resources.
Revista Pulgar
Daniel Moreno (sociologist)
Ramiro Garavito arte contextual y la reeacion del arte
en la relacion a los cambios politicos.
3 Assembly
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Latin America and other regions of the world that may be-
come candidates to exhibit or present their work in Bolivia.
Documentation Centre: Exchange of Publications
This activity will turn the current small art and graphic design
library into a Documentation Centre for Contemporary Bo-
livian Visual Art. At the new gallery space that is currently
under construction, Kiosko seeks to set up a collection
and archive specialized in contemporary visual art con-
sisting of books, magazines, printed and electronic publi-
cations and video art open to the public. While specialized
in Bolivian contemporary art the Documentation Centre will
also feature a quality selection of Latin American as well
as international publications. Additionally Kiosko will launch
its own edition with quality books about Bolivian contem-
porary art and artists. Also we are interested to exchange
publications from over the world.
Abubuya KM0 Workshop follow-up
This itinerant international artistic workshop on the Mamor
River* will visualize and explore the river and its commu-
nities from an artistic and audiovisual point of view. Dur-
ing 12 days aboard a oating Eco-hotel, the international
workshop KM0 aboard will be a journey of contemporary
visual artists, curators, documentalists, a journalist, art
critic/researcher/sociologist, musician, ecologist and oth-
er guests and team members. Following the workshop an
itinerant exhibition will have its starting point in Trinidad,
Beni, displaying the resulting art works. The audio-visual
documentary will be broadcasted in Bolivia, Latin America
and the world. Especially, we are looking for collaboration
to disseminate the results of the workshop: the publica-
tion, the exhibition and the documentary.
*The Mamor, a Bolivian-Brazilian Amazon River, is lo-
cated in the Department of Beni, in the northern tropical
lowlands of Bolivia.
receive Visa so not to be detrimental both to the artists
and the program?
Artist Residency
Bilateral residency Bangladesh Bolivia
Exhibitions
Documentation Centre: Exchange of Publications
Artist Residency
The main idea is to create artistic exchange between Latin
America, Africa and Asia. In this residency program, two
artists from different origins reside simultaneously in Kiosko
for two months. 10 will realize a residency project, give a
public talk, and present their work in a nal OPEN DAY.
The positive experience of more than 60 residencies realized
in Kiosko conrms the importance of a free space for cre-
ation, where artistic ideas and processes intersect allowing
reection and learning in practice and enhancing contents.
Bilateral residency Bangladesh Bolivia
Kiosko is looking for a partner to set up a bilateral, south
south residency: participants with an artist-curator prole
will experience an exchange residency. One artist-curator/
researcher from the partner country will come to Kiosko,
Bolivia and spend one-month in residency with one Boliv-
ian artist-curator/researcher. The same participant from
Bolivia will go to the partner organization, and spend one-
month residency with the same resident.
Exhibitions
During the long-term project Kiosko will invite three inter-
nationally recognized artists (or curator) from the region
Latin America to present their work in Santa Cruz, Bolivia,
in exhibitions and conferences. To the conferences a na-
tional artist will be invited to participate in a dialogue with
the guest from Latin America and the public. Through Arts
Collaboratory we would like to get to know artists from
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to you and why?
Triangle Art Trust
www.trianglearts.org
Kioskos interest:
Professional network
Knowledge exchange
Collaborative workshops and international contacts
TelArtes
www.telartes.org.bo
The network TelArtes is one of Kioskos links for collabora-
tions at national level. The I Encuentro Nacional de Cul-
turas en Red has been one of the occasions in 2013 to
speak about contemporary visual art in Bolivia.
In Santa Cruz, Kiosko continues to work with local institutions
such as Centro Cultural Santa Cruz, Centro Simn I. Patio
Santa Cruz, Manzana 1, and Goethe Zentrum etc.
Kioskos interest:
First cultural network in Bolivia
National level and also regional
Collaboration with organizations in Bolivia and in the region
Coordination of cultural agenda
Residencia en Red (currently not active network; 2007-2012)
residenciasenred.org
Kioskos interest:
Set up of Artist residencies in Latin America and Spain
Professional network
Knowledge exchange
5. Objects and Description
Bilateral residency partner country Bolivia
Collaborate with creating and exchanging of publications
Knowledge exchange about Documentation Centre set up
and management
Get to know the new partners from phase 2 and initiate
collaboration
Strengthen collaboration with partners from phase 1
Make visible and communicate about Bolivian and Latin
American contemporary art
Get inspired, get surprised, be connected
Learn about culture and art in and from Indonesia
4 Network
Thematically:
Connect, communicate, and exchange: e.g. AC to help to
connect and dialogue between artists, curators among the
different organizations
Practically:
E-Newsletter and printed newsletter: International newslet-
ter, regional newsletter
Publications (e.g. including all partners and the most im-
portant projects)
More interactive Facebook profle (closed group?) to inter-
change among partners easily (the current AC page does
not allow to post information)
To share with others in the network:
Facilities exhibition space
Research information Bolivian contemporary art scene
Skill sharing knowhow in independent contemporary art
platform management and graphic design, exhibition set
up, Artist-Residency management
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LUGAR
A DUDAS
HABITACION DE SERVICIO
NO HAY EXCUSA PARA SU UBICACION Y DIMENSIONES
[HOUSEMAIDS ROOMS THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR THEIR
LOCATION AND DIMENSIONS].
Artist: Daniela Prez (Per)
Title: Habitaciones de Servicio [Housemaids room]
Tcnica: Poster
Size: 100 cm x 60 cm
Year: 2012
Curator: Alba Colomo (Residente en Kiosko 2013)
Housemaids rooms by Daniela Ortiz analyses the ar-
chitecture of high-class houses in Lima, Peru. Looking
at homes built between the 1930s and 2012, the artist
compares the difference between the sizes of the room
designed for the domestic worker in comparison to the
rest of the rooms in the house.
On one hand, we chose this Latin American art piece, be-
cause it is a poster with a phrase, making clear that con-
tent here social content related to inequality in society
is important in contemporary art. The work also serves
as a metaphor to talk about the situation of contemporary
art in Bolivia, that occupies a very small space compared
to other, mostly traditional and folkloric art forms.
Raquel Schwartz de Vargas, Sina Cordula Ribak,
Director Coordinator
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are some people, who need to be there at the same time
every day. Some other people have exible work sched-
ules because they can work at home, such as the website
manager, however we prefer standard schedules to be in
touch with the dynamic of the space.
Half time/part: 5 women, 3 men
Interns/paid: 2 women, 1 man
Voluntaries/paid: 1 woman, 1 man
Private: 60%
International: 40%
2. Practice
as a whole?
The project is designed to assign artists their valuable point
of view in front of world, allow them to be heard and draw
special attention to their role in society. At the same time
we provide to a community a constant active and reexive
approaching with contemporary artistic practice, in order
to understand art as a life transformer agent.
lugar a dudas offers an open space for research and de-
velopment for contemporary artistic practices. It is as an
interdisciplinary laboratory, involving the artistic commu-
nity in the processes that are generated in the space, and
provoking its interaction with the public.
The space is immersed in the daily ow of the city, with no
exclusional character, accessible to all its inhabitants. The
space offers diverse ways to involve the public actively in
the artistic processes to transcend the simple passive
view, establishing a more signicant and deeper relation-
ship with contemporary artistic practices.
lugar a dudas intends to help vanish the distances and preju-
dices, so prevalent in our media, that exist among the pub-
lic, the exhibition space and the artist and the work of art.
lugar a dudas attempts to produce an appropriate ground-
1 General
lugar a dudas is a non-prot organization. We own a house,
which is open to the public. We have two spaces for exhibi-
tion; the documentation center, where we provide visitors
with access to resources, information, and support for
consulting, and researching; and the patio, which is a ex-
ible space that is adapted depending on the activities. And
at the rear are the ofces, another patio and a kitchen.
We then also rent for a low cost rent another house for the
residency program.
We would say that it is a horizontal organization structure.
There is a Director, an Executive Ofcer responsible for
running the organization, and people who are organized by
functions. There are no levels between staff and executive,
they are more directly involved in the decision process.
The communication within the team is lateral communica-
tion between functions and, also horizontally, with the Di-
rector. We try to encourage team spirit providing high level
of responsibility. Every Monday, meetings help to evaluate
with comments and feedback from all the staff, in order to
make decisions on what to do.
gender.
We are 13 people, eight women and ve men.
flexible etc.?
The schedule is:
5 pm to 7 pm Mondays (but not open to the public)
2 pm to 8 pm Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays
2 pm to 9 pm Tuesdays and Sundays
It is a part-time schedule. What we have is a mix between
structure and exible schedules. It depends on the activi-
ties. As we are a space that is open to the public there
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We have the project Fotocopioteca that focuses on knowl-
edge sharing.
La Fotocopioteca works as a system of publication and dis-
tribution of texts related to practices and artistic contem-
porary knowledge. An artist, curator or researcher that
is invited by us chooses each text. It must have a brief
introduction and a comment as to why it is recommended.
Each edition contains eight booklets and uses a plastic de-
vice similar to Newspapers displays.
It can be exhibited in any place. People can have access to
the texts and photocopy them too.
What we want is to consolidate a body of public texts as well
as a system for circulating the information that uses a
fast printing method. It is an experimental strategy to
share knowledge.
La Fotocopioteca capitalizes on the knowledge of others to
travel outside the regular circuits, such as classrooms or
website pages.
We focus on pedagogical practices, the idea of the relation-
ship between art and education. Programming workshops,
talks, seminars, and exhibitions.
Fiction and reality of the context through experimental flms.
Exploration of archives. Projects that are engaged with
the idea of counterculture and the invisibility of practices
deemed irrelevant by mainstream institutions.
Sorry it is in Spanish, but it is very interesting.
Sobre la construccin de escenas locales [On the con-
struction of local scenes] by Justo Pastor Mellado (2008)
I have this link but we also have the booklet.
http://esferapublica.org/nfblog/?p=1309
ing for reection, discussion and criticism; a generator of
ideas and support of new interpretations about the com-
plexities we live today.
ment, etc.?
Cali is a city with four decades of stagnation, violence, drug
cartels and social conict. Many of the problems that Cali
is experiencing social and human capital deterioration, a
declining economy, and institutional crisis are a reection
of Colombias complicated socioeconomic situation, the city
has been hit harder by the crisis than other large cities.
Internal migration increased signicantly during the early
1990s due to the economic boom generated by drug deal-
ing activities, and continued in the last part of the de-
cade, due to resettlement movements of large population
groups, affected by social conict in rural areas. However,
migration ows have generated social tension in the city,
as economic opportunities became scarce.
The starting point is the notion that the art process is an
experience that affects life. Art is related to everyday
life. Therefore to open the possibilities to discuss and
reect through some proposals that artists do through
exhibitions, talks, and the program Educacion sin es-
cuela [Education with no School]. What we try to do is to
circulate some other ways of thinking that are not in the
regular circuits.
It is the relationship with community in general. The context
is very arid. The most challenging is to consolidate consis-
tent cultural policies in the city that promote visual arts.
A pressing issue every year is: sustainability.
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I would like to propose something relaxing but something
that lets us know something about the countries of each
participant too. Perhaps everyone could bring something
representative of his or her city. It could be something like
a typical candy or a craft, or a recipe or whatever allows
us to talk about the social context, economy, or any issue
related to gender.
Knowing different systems of organizations in order to con-
front our context, and learn from others. We think these
meetings are very valuable because we can share knowl-
edge on how others work and how they react to the con-
text they are living in. Then we can assimilate the informa-
tion and act on that basis.
4. Network
The Arts Collaboratory could help maintain the links amongst
the organizations. It is an agent who plays a role as a
mediator. It is the platform that has the capacity to keep
together and contribute to get exchanges.
I think supporting the exchanges through residencies is very
fruitful and valuable. It fosters new relationships and cul-
tural exchanges.
I think sharing projects, as the Fotocopioteca, is a great idea
to other participants can develop in their organizations
and then sharing with others.
to you and why?
We are part of Reso, an international residency exchange
network based in Italy. RES is dedicated to supporting
its artist-in-residence in the creation of new works of art
3. Assembly
I was at one of the Hivos Regional meetings in 2007 in Quito,
Ecuador. It was an assembly with a great dynamic. This
was also thanks to the facilitator. I do not know if it could
be possible to have someone that develops a dynamic on
how we can benet from the meeting. They know very well
how and what to do without losing too much time and then
also in a very creative way.
Pedagogical practices
Residencies
Networks
Sustainability
We are developing a pedagogical practice. What we intend
is to re/consider pedagogical practices and formats that
differ from current academic views. There are other differ-
ent ways of learning in exploring practical and theoretical
approaches surrounding research, such as intuition and
experimentation as a way of creating a free and non-for-
mal way based on social relationships.
It would be interesting to reect on different pedagogical
dynamics from independent initiatives as well ways of self-
organization and self-learning that diverse collectives or
groups put on working in their contexts. We know that from
artistic practice, there are some attempts to re-think edu-
cation with no hierarchal nor orthodox perspective.
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Sally Mizrachi Mugrabi,
General Coordinator
and development of research during a term of 6-9 weeks.
All of the artists expenses are covered, including airfare.
They will be introduced to the local art scene through a
program of meetings, studio visits and talks. The selected
artists are expected to hold public presentations of their
work towards the end of their residency.
Calco of a coca cola bottle lled with a coca cola bottle
Luis Camnitzer. 1973
Artist from Uruguay, based in NY
I would need for the exhibition a pedestal with a light inside
like the one in the picture.
This is a Calco [Copy] of the Camnitzer artwork coke bottle
lled with a coke bottle.
Calco is a program inspired mainly on the academic system
of teaching sculpture, painting and engraving, which is
known from the classical models as Calcos.
This program proposes to elaborate some contemporary
works that are part of the collections in most of the im-
portant contemporary museums around the world with the
intention of build little by little on the viewer an imaginary
museum. More than an appropriation, it involves issues
related to critic as well as cynicism in contemporary art.
It also has to do with situational problems in our city and
social and political issues of our culture too.
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NUBUKE
FOUNDATION
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Our organization believes that art is the greatest ambas-
sador a society has.
The foundation believes that traditional art forms provide
an important platform off which contemporary practice
must grow and be nurtured. Our initiatives and curated
exhibitions encourage artists to seek their knowledge from
existing traditions, philosophy, art forms and practice.
It becomes extremely diffcult to be a supporter of the
arts for arts sake. Our industry has not articulated clearly
what benets we bring to society hence the national
budget in Ghana does not address the arts neither does
policy make it easy to do so.
It is exciting to be involved in the development of aspects
of visual arts and cultural production. However the world
stage (globalization) has become a threat for arts institu-
tions that are providing a social good. I believe there is an
advocacy role that must be played but we did not start out
with this in mind.
environment, etc.?
It is important that our educational system supports cre-
ativity from primary school to university level.
It seems there is some confusion whether support for
traditional art forms means going backwards.
The greatest threats to artistic production are the generic
works lacking in originality and depth.
There is very little support for creative groups and it is
important to foster an appreciation for the power of the
arts in creating community cohesion and increased eco-
nomic opportunity.
Curating and developing programs and the atmosphere
in which artistic development can take place is a great
achievement.
Since 2007, Nubuke Foundation has curated at least one
exhibition a year with artists in different stages of their
1 General
Nubuke Foundation has two gallery spaces; a main gallery of
116.5 square meters; an art gallery with 58 square meters,
along with; a gift shop; a mini-drama stage and 1500
square meters of grounds, including; workshops a pavilion,
a meeting room, cafe, library and a resource center.
There is also a clothes designers shop and the caf is under
management.
Two other art groups- Ehalakasa-Poetry and Accra Theatre
Workshop also use the grounds for some of their pro-
graming.
Managing Director
Creative Director
Gallery Supervisor
Administration Assistant.
Intern (exhibitions)
Driver
Cleaner
Security
gender.
We are 10 employees, ve men and ve women.
flexible etc.?
Six are full-time, three are part-time, and we have one intern.
Exhibition management
Gallery sales of artworks
Merchandise sales
Grounds, gallery and other hires
2 Practice
as a whole?
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looking to experiment with new languages of expression.
None.
3. Assembly
suggestion.

Residencies and workshop methods with contemporary
and traditional artists, groups or collectives.
Management methodologies on the arts.
Revenue generation methods for arts institutions how
do you start?
Arts evaluation methods and reporting.
Our next major project will be working with contemporary
and traditional artists and practitioners in the community
in the eld of textiles and clay.
Any collaboration residency, work in the community,
drawing up workshop programs or training on either of
these would be fruitful.
We would appreciate expertise in contemporary work with
textiles or clay.
We are quite concerned about art reportage, which is at the
moment quite journalistic and are looking at the ways in
which we can improve this especially with this new initiative.
career, artist talks and symposia are held regularly (at
least once every quarter).
Annual exhibition interrogating the post-colonial history
and legacy of Ghana, using archival material, research,
and dialogues with nal production in installations, multi-
media, poetry, photography, and performance.
Joint programs with sister institutions and the College of
Art and Social Sciences.
Artists are promoted internationally through our networks
CCA, Lagos, SMBA, and UMCA.
Our monthly newsletter promotes the arts events happen-
ing in the country.
Initiatives with traditional artistic practitioners are ongoing
with artists.
Our biannual Arts publication, reports on events and show-
cases relevant issues.
Access to material- publications on different art forms for
research
Sustainability (fnancial)
Capacity and development of staff
Working with traditional arts practitioners and experi-
menting with them on creating new and innovative con-
temporary work.
Building on this methodology that we are experimenting
on is desirable. We would like to document what has been
practiced and the evolution, which is taking place within
these art forms and contemporary practices.
The main focus is to promote and document art forms and
culture and to provide a platform that develops audiences
and artistic practices. Young artists are experimenting
with conceptual art and those in traditional practice are
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providing opportunities not necessarily commercial
for artists to improve and develop their practices.
Title: Talented Tenth
Type: Video Still
By: Adwoa Amoah
Year: 2014
Dimensions: Variable,
Duration: 2:30mins
This is a video production by visual artist, Adwoa Amoah. It
was presented in an exhibition Du Bois in our time which
explored the legacy of American civil rights leader, W. E.
B. Du Bois in Ghana today. Multi-media production is new
in the art scene in Ghana, making this work daring and
innovative. The inspiration came from his writings and
philosophy dating to the middle of the twentieth-century.
Nubuke Foundation supports this way of working as well as
traditional art forms. In her work Talented Tenth Adwoa
Amoah summarizes the situation faced by artists practic-
ing in Ghana today to be ung into unfamiliar situations,
while still being required to take the lead and be relevant.
If any of these projects are something we can collaborate and
we can identify that beforehand, then perhaps half a day
can be devoted to working together in drawing up a concept
for this collaboration this can range on things like bud-
gets, pitfalls to look for, methodology, evaluation etc.
I would like to learn from fellow practitioners who are fac-
ing the same challenges as we are.
I would also like to fnd a mentor who can work with me
to create templates that suit my institution to execute
programs and methodologies with my staff that will make
them more efcient and help me to accomplish the vision
for the foundation.
4 Network
Apart from linking us to similar arts institutions, please pro-
vide us with a pool of business mentors who have worked
in the arts who can assist us maybe once or twice a year
to articulate visions, promote our story, business planning,
nding the right people etc. etc.
It would be great if we can share and tour some of our
exhibitions, to become more familiarized with the other
organizations, to give support for travel and accommoda-
tion to some of our artists and curators, and support for
transportation of works to other venues.
to you and why?
The foundation is currently not part of any networks but
works closely with the other arts organizations in Ghana-
FCA and in Nigeria with CCA, Lagos and Uzora Projects.
We work together because we share the same interests in
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PICHA
Odile Tevie,
Director
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As the staff is sometimes merging with the governance
of the structure, we are in the process of establishing a
proper steering committee.
International (European) funding:
Arts Collaboratory
French and Belgian cooperation Francophonie
And smaller project grants from Norway and Germany
The rest barely covers 15% of our annual budget:
From 2008 to 2010, we had a private sponsor.
In 2013, we had a government grant for the biennale.
We also rent out our sound and lm-screening equipment
And we also offer consultancy for research or exhibition
projects
2 Practice
as a whole?
Picha means image in Swahili. More than dening image, we
see our role as a blank screen where everyone can bring
their own image, their own view of the world. Our commit-
ment is to enable further reading and offer other perspec-
tives, diversity of stories, particularly regarding what is
happening in our environment. This approach allows art to
become a means of appropriating representation, but also
a space for dreams, etc.
ment, etc.?
Our environment is built on a system of predation and gour-
mandize. Colonization, dictatorship, the conicts over natu-
ral resources are common subjects to a large part of the
world. But they acquire in the case of Congo and the mining
region around Lubumbashi, a high degree of violence.
1 General
Picha operates with two tools; an art center and an event;
The Lubumbashi Biennial. The Biennale has held three edi-
tions (2008, 2010 and 2013) and has become an interna-
tional window for the local audience to see international
artists selected by a guest curator.
The art center is a physical place that contains: ofces,
residential spaces (up to 3 residents), a project space for
exhibitions and conferences (60 square meters), a sound
and image studio and a courtyard can host performances
and major events (up to 200 people). Last march, Picha
opened a bar, which serves as both a friendly setting and
an income-generator for the center.
Picha is a nonprot organization meeting the Congolese
2001 Act. This structure is the best that exists in our
country to start an organization like ours. It is a mem-
bership-based structure. There is also the possibility of
becoming an institution of public utility.
gender.
Five permanent staff, three full-time, two part-time: three
men and two women.
flexible etc.?
The association has seven members all are cultural profes-
sionals or have worked for years in the cultural eld. There
is an executive committee of three persons, which pro-
vides an overall strategic direction to the work of the orga-
nization. Picha employs three full-time staff that provides
daily management, under the authority of a director. As
with VANSA, the organization employs additional staff ac-
cording to the needs of particular projects, expanding to
up to 15 people for the staging of the Lubumbashi Biennial.
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(Post) colonial exchange is an issue for us.
In term of streams, we are interested in the idea of develop-
ing an alternative art history.
Return to the Postcol-
ony: Specters of Colo-
nialism in Contemporary
Art by T. J. Demos
(2013)
3 Assembly
I am just curious and open. No particular methodology to
learn, traditional ways of presenting and learning still seem
very important to understand the ofcial visions and
activities of the organizations, but then to add a more
informal approach, as human sharing can provide more
space for connections.
I am interested in experiences, on the mapping and collect-
ing of narratives. How art can be used to describe the
everyday life of people, and how to ask artists to commit
themselves to such projects, etc.
At the moment, the production of alternative narratives,
our idea of context for example the photo series and
video installation Memoire by Sammy Baloji and the video
works Letters and Images six videos based on the texts
of six writers of the Lubumbashi collective Librcrire.
Interventions in public space during the biennial and close
opening project with local artists are also included in this
process.
Reclaiming space and transforming them into meeting areas
is the main approach for us to respond to oppression and
exploitation.
The Revolution Room project is another step in this work,
because for the rst time, we put the relationship with
communities and the expression of their needs as a start-
ing point of the art creation, and not only as a tool for
dialogue with the audience.
Maintaining its independence rst is to survive, then for its
development. Pichas nancial resources are low. Skills are
also low, including administrative, curating, etc. There is a
huge demand and Picha is the only structure that is able
to ll it. This situation requires us to develop a range of
activities.
Open House is an event where a few days every week we
open our doors and spend time listening to people, their
ideas, creations, or just desires to change the world
Beer brainstorming : I am not drunk enough to argue.
Urban intervention
Participatory
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My object is a map of Lubumbashi by Jean Katambayi. It is ink
on paper (A4 size). He is describing his personal view of the
city, locating his place of living and working, but also the
challenges he faces with state administration, visas, etc.
I will also be happy to add a song: Ate Ndele by Atou Elenga,
one of the rst liberation songs before the independence
(to be listened on a headset.), but I am still thinking about it.
Notre position dans la ville; son espace, son histoire, est
celle de travailler sa rappropriation. Il ne sagit pas
de larracher, mais juste de faire dcouvrir de manire
sensible, de quelle manire lespace et ses marques nous
habitent, de faire de chaque personne, un recrateur et un
acteur contemporain de lhistoire. La force de lartiste est
donc de montrer, de se saisir et de partager des choses
convenues, quotidiennes, en leur donnant toute la charge
dune (re)conqute.
Picha is currently working on Revolution Room in partner-
ship with VANSA (Johannesburg). The Congolese iteration
of the project explores three sites where many issues are
gathered: the memory of workers, social struggles (trial
against World Bank for unfair dismissal), the relocation of
villagers, land disputes, as well as art and human remains
stolen for western museums. We want to nd a way to work
with artists and curators to nd a way to create a dialogue
with communities on these issues.
No yet.
I would like to exchange experiences and to perhaps nd a way
to continue our discussions on a specic exchange project.
4 Network
The network should allow knowledge sharing among partners.
This knowledge is on all areas of our activities. The most
difcult thing to organize can be to know where to get
answers when one has questions.
I think the most challenging activity we have is the biennial.
The experience of dening such a project in a context like
ours is something interesting to share.
to you and why?
International Biennial Association, to share views on what
can be a high prole noncommercial event.
ARTerial Network, to strengthen art civil society on the
African continent and how to bring more art perspectives
on cultural policies.
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PLATOHEDRO
Patrick Mudekereza,
Director
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Platohedro is a collective creative platform in constant rela-
tion with the public, the private and the social where art
and technology are the means of contributing to social
transformations that seek the well being of persons in a
harmonious relation with nature.
Art, technology and communication mediated by dialogue for the
creation of collective knowledge and the appropriation of it.
Working for a free society, we are pursuing the good life
(buen vivir sumak kawsay).
Our goal is to transform bodies and minds through education
and the training of critical thought, capable of questioning
themselves and the system, able to function in the world
and able to accomplish their dreams and life choices. Life
is the constant struggle of Platohedro, the utero, where
great changes and revolutions are gestated. Small actions
which lead to exchange and a change in thinking tirelessly
look for people who do not wish to be part of the conict
and who desire to develop themselves through processes of
collective and collaborative learning. We are trying to learn
how to move in the world, how to avoid it crushing us. There
are too many absurd things forming society and we cant
be indifferent to this. Instead we are in constant dialogue
and criticism, contributing through our actions to a greater
understanding of this world. There is so much to do!
We look for horizontal dialogue (understanding the horizontal
as a wave which means that sometimes we are up, some-
times down, depending on the capacities and energies
for participating in processes, with equal recognition and
visibility) between all forms of knowledge, without exclu-
sions. By taking audiovisual productions and the diverse
languages of art as fundamental strategies for the reap-
propriation of memory and diversity, we generate knowl-
edge and respect for human rights.
In contemporary societies social, ethnic and religious ex-
clusion is prevalent, particularly for children and young
people. Globalization brings both advantages and disad-
vantages. Responsible and thoughtful teaching methods
contribute valuable elements for the construction of sub-
jectivities and the transformation of the different perspec-
1 General
Platohedro is located in a two story former residential house
of approximately 101 m2, including classrooms, work-
shops, community and exhibition spaces, ofces and a
music practice area.
Platohedro is an ONG (entidad sin animo de lucro) initially
formed in Medelln in 2004 by the couple Alexander Cor-
rea y Lina Mejia and a loose group of friends working with
audiovisuals. It was registered non prot in 2009 and has
blossomed into a network of collaborations and common
projects in the city and throughout Latin America.
12 employees (6 males / 6 females)
5 of which were and are participants in Foco.
Crtico Critical Focus, our education program.
structures etc.)?
The 12 employees have independent service contracts. Plato-
hedro also has volunteers and interns.
For the sustainability of our children and youth educational
programs we have an international relationship with Terre
des Hommes Schweiz.
We participate in numerous projects in the city of Medelln,
such as Medelab, Labsurlab, Plataforma Puente Cultura
Viva Comunitario, la Casa de la Memoria, the Antioquia
Museum and many more.
In addition we offer services to other collectives, institutions
and events, such as streaming, documentation or work-
shops and other educational processes.
2. Practice
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We address these problems through educational and cre-
ative processes, opening permanent and temporary
spaces in the city, and reconstructing memory to create
projects and works.
Foco Critico is the most continual of these processes of edu-
cation, through which young people take part in artistic
and self discovery activities, learning to communicate
without violence.
We regularly hold events that permit persons who are not
directly involved in the processes of the house to under-
stand, see and feel the activities of Platohedro.
How to balance the economic and practical requirements of an
organisation, including collaborations with other organisa-
tions, with the need to take care of the body, have a family
/ social life and take part in the cultural life of the city?
It would be something like the Quichua concept of Sumak
Kawsay (which can be roughly translated as the good life
but which includes the idea of the interdependence of all
spheres of being and activity). This obviously includes the
idea of sustainability both economically and energetically.
This would certainly imply improvements in the quality of
the projects realised, in collective management, in self-
condence of the young members of Platohedro and
maybe in increased participation from the community.
Our educational programs such as Matine (for small chil-
dren), Foco Crtico (for young people) are continual pro-
cesses of knowledge sharing for team members and
invited facilitators.
We also carry out projects that are specically for knowledge
sharing such as the Puerto Interactivo or the accompany-
ing project that we have done at the Vigias de Patrimonio.
These cases are projects in which we share the knowledge
tives, beliefs, attitudes and values of our contemporary
and multicultural society.
locality (conflict, environment, mining, etc)?
Medelln is the capital of the region of Antioquia in Colombia.
A population of 3544.703 habitants makes it the sec-
ond biggest city of the country. The city is organised in 6
zones and 16 comunas. Platohedro works mainly in the
comunas 8, 9 and 10 with a total population of approxi-
mately 300,000 people. The inhabitants of these areas
are in general in the lowest economic levels, many of them
arrived escaping conict in the rural areas, a process that
began in the seventies and has continued to this day. Ap-
proximately 1 in 3 of homicides in the city occur here.
There are many problems for the education and care of
children and adolescents both in the home and the school
as well as a lack of safe recreational spaces and activities
which make it difcult to improve conditions. In turn these
conditions generate stigmatizations and other mecha-
nisms of exclusion of the inhabitants which lead many to
become involved in criminal bands and activities which, in
turn, create an environment of violence and intolerance in
the neighbourhoods.
Principal problems:
Disintegration of family structures and domestic violence.
High unemployment and climate of violence in the neigh-
bourhoods.
Lack of spaces and activities for children and young
people. This sector of the population is especially vulner-
able for recruitment to work in armed criminal groups.
Violence at school. As well as being a violent environment,
the educative institutions have no teaching orientated to
resolution of conicts or critical thinking.
Weak institutional articulation. Different visions and aims
lead to the impossibility of carrying out concerted actions.
These problems result in aggressive behaviour of young peo-
ple with many dropping out of school and getting involved
in criminal activities.
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Historically for us in Platohedro the punk scene, left wing stu-
dent politics and resistance to obligatory military service
and experimental theatre have been important.
Tres culturas, tres familias
y otros ensayos
Estanislao Zuleta.
http://es.scribd.com/doc/183384129/
ZULETA Estanislao Tres Culturas Tres-
Familias y Otros Ensayos
3. Assembly
in relation to those programmatic elements? What non traditional
Experience from the week long Summerlab event in Spain
that functions very well 1. assembly obligatory for all in
the morning, for group coordination 2. free choice work-
ing groups during the day proposed by the participants
and the AC Platform (including visits) 3. presentations of
projects of members in the evening
The groups are thematic nodes they are for working on specic
projects or questions. The knowledge or processes developed
are socialised on the last day of the meeting (or at appropri-
ate intervals) usually a spokesperson delivers a synthesis or
resume of the thematics and the process and proposals.
Economic practices scaling down, collaborative practises,
and fundraising.
that we have ourselves accumulated through our practice.
In the rst case, the Puerto Interactivo, we set up a tent in
either an institution or a neighbourhood and offer work-
shops and participative activities such as making fan-
zines, radio programs or home made photography. In the
second case in Vigias, we accompanied the groups of
defenders of the heritage of Medelln assisting them in
strengthening their groups, communication tools and of
self-organisation.
Comunicacin Libre y Compartida is a capacitation process
that is part of Cultura Viva Comunitario it seeks to train
grassroots communicators, both technically and ethically.
Audiovisual art, streaming, street art, community arts (the-
atre, dance) and free culture.
This year we have a special interest in the processes that
can be resumed under the title of hacking networks,
computers but also gender and society. We have started
a new project called Jaquer Escool which is currently a
subsection of Foco Critico.
We are interested in art as a transformative social process.
Hoping to raise the quality of the productions and training
that we offer we have allied with Casa Tres Patios in the
framework of applying open ended experimental pro-
cesses to art education a good example is foco crtico /
cubo.x program. In this project an artist resident in C3P as
part of the cubo.x program shares
their process of investigation with a group from the foco
critico education program. The project is interesting for
several reasons: breaking class frontiers, enabling ex-
change between artists and young people
Early performance practice 1960s, pre modern art, (post) colonial
exchange, crafts)
I am not aware of such interests within the cultural scene at the
moment. I feel that we are very much looking to the future.
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Circulation of opportunities for nancing. Open up new pub-
lics and audiences for the activities of the members and
their organisations.
We can offer working space in Medelln. Other participants
could contribute workshops to our educative processes.
We can share our methodologies for working with children
and adolescents. Support projects that other members
might want to carry out in Medelln or Colombia.
you and why?
Labsurlab: a loose network of south american projects at the
meeting point of technology, art and society. We have so
far celebrated 2 international meetings (medelln 2011 and
quito 2012) and are currently preparing a series of meet-
ings throughout the continent. This is an important inde-
pendent space for thought and action, sharing knowledge
and advancing together.
Cultura Viva Comunitaria Plataforma Puente: network of
latin american community culture organisations. We share
a common goal of bringing resources and support to
emerging cultures at the street level, a belief in the trans-
formative capacity of culture in the neighbourhoods and
the necessity of political incidence to ensure that these
cultures have their place in the public cultural funding
programs of latin america.
We need to work more on this as a group it will probably be a
video but we will send info in the next week or 2.
These four short videos, produced between 2011 and 2013,
Brainstorming of the platform I understand it will be
sharing information about fundraising, opportunities for
collaboration and requests for specific help (like tax rules
in a country or recommend a transporter or lodging in a
city ...). but what other functions could it develop? How
can we generate this commons both in bits and bytes?
Art and education What are the practices happening?
Overview of case studies how do these areas of art and
education relate to each other and in turn, relate to wider
aesthetic or social issues?
Ondas Expansivas is a project funded by Arts Collaboratory. It
is centred on the collaboration between two cultural projects
in the city of Medelln, Platohedro and Casa Tres Patios. It is
a project that aims to strengthen the two projects, re-
specting their individualities, and generate a new force that
bridges the worlds of contemporary art and social action,
generating thinking, education, new forms of art and col-
laboration. It would be interesting to see how this philosophy
of expansive waves, of collaboration and completing each
other could be strengthened by the other organizations,
adding new levels to the already existing work together.
No, we would like to participate in the collective process of
generating these activities.
Know the other participants, start the process of building the
network and developing the collaboratory platform, get to
know Indonesia and its art scene.
4 Network
It could produce new synergies, a circulation of knowledge
and methodologies gained through experience in different
contexts. Ideas that can provoke other ideas.
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RIWAQ
give glimpses of the activities and goals of Platohedro in
Medelln, Colombia. All were made for different projects
by participants in the Foco Critico (Critical Focus), Plato-
hedros education program, except for the rst one which
is a report made by a television channel.
1. Colectivos Culturales : Platohedro
244 2011 Versin Beta, Canal UNE
Made by Punto Link Casa Creativa
2. Portrait of Platohedro
241 2012 Ciudades Creativas, Fundacin Kreanta
Made by Foco Crtico
3. Puerto Interactivo, Laboratorios Comunes de Creacin
412 2012 Red de Artes Visuales de Medelln
Made by Foco Crtico
4. Reel Platohedro
213 2013 Self-produced.
Made by Foco Crtico.
Lina Meja lvarez,
Executive Director
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Our work is divided into work groups that follow up and ex-
ecute the following programs:
Building restoration: survey, design, tendering and supervision
Historic center regeneration program: research, com-
munity awareness and engagement, planning, cultural and
social activities, networking with other stakeholders as well
as restoration and infrastructure works.
Publications: research, editing and follow up with graphic
design and printing
Cultural activities and heritage trails: coordination, design,
research and implementation
Biennale: every 2 years, all cycles of research, engage-
ment, curation, implementation and production
Archive and documentation: keep up of archive on historic
buildings in Palestine
Groups are designed per project and are exible in structure.
Projects are presented to the entire team regularly for
discussion on the conceptual and levels of detail.
Our main goal is to bring life back and save the architectural
(and hopefully the natural) heritage in Palestine. Therefore
our programs are diverse and exible in the approaches
they adopt to test ways of how to revive relationships be-
tween the people and their built heritage (which is mostly
neglected). Although our restoration works are a stable
cornerstone in most of the programs, other nonphysical
interventions are quite varied.
We fundraise continuously for our projects, our main funders are:
The Swedish Government
The Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development
The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC)
Representative offces of Germany, Netherlands, and Bel-
gium occasionally
The EU: through calls for proposals with local Palestine or
regional for the Euro-Mediterranean region through part-
nerships.
Private donations (not so much though)
1 General
We are a registered nonprot non-governmental organization
in Palestine. Our mandate of work covers the West Bank and
Gaza. Our main ofce is in the city of Al-Bireh. We rent a
1930s villa with eight ofces, a meeting room, a library and
storage along with a nice backyard and garden that we use
for social activities. We have been renting the space since
1991 and we plan to stay here as long as we operate.
We have also rented (for free for ve-years) a room in an old
building we restored in the town of Birzeit, we will open it
as a residency space in September 2014.
Riwaq is governed by a 23-member general assembly that
elects a board of seven members (4 female 3 male) every
2 years (latest elections were on 8 May 2012 and are again
due in May 2014). The board governs the organization on
the strategic, policy and nancial levels while the execu-
tive management two co-directors (1 male & female)
make sure all programs are run and executed according
to plans in a transparent and efcient manner.
gender.
We have 15 full time staff members of which:
Site Engineers: one female, two male
Junior Architects: three female, one male
Senior Architects / Planners: Four females, one male
Administration staff: one female, two male
Two part-time staff
Fundraising and Public Relations: one female
Biennale Director: one male
We work ve-days a week SunThurs 8am-4pm; but are
moderately exible.
flexible etc.?
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and villages (and their services) together giving an alter-
native map to read the landscape of Palestine
Lobbying with the government regarding laws and policies
Rehabilitation of historic centers including open public
spaces and communal gardens
Working with the communities in the villages to raise
awareness and increase engagement
Facilitating access for cultural organizations and artists to
engage with local communities
We have been around for 23 years, in those years, we have
been able to:
Restore 100 buildings as community centers and cultural
centers
Work with 10 village communities on the rehabilitation of
historic centers
Publish 13 books on cultural heritage in Palestine
Design two heritage trails
Create a registrar of historic buildings in Palestine (www.
riwaqregister.org) of approximately: 50.320 buildings
Draft the new law for heritage protection (not ratifed yet)
Organize four biennales
Create partnerships with tens of local and international
organizations
We recently won the Aga Khan Award for architecture for the
revitalization of the Birzeit Historic center project; it gives
a good idea about what we do.
http://www.akdn.org/architecture/project.asp?id=4022
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nu_XSwWrDz0
We are not 100% of an arts organization. We are a cultural
one that deals predominantly in architecture but we do
have an arts program.
As an organization we face the following main challenges:
Financial shortages making us spend a lot of time on fun-
2 Practice
as a whole?
We like to think of ourselves as a positively motivated collab-
orative work force. We work on issues that touch peoples
daily lives but also issues that create new spaces to
dream. We work with architectural heritage and old towns,
transforming derelict environments into hubs for social
cohesion and social change. We believe in the power of
architecture and art to change peoples lives and at-
titudes. We love what we do and we are doing it because
it is a personal commitment to each one of us towards
our community. We try to engage other disciplines and to
look for new things to learn every time. For us Riwaq is our
personal project and second family. Riwaq is a learning
space and tries to be a catalyst for change in the places it
touches. We do not have any magic solutions or formulas
so we experiment with the people on how to bring life back
to historic centers through architecture, culture and fun.
ment, etc.?
Well we live in Palestine! So in addition to occupation and its
natural impacts of mobility restrictions, and isolation, we
live in a place where heritage is one of the lowest priorities
to the national government and is not protected by law
and is threatened by urban expansion.
In addition to that, we have a lack of housing, a decrease in
public spaces for social engagement and the concentra-
tion of cultural activities in a few major cities.
Our projects include:
Re-adapting abandoned historic buildings into new public
activity spaces as music schools, community centers,
women production centers, youth clubs, etc.
Designing alternative heritage trails that connect towns
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From our simple knowledge of the eld, we would say than in
Palestine the concerns now are about lm archives (1970s
onwards), modernity in Palestine and the Arab World, ar-
chives in general.
The Origins of Palestinian Art,
by Bashir Makhoul (2013)
Cultural heritage in Palestine
by Nazmi AL Jubeh http://www.cccb.
org/rcs_gene/nazmi_al-jubeh.pdf
Creativity in Captivity
by Amira Haas (2012)
http://www.haaretz.com/news/fea-
tures/creativity-in-captivity-a-pales-
tinian-art-festival.premium-1.477324
3 Assembly
suggestion.

Public art
Engaging artists in community mobilization
Art as a vehicle for social change
Our Biennale
Rehabilitation of historic centers in the west bank
draising rather than program development
The fragility of local networking and uncoordinated activi-
ties which means that sometimes efforts get lost and do
not accumulate as should be
The lack of support from the national government in terms
of policy change and endorsement
The lack of time: things are changing faster than we can
keep up with. Historic buildings are lost, governments
change, digital knowledge is changing and fast etc.
The task at hand is huge and we are limited in terms of
HR and money.
Well depends on who the audience is,
With the local community: we share knowledge via on site
works, continuous meetings, presentations, media appear-
ances, open ofces, pro bono consultancies, publications,
social media (mostly Facebook and YouTube and we are
developing our website now as well)
With other local organizations: almost like the above but
with less frequency. However, we are part of two networks
that meet regularly. One for Cultural Heritage Organiza-
tions and the other is preparation for Qalandiya Interna-
tional (www.qalandiyainternational.org)
Internationally: we get some media coverage often, and
the awards we won give us visibility (Aga Khan and Curry
Stone awards)
The main interest of our work is in urban interventions.
We are still experimenting in such forms and our fourth
Biennale was the rst time art is promoted as an urban
intervention in our projects (although not as we hoped for).
We do support the revival of traditional building crafts and
have a wonderful photo collection by local and internation-
al photographers who were commissioned to document
and give essays about the cultural heritage and cultural
landscape in Palestine.
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The tile is 20 x 20 cm; it was made in the WazWaz Factory
in al Ram near Ramallah.
The tile signies the story, commitment and impact of our
organization. The project that started everything in 1991
was the documentation of these colored tiles in the old
houses of Palestine. Going from one house to another
taking photos and measuring, slowly made us fall in love
with the old houses and traditional crafts, and allowed us
to believe that we could change the grim reality of apa-
thy to a more engaged one. Ali Wazwaz, the owner of the
tile factory was running out of business by the mid-90s,
no one bought these handmade tiles. Now, after Riwaq
reintroduced them in our projects, Ali has a waiting list of
orders and has since created new designs and is currently
experimenting with new colors and combinations.
Not yet.
Get to know all partners on a personal and professional
level and be able to carry on with these relationships
after the assembly
Find future collaboration possibilities
4. Network
Allow for the partners to have a common space to com-
municate
Draw attention to issues of collaboration that may have
not been thought of otherwise
Provide access to new knowledge and experiences
We always have an offce space for people to come and
work with us
We will have a residency space in September
We can always facilitate links between local communities
and interested artists
to you and why?
We are part of local networks in Palestine. But we are part
of EU-Mediterranean networks for experts in cultural
heritage. These are interesting for us because we build
partnerships to execute projects together and gain new
knowledge and skills.
I am bringing a colored cement tile.
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RUANGRUPA
Fida Touma,
Director
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Art Critism and Visual Culture Writing Workshop
Jakarta 32C bi-annual student forum and exhibition
3. Research and Development
Research, archiving
Book publishing
Karbon journal online- www.karbonjournal.org
Book and video library
4. Video / new media
OK. Video bi-annual Jakarta International video festival
Workshop Video / new media
Distribution-compilation production
Screening program

1 Director, 1 manager, 2 nance staff, and 1 program director
for each division and several other collaborator partners
working in each division.

31 people: 24 men/ 8 women, all are working in 4 divisions,
online radio, and our business unit: ruru.corp + rurushop.
structures etc.)?
22 people with monthly salary, 9 by project.
In several big / long projects such as event or research,
we involve more people based on skill and availability,
either voluntary or paid by project.
The concept of full/half time in ruangrupa is not applicable,
and its more exible because everyone is busy with the
internal activities in ruangrupa and at the same time are
also working with external activities - such as artists, lm
makers, designers, manager/organizers, architects, re-
searchers, musicians - which in some cases intersect with
activities in ruangrupa.
Our primary funding comes from Hivos, Doen, and the Ford
foundation.
In the last 5 years government funding has been supporting
1 General
ruangrupa is an artists initiative established in 2000 by a
group of artists in Jakarta. It is a not-for-prot organiza-
tion that strives to support the progress of contemporary
art within the urban context and the broader scope of the
culture, through exhibitions, festivals, art lab, workshops,
research, and journal publications. Thats how we describe
ourselves formally :). We have formally been registered as
a foundation since 2000.
Facilities:
Library (books, video), video editing studio, exhibition/
screening space, online radio, a , shop, and small caf is in
preparation.
We mix a formal and informal structure. Ideas and the artistic
programme is collectively decided by everyone in monthly
meeting, then the execution or production process are
operated and administered by each division with strong
consideration to collaborate with other divisions. It is our
aim that there are many intersections within the divisions.
We realize that our structure is more about collaboration,
hence job desks, job titles and structures are only admin-
istration functions.
Since 2008, we have developed a number of new activities
and altered several other activities in order to make them
better integrated and focused, to serve as the basis for our
collaborative work, researches and supporting activities.
Division and its activities:
1. Artlab
Collaborative/interdisciplinary Art project e.g. mobility;
vehicle, city design in the city, transaction, gerobak
bioskop (wagon cinema) etc.
2. Support and Promote
Art gallery ruru gallery
Curator Workshop
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ruangrupa concentrates on being an organization that builds
a comprehensive platform where creative-collaboration is
critical to societys condition and can integrate with stud-
ies/documentation and work along with promotion and
publication, where critical discourses are expected to be
sustained and eventually able to reach wider public. ruan-
grupa as a continuous platform for developing new ideas
that are inspirational for larger publicboth nationally and
internationallyas an artistic and social implementation.
Therefore, ruangrupa will not only focuses on collaborative
and experimentation in artistic practice, but will also build-
ing a platform on which artists and their discourses will ex-
pectantly be broadly sustained, documented, and published.
Our modalities are based on our network / friendship and
collaboration from many different backgrounds of pro-
fessions especially networks of artists, cultural workers,
activists, independence/university based scholars, and
neighbourhoods.
Moreover, ruangrupa strengthens the network between
organizations with similar vision in establishing visual art
infrastructure as a social and cultural implementation in
order to make exchanges in collaboration and discourse.
One of the projects we did was in 2007, we organized the OK
Video Festival, and we held serial workshops in 12 cities to
compose videos to respond all the surroundings issues,
The participants were coming from many different back-
grounds, from civil servants to students. All the videos
that made during the workshop were screen during for two
weeks of the festival in National Gallery.
Most of the organization in the network built from the project
becomeorganizations in the network built from the project
become collaborators for several projects afterwards.
NexttryingTrying to have a permanent space that can be also
work as small compound for all of our activities, archive, and
shop and or possible also for other organization / collectives.
us on a micro scale for some projects but not for infra-
structure.
In the past 3 years our business units contributed 15 -20 % of
our yearly budget.
A few projects and eventst ,have received support from cor-
porate sponsorship and media partnerships.
2 Practice
Recognition that seeing the Indonesian art context, the pres-
ence of non-prot oriented visual art infrastructure that
does mediation (production / collaboration / creative
experimentation), dissemination (promotion / publication
/ publishing), and also studies of visual art development
and the phenomena of visual culture wholly, integrally, and
continuously is still much needed. Supporting the devel-
opment of Indonesian visual art hence makes the imple-
mentation of art / creative into a critical, educational, and
inspirational cultural practice for society. The lack of the
strategic position dulls sooner or later, and even dimin-
ishes artistic achievements and ideas that can enrich and
broaden our view in seeing environment, space, identity,
daily life, and many others, in different ways.

What are the major social issues in your neighbourhood, city or
locality (conflict, environment, mining, etc.)?
We always observe forms of mentality and behaviour of so-
ciety or citizens in response to various changes of urban
life/forms and space/city to nd working strategy through
the proper and relevant approach to art, while still main-
taining the dynamic and uidity of the working process.
ruangrupa is always curious, interrogating and examining the
social symptoms at the local, national and international
level, because for us, all of them are interconnected. ruan-
grupa focuses on working collaboratively on urban issues
by artists and people from various elds of study. ruan-
grupa will also pay attention to the development of several
supporting elements such as promotions in exhibitions,
collaborative projects, and publications.
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exchange, crafts)
Our concern is in Indonesian history of art in general, be-
cause there is still no comprehensive written historyit
isten. There are no canons, representative museums nor
areis there any institutionalized knowledge or general un-
derstanding about Indonesian what art.
Ruang Rupa: A Conversation on Horizontal Organization
in Afterall, A Journal of Art, Context and Enquiry Issue
30 (2012), written by Nuraini Juliastuti
Overview about ruangrupa titled All for Jakarta a note
on the tenth anniversary of ruangrupa: Decompression
#10, Expanding the Space and Public In Journal of Inter-
Asia Cultural Studies, Volume 12, Number 4 (2011), writ-
ten by Mirwan Andan.
Thomas J. Berghuis, Ruangrupa: What Could Be "Art to
Come. Third Text, Vol. 25, Issue 4, July, 2011, 395407.
David Teh, Who Cares a Lot? Ruangrupa as Curatorship,
Afterall: A Journal of Art, Context, and Enquiry, Issue 30
(Summer 2012), pp. 108-117.
Books:
ART AND SOCIAL CHANGE: Contemporary Art in Asia and
the Pacic, (ed.) Caroline Turner, 2005, Pandanus Books,
Canberra;
MODERN INDONESIAN ART: From Raden Saleh to the Pres-
ent Day, (ed) Koes Karnadi, 2010, Koes Artbooks, Bali
Always a challenge in fnding a right artistic strategy in
transforming a research based project into a visual based
articulation
HowWhy
Involving interdisciplinary groups in the processes of orga-
nizing and conducting events and research. .
Publishing as many texts we can in print and online
Informal and organic gatherings, think tanks and brain-
storming sessions. We like to discuss everything. A meet-
ing in ruangrupa can last from late afternoon to midnight.
The long duration is caused by digression in the discus-
sion, from the topic of the meeting to the culinary world,
the ora and fauna, or something to laugh about.
Socially, we deploy well-tried formulae and strategies that
use the urban space as a locus for social intervention,
while exploring new means and methods of expand-
ing these practices To make use of public space to the
fullest extent we identify the politics of signication that
could compete with these practices. Politically, ruangrupa
always observes small political narratives to expand ideas
of space and the public. In this sense, local politics, the
politics of space and strategies of civil society contrib-
ute to the values of contemporary culture. Culturally, we
always consider that cultural space is where dialogues as
well as production, distribution and shared of knowledge,
could occur engaging with the widest landscape of arts
and cultural production, and involving the public within the
arena of production. These interactions that contribute
to the contemporary art discourse take place with art-
ists, students, society, multi-disciplinary practitioners,
and communities and organizations working in the arts,
culture, and social eld and their involvement.Moreover,
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Aesthetics: collaboration, participation, relational?
Organizational: managements, resources, infrastructure,
space / facilities, regeneration
Regional mapping, research on similar practice in the
region, making art history?
Communication; how to engage and to communicate up
abouton issues that relate to recent organization activities
in suitable strategyways?
Regional artists initiative / collective, this year ruangrupa
is conducting South East Asia / regional research;
Art school developing other methods of education.
Formulatingizing our practice as a method of knowledge
transformation;
Students forum, young artists network / collaboration;
ArtLab, mapping the city, transactions / memory / sur-
vival strategy
regional mapping of artists initiative / collective, this year
ruangrupa is conducting South east Asia / regional re-
search art history, output is a book on the south-south
region research
art school, with exchange professors coming from each
of the Arts Collaboratory members
Arts cCollaboratory biennale, the event will be travelling to
each member respective country as a host, will work as a re-
dening / experimentaling biennale and curatorial strategy,
with and international symposium and publication attached.
distribution ofn visual culture and its mediums (e.g. litera-
ture, photography, video, lm etc.) - thats been develop
and have similar strategy to present as part of alternative
media forms that and could be shared and spread.
To get to know each other and specic contexts, get misun-
derstood, meet new friends, create possible partnerships
Essays on Video Art and New Media: Indonesia and Be-
yond, Krisna Murti, 2009, IVAA Publisher, Yogyakarta.
Jakarta, architecture + adaptation, by Etienne Turpin,
Adam bobbette, Meredith miller.
Rudolf Mrzek, Engineers of Happy Land: Technology and
Nationalism in a Colony
Benedict Anderson, Imagined Communities: Refections on
the Origin and Spread of Nationalism
3 Assembly
No specic forms, but developing ideas and fruitful discus-
sion can be better in informal or distracting atmospheres
such as while cooking, eating together, or karaoke
Sustainability strategy / speculation: unit business, ser-
vices, cooperation, others?
Alternative curatorial practices or other ways of curating:
transforming research, events as curatorial projectprojects.
Art history: local histories based on the context of AC
participants, local, national and international mobility.
Urban / rural: problems, phenomenon, social design,
intervention, how art can create new social and spatial
interaction/transaction
Politics: new negotiation towards the state: support, facili-
ties, network
Art school or other forms of education: : production and
distribution of knowledge, formulizing/institutionalizing
the practice
Network: hHow to strengthen and integrateing local and
regional networks?
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ruangrupa
and collaborative projects, extend and expand, and learn
about what everyone has achieved and is working on.
4 Network
Expand on the existing achievements of AC members
Identifying and giving support to future phases of AC
members
Talking through how to potentially support organizations to
survive independently and locally.
you and why?
We are now as part of Koalisi Seni Indonesia (KSI) or Indo-
nesian Art Coalition. This organization responds to the
need for a nationwide organization that serves as a hub
of knowledge and resources to improve infrastructure and
policies regarding the arts that can benet a wider com-
munity in Indonesia. KSIs shared vision and mission is to
strengthen Indonesias arts sector by engaging a network
of stakeholders to mobilize resources and advocate public
policies for a sustainable infrastructure.
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TEOR/TICA
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an assorted bibliography. In this space, TEOR/Tica offers
artists, researchers, students and other interested parties
its collection of documental resources.
La Vitrina (The showcase) is a new exhibition space located
in TEOR/Ticas Lado V front window. It was inaugurated
on May 2013 and functions as a 24/7 open exhibition that
creates a link between the public and private from within
a private space. The idea behind La Vitrina is to entice the
pedestrians of Barrio Amn (where TEOR/Tica and Lado
V are located) by having them interact and be affected by
artistic projects that promote curiosity, reection regarding
current events, as well as the participation and appropria-
tion of the urban space, amongst others.
Throughout more than a decade of functioning, TEOR/Tica
has consolidated itself as one of the most dynamic and
purposeful cultural projects in the region, managing to
amass great acknowledgement and international projec-
tion. It is known for being a thought-generating center, for
producing and maintaining documented records, and for
hosting quality curatorial shows.
TEOR/Tica organizational structure is formed by a Board of
Directors composed by ve members and a legal advisor.
There is a general director, an associate artistic director-
curator, an administrator, two producers, a coordinator for
Lado V and Library attendance, a communicator/photog-
rapher, an assistant curator and editor, a collection and
archives manager, a person responsible for mounting and
maintenance and a cleansing person. However, even if the
task divisions seem specic to certain areas, the working
dynamics is not based upon a hierarchical structure.
TEOR/Ticas working team is composed by nine women and
two men, plus four women and one men collaborating as in-
terns or as voluntaries. There are three people, (one woman
and two men) hired for professional services (audiovisual,
graphic design and garden maintenance). The Board of
1 General
TEOR/Tica is an independent non-prot private organiza-
tion, founded in 1999 following the initiative of Costa Rican
curator and artist Virginia Prez-Ratton (1940-2010). The
independently run TEOR/tica has become a space from
where context specic art practices are understood as a
space from where to build civil society and for contempo-
rary art to be exhibited, aiming to stimulate art practices
in the Central American region.
TEOR/Ticas main building hosts the In House curatorial
project and The Poly-Graphic Room, a small size exhibition
space dedicated to experimental, conceptual and political
projects based on printing techniques made by young artists.
In 2012, the space in front of TEOR/Ticas main building,
originally dedicated to exhibit VPR Contemporary Art Col-
lection was renamed in honor of its founder: Lado V (vee
Side) - Centro de investigacin Virginia Prez-Ratton.
Additionally, it was expanded to accommodate the library,
the video library, and TEOR/Ticas archives.
From 2013 on, and as part of Lado Vs initiative, the mu-
seum aims to transform itself into a sort of laboratory
where students, artists, curators, potential curators and
thinkers will have access to the collection (via workshops
or by invitation) for educational or investigative purposes.
Exhibits and projects that will be carried out in Lado V aim
to have the following:
Different ways of looking and reading the collection through
experimental curatorship formats.
Share recent artistic processes from Central America and the
Caribbean as well as other topics discussed in the area.
The museums new standpoint aspires to open up to global
initiatives and activate Lado V as an experimental center
involving the artistic community, and to participative with
curatorial initiatives in the re-imagination of curatorial
concepts, ways of rethinking a collection and the visual
memory of the 21st century.
The Library in TEOR/Tica -Lado V specializes in contempo-
rary art, and is enriched by the systematic acquisition of
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work and support for Central American artists from sev-
eral disciplines; an editorial project with over forty publi-
cations; and organizing and hosting talks, symposia and
artistic residencies.
There are several social issues present in our surroundings
locally in Costa Rica and also in the region. We confront
them every day and we try to address some of them
through our activities. For example, Costa Rica was known
as a nature conservancy related country, and recently is
has become a touristic sexual destination. Also, the whole
isthmus is a complex and conicted region with violent
episodes of genocide, drug dealing related crimes, migra-
tion and masacres among others.
At TEOR/Tica, we address diferent social issues through
our general programming. The In-House Curatorial
Projects designed by our Artistic Associated Director
and Curator, Inti Guerrero respond to social issues in the
present, that have their roots in particular circunstances
from the past. Accordinly, the Thought Program and the
complementary events are intended to deepen the critical
thinking and discussion about the different topics that the
exhibition addresses.
For example, the In House Curatorial Project New Fanta-
sies, more than solely positioning a vindictive calen-
dar or representation of civilian minorities, it proposed
to opened possibilities to imagine sexuality beyond a
unique cultural setting and to explore through art, the
endless possibilities of expression of identity, where
meanings of gender, sexuality and desire of the individ-
ual are continuously negotiated. With New Fantasies,
the curators wanted to address three main issues: the
performance of gender, sex tourism in Costa Rica (and
prostitution) and the political relations between the
United States and other world powers that take a prot
Directors is composed by ve members (four men and one
woman) accompanied by a male legal advisor.
What are the working conditions for the people working for
your organizations (voluntary/paid, full time/half time,
interns, exible or structures etc.)?
The working conditions at TEOR/Tica are varied. The regu-
lar working team is composed by seven full time posi-
tions that work on a regular basis and schedule and four
part times earning monthly sallaries. One of the interns
receives a small allowance; two are doing professional
practices, and other two are working as volunteers.
TEOR/Ticas basic funding comes primarily from a trust
fund. However, in the last two years, the organization has
received several grants from international organizations
and private donations for specic activities that have add-
ed a considerable amount of funding to the organizations
annual budget. We also have a platform for donations
that just initiated with the Amigos TEOR/Ticos Program.
(www.amigosteoreticos.org)
FFAi
Cisneros
2 Practice
The name TEOR/Tica implies theory, aesthetics and ethics.
Within ethics, this project aims to assume a position not only
within the artistic realm; it desires to establish itself within a
political sphere, in a broad social and philosophical sense.
This project was developed as a platform for the investiga-
tion, dissemination and consolidation of contemporary
artistic and curatorial practices though an international
program that aims to construct a national, regional and
international public with a standpoint from Central Ameri-
ca and the Caribbean towards global realities.
TEOR/Tica operates in four main areas: exhibitions of local
and international artists; promotion, documentation of
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Our specic focus is based on artistic and curatorial pro-
posals, research and education. These are part of the
enduring activities of TEOR/Tica-Lado V. By these
actions we want to reinforce, re-create and re-imagine
our institution so it can address and activate change.
The creative process that we have developed has done
so in a collective, dynamic and gradual manner. These
processes have been nurtured by the various collabora-
tions of artists and intellectuals from Costa Rica, other
Central American countries and from other latitudes
elsewhere. This has fostered our space open for dialogue
and discussion regarding contemporary art, instigating
critical thought as well as supporting emerging voices in
the eld and creating new networks.
exchange, crafts)
There are several historical concernes interwined in our pro-
gramming that include experimental lm, post colonial
topics and issues and Exhibition histories. For expample,
to adress this last issue we organize workshops to study
seminal exhibitions of Central American contemporary
art, how they relate to global art strategies and how
these exhibitions have inuenced the way in which we
think about the art produced in the region. As part of the
program, we intend to highlight and produce a consider-
able amount of documents and ndings of relevance for
further researchers to follow. However we also would like
to understand the contemporary outside of the 1960s
1970s experimentalism, and have embarked on proj-
ects that research phenomena in culture at large and in
early periods of the 20th century, such is the case of an
interest in looking at fascism in the 1930s across Latin
America and its relation to the present.
on Costa Rica or on other Latin American countries. The
last two issues are related due to the fact that they
present the same logic of the power relationship. The
issues proposed in the exhibition are neither studied
nor discussed enough in social realms, but they are a
part of the everyday life of Costa Ricans. Also, with the
exhibition, we have shared with the general public some
theories that are constantly circulating in the academic
world, but that usually stay within its walls. Our desire
was to make visible the knowledge, aiming to promote
critical perspectives on the viewers.
What are the most challenging and pressing issues and questions
for you as an art organization?
One of the most challenging and pressing issues for TEOR/
Tica is to generate social change and innovative ways of
living through art and thought. We are aiming to do this
through our program by showing ways in which art and
curatorial practices provide ways of questioning the given
truths that persist in our societies. By this we mean that
we have to organize our programming to promote the
generation of a national, regional and international public
that will understand global realities form a Central America
and the Caribbean standpoint.

On the one hand, and due to the fact that the Working Fictions
Proposal for Arts Collaboratory is varied and involves com-
plex programming strategies, we have successfully devel-
oped project managing skills that we could gladly share with
our colleagues. On the other hand, we are in the process
of experiencing a totally new eld for TEOR/Tica, which
involves giving grants to artists, curators, theorists and in-
tellectuals from Central America and the Caribbean. In July
2014, we will have them all together in Costa Rica, and we
are organizing the best way to make them know each other
and collaborate to generate new networks.
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I think it is from there that we can nd common ground
amongst certain not all spaces. So, I wonder how things
that one aquires informalyy in a bar could be made oc-
cilaly, like, for example each having a list of key gures in
lm, literature, cinema aside from artists that can give a
wider perspective on the contemporary in those places.
Feminisms
Fascisms,
Representations of violence
Archiving
Internationalisms v.s. cosmopolitanism
We recently opened an exhibition in collaboration with Tate
Modern, which we would like to propose to travel and ex-
tend in each guest institution:
The echibition A Chronicle of Interventions explores the
multiple histories of intervention that have occurred
throughout Central America during the 20th century and
displays the work of seven practicing artists who each
explore various foreign, economic, political and military
interventions which have shaped the region.
More info: http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/
exhibition/project-space-chronicle-interventions
Traveling shows.
Create a fund where 2 or 3 spaces can apply to so that
small scale exhibitions can travel between them
Staff in residence: Send (assistant curaorial)staff in resi-
dence as an intern for a month to a partnering institution
Spaces could swap staff so that their salaries are paid as fees.
The suggested text is Transit through a Doubtful Straight
because it displays a series of texts written in memory
of the curator, promoter, artist and founder of TEOR/
Tica Virginia Prez-Ratton. This book examines the
life and work of this important woman from different
perspectives that reveal her diverse sides of her thought
and actions also through some of her texts. Friends and
close collaborators were invited to write their memoirs,
impressions and experiences. The book also revises
Virginias artistic production through a series of images of
her work compiled in a portfolio never before published.
3 Assembly
It is regularly a mistake to begin thinking that there is a
consensus between participants. The nature of the type
of spaces invited are that they are context-specic, that
they arise as a reaction of the local urgencies to develop
a local, regional and international discourse. On that note I
wonder how can we nd a way so that presentations really
translate what is the specicity of those contexts, and
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Costa Rica, Guatemala and Panama, in order to begin a
collaborative exhibition concept together with the curator
of Teoretica. This resulted in an exhibition that opened at
Tate and later in Teoretica.
Our international networking is primarily through individuals
rather than institutional: curators and museum directors
Regina Jose Galindo
Tierra, 2013
Video, 10min
Please provide 100 word text on the object for the general public
that also includes why you selected the object.
This works confronts the political history of Guatemala and
its genocide. In reference to witness statements of mas-
sacres and mass interments committed during the 1980s
military regime of Jose Efran rios Montt, Galindos video
shows the artist standing naked and alone in a eld,
while a bulldozer digs what appears to be a mass grave
around her. her work sheds light on multiple atrocities
that occurred during a civil war, which saw approximately
200,000 people die or go missing, many of indigenous de-
scent. The universal aesthetics towards violance, creates
a translatable language of a context specicity. It is those
types of international cultural translation in which TEOR/
eTica has embarked great part of its programming.
Meet at a Biennail of interest for the nature of AC; So
Paulo, Havanna, Dakar?
To know the contexts, art practices and intellectual produc-
tion of each place, which we could later incorporate to our
program in Costa Rica.
4 Network
Perhaps a direct manner for creating a platform is to have 1
month internships amongst our staff members. This cre-
ates south-to-south professionalism and a human rela-
tionship amongst organizations.
Also what could be offered in terms of facilities, research, skills
A joint facebook page, where all organizations could post
their signicant activities, in English, and encourage all our
current contacts to join. Therefore internationalizing our
own audiences.
A monthly Newsletter, with important news of each space.
Same language sub-groups could make smaller gatherings.
Example Spanish speaking, AC spaces meeting
you and why?
TRAVELLING CURATORIAL GRANT
We had a good experience with Independent Curators
International and Cisneros collection with whom we had a
shared open call for a curatorial travelling grant in Central
America. It would be interesting to have that type of open
call specically directed amongst the contexts that each
AC partner represents.
BLIND DATE CURATING BETWEEN TWO INSTITUTIONS:
We recently opened and exhibition at Tate Modern, where a
curator from Tate came for residency to Teoretica, visited
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THEERTHA
Inti Guerrero,
Associate Artistic Director
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A Core Group and Executive Committee administer Theer-
tha. The Core Group [Board of Directors] is consists of 15
artists. The Executive Committee consists of a Chairman,
Vice Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer, selected from
the Board of Directors. These two bodies take all adminis-
trative decisions.
The Theertha staff consisting of the following implements
those decisions:
Coordinator Local Art Projects
Coordinator International Program
Administrative Assistant for programs
Accountant
Offce Assistant
Housekeeper
Other than the above, many tasks are executed by temporary
persons hired on assignment basis, and when required.
gender.
We are six people, four men and two women.
flexible etc.?
Theertha staff work part-time (3 days a week) ofcially.
Theertha has a exible structure where the staff is given
the option of working from home or ofce as long as tasks
are completed within the given deadlines.
International funding
Art sales
Providing guest accommodation
Art/ design commissions and assignments
Art teaching.
Book sale
Donations
1 General
A congregation of 11 artists, who had spearheaded the 1990s
art transformation, initiated Theertha in 2000. Theertha
started as a platform to allow art exchanges to happen
across geographic, ethnic, religious and artistic borders.
Over the years this has been complimented by other pri-
orities such as art knowledge production and dissemina-
tion, the need for effective art educational programs for
higher learning, gaining visibility for Sri Lankan contem-
porary art in international forums, and opening interest-
ing platforms for contemporary artists internationally to
undertake collaborative work. In the last 10 years Theertha
has concentrated on these priorities through their local
and international programs.
In 2007, Theertha transformed part of its ofce building into
an art space. Over the past three years, Theertha has
been concentrating on establishing Red Dot Gallery as
an experimental art venue and to build its audiences and
patronage. The Theertha website has become the rst
linking point with Theertha for many who are interested in
connecting with Sri Lankan artists. 50% of the information
from the physical archive pertaining to Theertha activities
has already been uploaded. For nearly 8 years Theertha
has supported Jaffna artists to publish cultural and art
text (Art Lab & Panuwal journals, three volumes on Socio-
cultural writings), organized exhibitions (Aham-Purum
2004 and the Freshly Baked series) and included them in
art workshops and residencies.
At present Theertha maintains the following:
Offce space
Red Dot Gallery
Guest Accommodation
Studio space
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needs as well as evolutionary track of art within Sri Lanka.
Theertha believes that government policy could be navi-
gated towards taking up a more supportive role through
such attempts.
ment, etc.?
Post war Sri Lanka has seen many changes. The cessation
of armed conict ushered in a certain sense of political
stability, which at present focuses on development and
economic growth to overcome the setbacks and lags ex-
perienced during the conict. Therefore a need has arisen
within the country to respond constructively to rebuilding
what was lost emotionally and physically. Sri Lanka is fac-
ing issues that most post war societies face, as it trys to
grapple with managing development, human rights, and
maintaining democratic institutions that have been af-
fected during the 30 years of war.
Theertha strongly maintain itself as an art organization work-
ing towards cultural exchanges. Our intervention in soci-
ety has always privileged art, and through retaining that
premise Theertha has engaged in many projects.
Theerthas focus has been on Jaffna for some time where it
has supported many art exchanges and collaborative proj-
ects allowing southern and Northern (Jaffna, the capital
in the conict zone of the North) artists to work together
which has help to build a certain camaraderie and trust
between artists from both sides. Aham-Puram exhibi-
tion (2004) in Jaffna public library, regular participation
of Jaffna artists in the Theertha international residencies,
workshops, yearly exhibition Freshly Baked, extensive
publication program supporting art and cultural writings
to be compiled through Panuwal and Art lab journal etc.
are some examples. Theertha artists Pala Pothupitiya
and Pradeep Thalawatte undertook teaching from 2010
to 2014 at Jaffna University as visiting lectures, to over-
2 Practice
as a whole?
Theerthas current vision is to sustain a critical and innova-
tive art community within Sri Lanka, that engages con-
structively with its contemporary socio-cultural and politi-
cal contexts, and at the same time linking to the outside
world. Theerthas mission will be to provide opportunities
for established and emerging artists to be critically in-
novative and experimental, stimulate socially engaging
critical art practices, facilitate art connections and archive
information on Sri Lankan art and art history. Theertha will
be working for the next few years to achieve the following:
Provide a platform for artist mobility and sustained art
connections, where a strong presence of Sri Lankan art
can be achieved internationally, simultaneously stimulat-
ing the local art scene in multiple ways brining in wider
access, attention, new ideas and expanding interest on the
art market.
Investing in art in new geographical locations especially
in areas affected by armed conict and in marginalized
communities where a great desire exists for innovation
and experimentation to create artistic expressions.
Find platforms for showcasing Sri Lankan art consistently
so that they become part of the public art knowledge and
help to develop audiences.
To compile a solid body of knowledge on Sri Lankan visual
art and contemporary culture to be part of the future art
heritage.
Theertha believe in a multicultural society with equal op-
portunities for knowledge access and freedom of expres-
sion without conict or violence. Theertha believes in the
right of all human beings to live and exercise their political
rights without threat or fear.
Theertha fnds ways to work with state institutions and
their programs on art as much as possible in order to en-
courage the idea of governments undertaking the respon-
sibilities of supporting art, so they are informed of the
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text, which has become the only resource for art students,
scholars and curators studying Sri Lankan art. They have
been published in all three languages in Sri Lanka.
Theertha has maintained its website with a large amount of
data on activities done by Theertha along with supportive
images, which is a great source of accessing knowledge
on contemporary Sri Lankan art.
At present Theertha is in the process of organizing its ar-
chive, which will take more time to bring to a level for the
pubic to access this data.
Theerthas focus and conceptual interest is in developing
an informed community on art and heritage, which also
supports social engagement, critique and inquiry. Theer-
tha also hopes to build art audiences that are enlightened
about contemporary art. All Theertha programs are for-
mulated and executed to support:
Pedagogic training / Art education: Art Teacher Train-
ing, Culture Forum presenting a series of lectures on art
geared for art history students.
Urban intervention: Lets Take a Walk and Ape Gama
for promoting the appreciation and recognition of a mul-
ticultural heritage.
Publication: Publication of journals ArtLab, Patitha and
Panuwal. Monographs and catalogs published for 12 years.
South Asia Journal for Society and Culture (English)
Craft Practices & Artists Skill Development: Series of craft
workshops conducted in Jaffna for women in conict areas to
restart terracotta craft art production. Paper pulp workshops
and done in Dehiattakandiya, a dry zone town on the border
of a conict area in the North East. Computer and English
language programs held for artists from 2004 to 2008.
New Artistic Development: New media art residencies in
2010 and 2011.
Art exchanges: through annual art residencies since 2004
to date and International workshops from 2001 to 2012, held
every two years. Sethusamudurum Art Project for rereading
come the scarcity of innovative art teachers in Jaffna, and
Theertha art workshops have been held to support the
post war art educational attempts in 2011 and 2012.
Theerthas current local art program Narrative from the
Margins working with the survivors of war in collaboration
with the governments cultural department has attempted
to incorporate these needs of Jaffna in the post war
environment. An exhibition Anxieties and Other Stories
curated by an artist and lecturer based in Jaffna, T. Shan-
anthanan, presents art by four women artists from Jaffna
and will be held at the Theertha Red Dot Gallery in April
2014, under its Womens Art Program.
In addition, Theertha engages with communities to gain rec-
ognition, promote and preserve our multicultural heritage
within Sri Lanka, particularly through its Ape Gama [Our
Village], & Lets Take a Walk programs. Through these
programs, multi-sector training involving the building of
multicultural understandings and heritage appreciation
through community, art educational and art training was
done throughout 2009 to 2011. The programs, Culture
Forum and Freshly Baked supported art education
through, lectures and discussions, and encouraged the
younger generation of artists to produce experimental and
innovative art using new media, and to venture into ambi-
tious art projects that would otherwise not be possible due
to nancial constraints.
Encouraging artists to be multilingual with English as a link
language.
Encouraging artists to be multi-tasking without hampering
their art production.
Sustaining socially engaging projects for longer periods to
ensure results will later be felt.
Theertha has engaged in publications on contemporary art
for nearly 10 years and it has produced a large body of
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Long-term art residencies that promote collaboration
between two institutions for a minimum of three years that
are also based on common interest. Our most success-
ful model of international art exchange has been with the
Sethusamudurum Art Project that used art as a way of
re-looking at history, which was a collaboration between
Theertha and 1 Shanthi Road, Bangalore India.
Art projects that collaborate with state agencies, which
support art education, skill development and understand-
ing their own cultural contexts, and art projects that ad-
dress their needs and anxieties, which are not short-term
result-orientated.
These projects would have many programmatic elements
built into it such as survey trips, informal and formal
meetings, residencies, workshops, research, exhibitions
and publications held over a long period of time.
Work on formulating projects that have shared histories
/ experiences / anxieties / and sentiments, as points of
departure, such projects will hold deeper interest for art-
ists and organizations and will bring out the best.
Exchanges should be focused on a group of artists who
would continue participating, not just once but throughout
the project period, so that connections made between art-
ists would organically generate other spinoff projects.
Work on collaboration across art mediums and across
disciplines.
Work on curatorial projects between countries.
Art project on shared histories and synergies:
Reinvestigating the colonial histories Sri Lanka/India shares
with the Netherlands, Portugal and Britain and how their
interaction with each other have transformed the social,
cultural, geographical ecological demographics in the
history of Sri Lanka and South India as an art project.
Audience development: Travelling Education exhibit-
ing 20th Century Sri Lankan Art History on 40 panels,
20052006.
Not enough analytical art publications or flms that inter-
rogate Sri Lankan visual art history.
Not enough retrospective exhibitions of visual art.
Six volumes of South Asia Journal for Society and Culture
published by Theertha.
Contemporary Art in Sri Lanka by Jagath Weerasinghe in
Art and Social Change: Contemporary Art In Asia and the
Pacic, edited by Caroline Turner and published by Panda-
nus Books.
Artists Remember, Artists Narrate: Memory and Repre-
sentation in Sri Lankan Contemporary Visual Art by Sa-
sanka Perera, published by Colombo Institute for Advanced
Study of Society and Culture, and Theertha.
3 Assembly
suggestion.
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Theertha can offer accommodation, volunteer program,
exhibition space, and information on the local art scene,
assistance to connect with artists.
to you and why?
Connection with Bangalore artist community via 1 Shan-
thi Road, Bangalore, which continues to collaborate with
Theertha artists on other projects, and helps strengthen
the links with Bangalore based artists.
Connection with selected galleries such as Espace Gal-
lery, Shrine Empire Gallery, Blueprint 12 Gallery and Navsar
Foundation. They have started to work with Sri Lankan
artists, which has given them connections to the Delhi art
community and art market.
Connection with Lahore based Beaconhouse National
University and artists in Lahore and Karachchi where this
allows Sri Lankan artists to go for their undergraduate and
graduate studies, and connect with their art community.
Theertha as an art organization consisting of practicing art-
ists that believe in Art as process and process as art, the
Sethu book art project that came from the Sethusamu-
dram art project clearly shows this conviction of Theertha.
Title of the work: Sethu Book art project
This book is accompanied with a video presentation xx
minute and 10 original drawings.
The Sethusamudram Art Project (SAP), was conceived by
Theertha International Artists Collective, Colombo, Sri
Lanka and 1, Shanthi Road Studio/Gallery, Bangalore,
India, as an art project to go beyond the conventional
art residencies, to support international art exchanges
countries and continents. The history will be investigated
through selected subjects such as food, identities of com-
munities and usages of words and names, ora and fauna,
stories, clothing and textiles, personal and public photo
records etc. The project will have research, residencies,
seminars, exhibitions, writing and publication projects,
built into its structure. This will be a continuation of the
re-reading history as an art project, which was done in Se-
thusamudurum project with 1, Shanthi Road. This will have
to be a 34 year project that would develop in stages.
Curated exhibition project that would bring in artists from dif-
ferent countries together on a topic that interrogates com-
mon sentiments shared by the collaborating countries. The
exhibition would be held in both countries and would have
art residencies and survey/research trips built into the pro-
gram. Participants would include people from different art
disciplines lm, writing, visual and performing arts etc.
A new direction and format for international collaborations
that can be sustained on their own through friendships
and camaraderie even after the project is over so that
other spinoff projects can continue.
4 Network
Allow creative ideas on future collaborations to come about
by bringing people with creative and out of the box ideas
from different continents and countries that would not
otherwise have the opportunity to meet.
Through organizing familiarizing visits and residencies, which
can be used to study each others organization and activities.
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VANSA
that would venture into more sociocultural and politi-
cally engaging dialogues. A three-year collaborative art
project, SAP was developed collectively to engage with
and address the highly complex and variegated history
and emotions surrounding the idea of Sethusamudram:
a mythical bridge crossing the Indian Ocean between the
two countries of India and Sri Lanka. Sethusamudram as
a concept, and given the particular history, metaphorically
embraced the connections, similarities and dissimilarities,
splits, and the shared anxieties, emotions and histories
between the two nations.
Thisath Buddhika Thoradeniya,
Coordinator
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the organization, and is managed by a Director.
gender.
The team is made up of nine individuals, one of which being
the director. Six of the nine work within the Johannesburg
ofce, and the other three in various regions of the coun-
try. There are two men and seven women in total. We also
have various ad hoc staff members as per project.
flexible etc.?
The six Johannesburg based staff members are full time
or on 80% of the schedules. These are semi-structured
working hours with out of ofce hours negotiated. The
other three staff members work two days per week, all of
the staff are paid.
Fundraising through proposals to local and international
funders. Predominantly the funders are non-governmental
with some funding from the public sector too.
2 Practice
as a whole?
VANSA was established as a collective body to represent the
needs of artists. VANSA works on the basis of support to
artists, arts organizations, the community and the indus-
try as a whole. Part of this is in recognizing the role artists
have to play in broader society, and encouraging con-
nections to environment and the community around us.
Development of artists, and art-in-communities that have
otherwise been structurally marginalized is a core principle
of the work we do.
environment, etc.?
1 General
VANSA operates as a support point and development agency
for contemporary art practice in South Africa. We develop
industry knowledge, resources, networks and projects that
are concerned with realizing new social, cultural and eco-
nomic possibilities for contemporary art practices in the
South African and wider African context. Together with
Picha an arts organization based in Lubumbashi DRC
VANSA has developed the PAN!C network, which functions
as a Pan-African linkage of independent art spaces.
PAN!C at VANSA will serve as a discussion, residency and ex-
hibition space over the coming year. VANSA is registered as
a Public Benet Organization and a Non-Governmental Or-
ganization. We have an informational network of over 7000
individuals and organizations who both receive and contrib-
ute to the informational service that VANSA provides, relat-
ing to professional and career development opportunities
of various kinds see: http://vansa.co.za/opportunities
within South Africa and internationally, comprised of artists,
curators, writers, independent platforms and collectives,
arts development organizations, tertiary institutions, public
art museums and commercial galleries.
The organization is based in Johannesburg with satellite staff
in Durban, Polokwane and Cape Town. The Johannesburg
ofces are based in New Doornfontein, very near to the
city center. Our ofces hold a resource center of books
and other online resources. We have an open space for
public events and often host discussions, screening and
sometimes exhibitions. This also functions as our open
ofce space, an area in which artists can apply to use
the space and limited resources such as the Internet for a
three-month period.
VANSA is a voluntary association made up of members. The
structure of the organization is determined by our con-
stitution, which governs leadership by National Executive
Committee. The National Executive Committee overseas
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map.co.za; PAN!C program (this will develop as a resource
platform too on research, project information etc.)
Research we produce research in arts knowledge such
as copyright, arts handbooks etc. which is published/dis-
seminated in print and online
Artright a website that provides resources for profes-
sional practice such as contract templates etc. www.
artright.co.za
Public art practice
Participatory art processes
Dialogue and discussion
Networks and connectivity
Publishing (predominantly of projects also of research)
We also do policy development, research, organizational
support, lobbying
SouthSouth engagements
History/memory/archive
Post modern/post colonial discourses
Urbanism and city making
3 Assembly
suggestion.
Chilling time / Waiting time
Working groups (not so non-traditional)
Inequality
Enabling Transformation (largely based on class, and the
legacies of apartheid) of public space, public voice and
access to the arts
Racism / Classism
Work (or belonging and social connection more broadly)
Public art projects:
2010 Reasons to Live in a Small Town was a project that
looked at participation, bottom up arts commissioning
and development of and engagement with various publics.
Revolution Room, currently undertaken with our partners
Picha, has similar objectives to engage cultural practice in
marginalized communities.
Support to small organizations and young artists:
We provide materials and fundraise towards internship pro-
grams that support small arts organizations and enable
knowledge sharing between VANSA, artists and other
organizations largely around research we do into issues
such as copyright, contracting, code of practice etc.
PAN!C: part of the PAN!C program is about developing/
growing a discourse around post-colonial perspectives of
art practice and localized practices of engagement and
social connectivity to our environment which are quite
particular to this part of the world.
Sustainability
Democratic processes, with increasing attempts to sup-
press freedom of speech and proper governance (which
affects the arts deeply)
Increasing divide between the wealthy and the poor, con-
tinuously shortchanged cultural producers
Mapping (and enabling networks) for example; www.art-
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develop a group of friends that one can possibly talk to
beyond the Assembly, critical friends and peer-advisors.
This might function in terms of actual creative projects,
but also organizational, quite mundane things (see above).
I would also like to identify collaborations that have similar
intentions broader ideas of intent and organizational
approach to achieve these intentions. These may be more
socio-political, with the space to then nd creative mani-
festations of these (see above).
4 Network
See rst bullet above.
We developed quite a lot of professional use research,
around copyright, internships, professional codes of eth-
ics, contracting etc. This can be shared, but research
methods and strategies for organizations to develop re-
search specic to their contexts can also be shared. www.
artright.co.za
We have an ofce, extra desks, Internet and tea for anyone
spending some time in Johannesburg see art map: www.
artmap.co.za
to you and why?
PAN!C came out of our Arts Collaboratory collaboration with
Picha. Its a network specic to developing knowledge
sharing and a resource platform for accessing indepen-
dent platforms across the African content.
Ping-Pong paddles and ball.
No Wi-Fi (this is important: the less Wi-Fi, the more en-
gaged)
Cross-Africa collaborations
Publishing (though this is tricky because we mostly publish
research material not creative material)
Alternative funding models
Artists as workers
Social networks for better arts organizations (Im not so
attached to this one though)
Administrative / Organizational / Developmental Collabo-
ration
PAN!C (Pan-African network, particularly developing ma-
terials and resources towards both administrative/orga-
nizational issues as well as more conceptual, intellectual
issues)
Publishing (though this is tricky because we mostly publish
research material not creative material)
Im not 100% sure on this, but Patrick and I have been dis-
cussing how difcult organizational exchange is and the
possibilities for exchange to enable organizational devel-
opment at a very administrative level and at a conceptual
strategic level. I dont have answers for this but I would be
interested in testing out approaches (with Picha and oth-
ers perhaps)
I am hoping that there will be a lot of opportunity to share
experiences, successes and mistakes. Im excited to nd
out how the other organizations have found solutions
to their challenges. I would hope it would be possible to
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ASSO
CIATE
PARTIC
IPANTS
ASSO
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PARTIC
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The VANSA team meets around a Ping-Pong table for
meetings, for lunch, with strangers and with friends. The
table is the center of VANSAs work, the place where all
the brainstorming happens, where new projects are born,
where new partners are welcomed. I might have also
brought the table, but it wouldnt t on the plane.
The paddles and ball are a reection of this important space
from which VANSAs ethos is grown, expressed and chal-
lenged. But the paddles also represent play, and the con-
nective engagement of people, which is very much a part
of what VANSA is. VANSA is rst and foremost an organi-
zation that connects people, sometimes to spend mo-
ments of friendliness together, and at other times in more
challenging contestations of ideas and positions.
Molemo Linda Moiloa,
Director
32 EAST
ASSOCIATE PARTICIPANTS
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The advisory board is voluntary.
All core staff members are paid.
One Co-Director, one Project Manager, and one Project
Assistant are part-time. The remaining staff is full-time.
32 East sometimes receives a paid intern from a local
university. We sometimes also employ freelance individuals
for marketing purposes such as yer runs etc.
Visiting guests, speakers, curators, and artists are all paid
as freelancers.
Core Funding by Arts Collaboratory and The African Arts
Trust.
Project Funding from international donors: The British
Council, The Triangle Network, Patrons, and local corpo-
rates: Umeme, Orange Uganda Telecom, Sadolin.
Fundraising ventures.
Revenue through commissions and the sale of artworks.
2 Practice
as a whole?
Due to the increasing limitations for freedom of speech in
Uganda, 32 East believes it crucial to provide a long term,
sustainable and open platform for artistic expression.
We are continually assessing the political and social environment
in which we work, and will always strive to provide a space that
houses a lack of bias or discrimination against any persons
beliefs or lifestyles within the boundaries of the law.
In Kampala, there are spaces that predominantly cater for a
tourist driven art market. Due to the large amount of NGOs
in Kampala, there are many expatriates that are interested
in buying artwork from artists and gallery spaces works
that perhaps provide a memory or image of the Uganda they
have experienced during their time in the country.
32 East was formed in order to provide a space that en-
courages ideas and a way of working that might not
necessarily have its primary objective of selling. The ob-
1 General
32 East is a center for the creation and exploration of
Ugandan visual art. Through collaborations with local,
regional, and international partners, 32 East aims to pro-
vide the Ugandan art scene with the resources, training,
and networks needed to raise the prole and awareness of
Ugandan visual art.
Our facilities consist of studio spaces, a communal working
area, a resource center and an art library. We have one
onsite bedroom we offer to exchange artists.
32 East is a not-for-proft company, limited by guarantee.
We have chosen not to be a registered NGO in Uganda in
order to be able to generate revenue through the sale of
artworks and other income generating activities such as
an art materials shop, a cafe/bar, and at a later point in
the organizations planning abilities.
32 Easts core staff consists of an Advisory Board, two Co-
Directors, two Project Managers, a Media Manager, and a
Resource Centre Assistant. We are in the process of form-
ing a legal governing board too.
We have recently taken on the running of KLA ART, a con-
temporary biennial art festival. In order to achieve this we
have taken on one further Project Manager (full-time) and
one Project Assistant (part-time).
We share our workspace with the local arts NGO, In Movement,
and employ a receptionist, facilities manager, grounds
keeper, security guard, chef, and a domestic worker we
then split the salaries between the two organizations.
32 East core staff: four female, two male.
KLA ART: two female.
Shared staff with In Movement: three female, three male.
flexible etc.?
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Government interest and investment in contemporary
visual art.
Ugandan art historical knowledge due to an educational
bias on the Western European tradition and its associated
appreciation of Art History.
Project Case Study:
KLA ART, Kampala Contemporary Art Festival. A bien-
nial project encouraging direct interaction between artist,
artwork and audience.
For a brief video overview from 2012, please see: https://
vimeo.com/85922590
Professional Development Program:
Weekly drop in support sessions for artists to improve
writing skills for proposals.
Biannual Professional Development Intensives teaching key
artist survival skills (CV and budget writing, artist state-
ments, etc.).
Free access to Internet with two public laptops in our Re-
source Centre.
On hand assistance from the Resource Centre Assistant.
Studio Artists:
Encouragement of new techniques, ideas and ways of
working through studio critique and mentorship of artists
by 32 East Co-Directors, Project Managers, and through
interaction with other artists in residence at 32 East.
Self-marketing techniques from 32 East Media Manager
(How to Construct a Free Website, the creation of an artist
video prole for the artists own use and promotion).
Exposure of the artists work and ideas through connecting
with 32 Easts local, regional and international partners.
Critical Theory:
Intensive Workshops focusing on the introduction and ex-
ploration of new techniques, ideas and/or concepts.
jectives might instead be more geared towards starting a
conversation between the artist(s), public and authority, on
the social issues stated below, or to create works in public
spaces that contribute to a more enjoyable way of living
for a diverse public.
Other key aspects are to provide professional resources,
skills and techniques that aim to enable artists to survive
in difcult economic situations.
ment, etc?
General Social Issues:
Lack of access/quality to/of primary and secondary edu-
cation.
Wide gap between low and high-income families.
Government corruption leading to overpriced basic ameni-
ties (fuel, coal, food) and poor social mobility. Jobs often
created through nepotism.
Lack of female empowerment due to an increasing patri-
archal society.
Rising crime levels and mob justice.
The abolishment of human rights for homosexuals.
Rising infation and decreasing strength of local currency
(Ugandan shilling).
Government controlled media outlets (the temporary closing
of the Daily Monitor and Red Pepper newspapers in 2012).
Artist Specic/Artists have limited:
Exposure and access to professional networks, research
and contacts due to poor Internet access (low quality, high
prices) and knowledge of online research techniques.
Access to good quality artist materials and production
facilities.
Professional development tools and therefore the con-
dence to independently apply for festivals, exhibitions,
biennials, etc.
Freedom of speech and clarity in what can and cannot be
portrayed in a public setting.
Public interest and investment in contemporary visual art.
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Artachat:
Artachat is a discussion and learning platform that utilizes
simple online technologies to bring new voices into Kampala.
In 2013, Artachat focused on the topic and theme, Chal-
lenges and Successes of Art in Public Space in Kampala.
Through which Artachat held bimonthly discussions with
approximately 30 Ugandan cultural practitioners and with
the use of Skype, invited a regional or international voice to
be Skyped into 32 East. The presentations were experi-
mental in nature; some discussions resulted in performanc-
es, others in studio critiques. As a way of leading theory
into practice, the speaker that most resonated with the
Artachat audience will be invited to Kampala later in 2014 to
execute a collaborative public art project in the city center.
Studio Artists:
A specic decision on founding the studio spaces was to
loosely curate the space by choosing artists that might
interact or challenge each others ways of working. The stu-
dios are placed inside a courtyard with a communal work-
space in the middle, in order to (again loosely) encourage
dialogue and interaction amongst the artists in residence.
International Exchange Method:
For our international exchange program, we have decided
to invite artists to Kampala to work in conversation with
another Ugandan artist. The exchange artist does not
necessarily have to collaborate with the artist but to work
in dialogue or even within tension with the Ugandan artists
practice.
Example: Dutch/Caribbean artist David Bade spent one
month in Kampala, developing a conversation with Ugan-
dan multimedia artist, Xenson, who was embarking on a
three month residency at 32 East. An experimental flm
was created of Bade creating social portraits and Xenson
making aural proles of the Muyaaye or local traders in
32 Easts surrounding area.
Tackling Texts reading and discussion group. Exploring
Ugandan writers, works, alongside a Ugandan art history,
complimented by texts from a global perspective. Tackling
Texts also directly interacts with the writer when possible.
Management Training:
Since 32 Easts inception, a heavy emphasis has also
been placed on the growth of arts managers, organizers
and curators. For example, we have worked intensively with
the Project Manager, Violet Nantume, who will in Septem-
ber be attending a two year masters program at CCS
Bard, New York, in order to advance her growing curatorial
and project management skills. We believe Violet will then
return to become a key voice in Kampalas art scene.
International Exchange:
Example: London based artist Rebecca Davies spent one
month working with Ugandan artist, Julius Katende to devel-
op a public artwork in the town of Masaka, Uganda. Through
the challenges of working in public space, they faced the
possible destruction of their artwork by the local authori-
ties, but managed to convince the Masaka public, to lobby
to have a participatory event take place in the artworks lo-
cation instead. They achieved this goal and are now working
with the local mayor to create a permanent piece of work,
developed in collaboration with the public in Masaka.
How to work within the legal boundaries of Uganda and still
promote freedom of expression?
How to garner the support and interaction of local audi-
ences and authorities in contemporary Ugandan art?
How to create new conversations of integration and inter-
action in a postcolonial context?
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Does what's right ever have to be wrong?
How to promote freedom of expression in a context where
certain expressions are banned?
Potentially looking for voices for the KLA ART 014 sympo-
sium in October 2014.
Exchanges: connecting AC partner artists with Ugandan
artists to work on intensive exchanges.
Dialogue as being the key output (not necessarily collabo-
ration).
Management Training, Knowledge and Skills Sharing.
Potentially the above but we will see.
Critique of our work so far.
Advise for future working techniques.
Critical discussion on our current key areas of concern.
4. Network
Provide critical, organizational and creative support and
advise for organizations with similar objectives and set ups.
Expand the thinking of our organizations with new and dif-
fering philosophies.
Provide core fnances to organizations with limited fnan-
cial options.
Provide project fnances to programs of particular critical,
social or logistical impact.
Interventions in public space. Creating more interaction
between artists and audiences Working with authorities (or
not) to make this happen.
Critical thinking and refection, the crossover of theory
and practice.
Explorations of the local in relation to the global.
The infuence of the Margaret Trowel School of Art (found-
ed in 1937) on todays artistic style.
The concept (or illusion) of Ugandan modernism.
Idi Amins 19711979 exiling of artists and the ongoing
rupture this has caused to the cultural scene.
The online platform, START Journal, a journal for discussions
on Ugandan contemporary culture: http://startjournal.org
Particular articles:
http://startjournal.org/2014/01/beyond-tradition-moder-
nity-contemporary-art-in-uganda/
http://startjournal.org/2013/03/censorship-and-the-
arts-in-uganda/
3 Assembly
A mixture of group discussions (with all partners).
Focus groups with partners of other geographical areas,
and partners of similar conceptual and philosophical un-
derpinnings.
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Rocca Holly Gutteridge,
Co-Director
Benets
Engage in our International Exchange Programme.
Join online discussions and research sessions via Skype.
Access our online art library database.
Participate in KLA ART 014.
Skills sharing on how we have learned to operate the
successes and challenges.
Facilities
Exchange artists: accommodation, studio space, and
resource centre.
Research: Access to local partners such as Makerere Uni-
versity.
Skills Sharing: Methods for professional development.
to you and why?
The rst network we joined was The Triangle Network who
provides ongoing critical support and small funding grants
for exchanges between the Triangle Network partners.
Were interested in engaging more with the PAN!C Network
set up by VANSA too.
Please give details about the object/artwork you will bring to Indo-
nesia that answers the question, What makes your organization
significant? Please include: Materials, Title, Artist [if it applies],
Year, Size, and Duration. Please also list any equipment you might
need.
Were still debating. But most likely bark cloth from Uganda.
Will get it to you a.s.a.p!
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CENTRE
SOLEIL
DAFRIQUE
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Sales of works
Resources from our services
(handicrafts, clothing, and media)
Contributions
Donations
Grants
2. Practice
as a whole?
The vision of the Centre Soleil dAfrique is to better organize
the visual arts sector and improve the life and work condi-
tions of young artists in Mali. It is also to use Visual Arts
as a vector of social cohesion and economic development,
recognized, understood everywhere in Mali not only as a
simple means of entertainment but of communication.
To do this, Soleil dAfrique offers young artists opportuni-
ties to strengthen their knowledge, skills and creativity to
deliberate on all social and traditional constraints so as
to ensure their own artistic development nationally and
internationally.
It is also create spaces of interaction between local artists
and the public for a better understanding of contemporary
visual arts in Mali.
ment, etc.?
Since March 2012, Mali has experienced a serious crisis in its
history, with the occupation of two thirds of the territory
by terrorists and drug dealers. Following that, a military
coup intervened to overthrow the regime in power, caus-
ing deadly clashes between military, dividing the politi-
cal class, and undermining social cohesion. With a major
international mobilization in 2013, the situation has nor-
malized, with the establishment of political institutions,
after the democratically elected election of the president
and members of parliament. Today, the major challenge
our country is facing, is the reconciliation and reconstruc-
tion. It is to give an impulse to the economic development,
1 General
The mission of the Centre Soleil dAfrique is to organize and
promote visual arts in order to create a new generation
of young contemporary artists, to sensitize and involve
the Malian audience in accepting and understanding the
importance of art and culture. The premises are located
in an economic area of Bamako and they offer artists an
exhibition hall, a workspace, three multi functional rooms,
graphic rooms, a terrace and a courtyard.
Our organizational structure was governed by an Associative
status, but since January 2014 it became a Non Govern-
mental Organization (NGO), which has more credibility with
governmental authorities. It is currently led by a board of
directors: a General Manager, an Administrator, an Ac-
countant, Organizer/Material Management, Facilitator,
Ofce Assistant, a Courier and a Caretaker.
gender.
Five people are working within Soleil dAfrique, three men and
two women.
flexible etc.?
Soleil dAfrique employs ve paid workers; two are permanent
with a monthly salary and the others by remuneration. There
is also a contractual chartered accountant, a consultant
and a lawyer, the latter are usually paid quarterly or paid for
services. In addition to permanent staff, there is also con-
tractual staff: an accountant and a lawyer. These people
work part-time at the Centre, they are paid quarterly or per
semester according to opportunities. We also use volunteers
and contractors; they are often member of KYA Network and
are temporarily used to support the current activities.
The main sources of funding are:
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ods of sharing knowledge: debates, exchange workshops
on selected topics, conferences and debates outdoor and
in public spaces, sharing information on Blogs, Facebook,
databases, and publications, etc. We have now initiated
Djeka Miri [thinking together] which is a project to share
knowledge within the cultural sector: actors, artists, histo-
rians, and other public arts, as most of these activities will
take place in public places.
Our focus area covers all disciplines of visual arts and mul-
timedia. This includes painting, photography, sculpture,
drawing, video art, design, etc. The artistic approach
of Soleil dAfrique is to contribute to the emergence of
contemporary visual arts in Mali. Through our activities, we
want to help young artists to free themselves from social
and educational constraints, to create freely without losing
any of their originality. Our action will create opportunities
for these artists so that they understand the evolution of
contemporary art worldwide.
Our historical concerns relate to contemporary social life
and contemporary art. We had in the past been in colo-
nial themes that are no longer on the agenda. We want
to guide artists to be closer to society, to analyze and
interpret social life.
The most popular daily newspaper of
Mali is LESSOR. In its publication of
the April 7, 2014 one can nd infor-
mation about our latest activities.
Bulletin of the Independent Observa-
tory of culture is also a window with
which we publish our activities.
bring back displaced people to their former settlement,
and to stimulate cultural development.
The Malian public is deeply rooted in traditions where art is
summarized as folklore and crafts, while contemporary
visual art is mainly reserved for tourists and a few intellec-
tuals. For visual arts, Soleil dAfrique can and should play
an important role in the development of society in Mali in
this modern world where no one can live in isolation.
Soleil dAfrique can create the framework for interaction, raise
awareness and educate the public so that they can better
understand contemporary visual arts role and importance
in society. Making it clear to the majority of the public that
contemporary visual arts not only have aesthetic, decora-
tive or an economic vocation, but rather a language; a re-
ection of society that can sometimes disturb or challenge.
That is why we believe that in the current situation of Mali,
it can play a leading role in the establishment of a lasting
peace based on the traditional values of the country.
As an art organization, I think the biggest challenges are:
The reconstruction of a competent team around a vision.
Have the capabilities required to identify the real needs
of the beneciaries of the actions that your organization
offers in order to make relevant and innovative projects.
Create resources and sustainability strategies for the
organization.
Create a framework for sharing synergy with other skills or
similar structures.
The most difcult questions remain the ways of sustainability
and the impacts of activities on the beneciaries, while
keeping the thread to promote and enhance art.
Soleil dAfrique has already experimented with several meth-
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level of contemporary arts in Mali and gain more enthu-
siasm from the local public. Besides our eternal partner,
Kore Centre Segou, we also expect the involvement of
four other partner organizations from Uganda, Cameroon,
Nigeria and Senegal.
To organize panel discussions to enable the participants to
explain their project, why, how, innovation compared to the
local context, social or artistic perspective and impact.
Also to give free rein to the partners so they can give their
impressions, opinions, suggestions and proposals for pos-
sible improvements of the project.
My goal for this Assembly is to establish concrete collabora-
tions with partners. We want to share with others and have
a showcase for the arts of our country, which would then
allow us to disseminate information on our activities.
4. Network
As a platform for transnational exchange and cooperation
between arts organizations, Arts Collaboratory can create
opportunities for communities to meet, enabling the shar-
ing of knowledge across countries with different languag-
es. AC must strengthen the promotion of collaboration,
and to facilitate collaborations between artists; maintain
grants; launch discussions at an international level re-
garding the sharing of information.
Arts Collaboratory platform may bring together local artists
and other groups to foster a cooperating community while
endeavoring to connect it to an international context. AC
must facilitate initiatives and partnership that develop new
3 Assembly
We can make mention of our experiences we have had in our
collaboration with the KYA network. An exchange based
on the concept of Maya or humanism. This works between
artists from different elds. We allowed everyone to con-
tribute, discuss and analyze the project and the approach
of others. We found that input and criticism from our other
partners can bring many improvements to projects.
Given the security situation in my country, we have focused
on the contribution of the arts to peace and social cohe-
sion. As we are making concrete answers to this issue, we
believe it is important that the working groups take into
account the topic: arts and social cohesion.
The project called Djeka MIRI, meaning in Bambara lan-
guage, Thinking Together, is a process that is revolution-
izing the contemporary creativity in Mali. It is intended
to have a closer, critical and visionary look at the politi-
cal and social aspects, and also to make the local public
aware that art is a medium, and a reection on society.
The project is a series of activities and debates on the
concept of contemporary African art, its social role during
conict and political crisis.
The project aims to provide Malian artists an exchange
framework a circle to analyze what they have experi-
enced in order to propose solutions for peace and abso-
lute tranquility to the public. It will also help to raise the
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Hama Goro,
Director
approaches, thoughts enabling to set up a broad array of
art projects matching with respective local contexts. The
platform must also facilitate the mobility between artists
and structures. Our activities may be disseminated through
the website of the platform which is widely consulted.
to you and why?
We are also a member of KYA network that is a network of
Malian cultural actors working for the sharing of expertise
and synergy between cultural actors in our country and
also between international artists and us. It is a platform
for information and reection.
The artwork we will present to the Assembly is a teapot, in
which we can make tea. These teapots are commonly
made by local artists and fabricated in iron or bronze
depending on the area. This particular teapot is a repro-
duction of those made in the 15th century with modica-
tions that introduces elements of todays society. The
size of the pot depends on the number of people who will
gather around it. This teapot is designed for 20 people. All
it needs is an electrical outlet to function. Its service life
depends on the availability of users.
The teapot is an object that socializes human beings and it
symbolizes the social aspect of tea. People gather around
it; they prepare the tea, they share it; they discuss life
both current and past, while informing and educating one
another. Gathering around a teapot is called a group or
grin that is to say, the group that gathers people.
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DARB 1718
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flexible etc.?
Current Organizational Setup:
Founder (pro-bono)
Executive Director (full-time)
PR & Communications Manager (full-time)
Operations & Productions Manager (full-time)
Events Manager (full-time)
Workshops Manager (part-time)
Projects Coordinator
Graphic Designer (part-time)
Accountant (full-time)
Marketing Manager (full-time)
Technician (full-time)
Carpenter/Runner (full-time)
Guard/Runner (full-time)
Shop Keeper (full-time)
Gardener (part-time)
Janitor (part-time)
Events volunteers x 2 (voluntary)
International donors (project funding)
Space usage fees
Sponsorships
Event management fees
Concert / Festival tickets
Workshop fees
Curio shop sales
Donations
2 Practice
as a whole?
Darb 1718s long-term vision is to promote social change, to
sensitize people and to expand their horizons through the in-
spiration and education of artists and the broader community.
1 General
Darb 1718 occupies an important position in the Egyptian
Cultural Scene as a free and independent cultural cen-
ter. Our objective at Darb 1718 is to be a trampoline to
advance the burgeoning contemporary art movement in
Egypt. We do this while endeavoring to engage with various
social and cultural groups in the Egyptian community.
Darb 1718 is also a venue with indoor and outdoor spaces
that are used by many youth groups and NGOs to hold
their meetings, functions and events. The center supports
causes by assisting with organizing these events and pro-
viding the spaces and equipment.
Darb 1718 also engages in community outreach activities
such as workshops, open-mic sessions, events and em-
ployment opportunities for the Fustat community living
alongside Darb 1718.
Darb 1718 has a number of indoor and outdoor venues that
can accommodate over 2000 people. A Main Exhibi-
tion space consists of two oors of 420 square meters. A
Garden of Cinema el Fourn is 400 square meters. An open
square with a garden between the main building and the
ofce of 1,200 square meters. An Annex (opened in March
2012) of 140 square meters serving as supplementary
exhibition space and workshop. It includes a terrace of 70
square meters in addition to an ofce and storage facilities.
Darb 1718 follows a team-based organizational structure.
A set of individuals synergize individual competencies to
consistently achieve newer dimensions. The individuals
in the management section of the organization all know
how to manage each department of Darb 1718, however,
each person is assigned a specic management role. The
purpose of knowing the intricacies of each department is
so that people can ll in for each other if needed.
We employ 17 people, ten men and seven women.
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tourism site Coptic Cairo with its ancient churches,
synagogue and mosque.
We aim to offer training opportunities in the arts for the
Fustat residents to generate income and improve their
livelihoods. We also aim to integrate the culture center in
the tourism route of Old Cairo in collaboration with travel
agencies and tourism authorities.
ment, etc.?
Political tension
Lack of public services
Sexual harassment
Environmental problems (air pollution from burning trash
and burning pottery, garbage)
Lack of education (illiteracy)
Poverty
Modalities:
Through community public awareness campaigns (open-
mic, community engagement workshops)
Exhibitions (eg. Maspero, Elections, Harassment, Women
for Democratic (Re)volution etc.)
Workshops (eg. recycled fashion, ReArt, documentary-
lmmaking, screen writing, journalistic photography)
Film screenings (Independent flms made by emerging
Egyptian lmmakers. Some of the politically themed lms
since the 2011 Egyptian Revolution include Half Revolu-
tion, In Search of Oil & Sand, Rags & Tatters, Istislam)
Community education workshops (Abgadhawaz, Trea-
sured Trash)
Exemplary project
The project Treasured Trash tackled several issues that
affect the residents of Fustat neighborhood in Old Cairo.
To present a brief background of the situation, this area
of Fustat (Kom Ghorab in particular) is a squatter settle-
Mission
We aim to achieve this vision by advancing the contemporary
art movement in Egypt, offering services that support, culti-
vate and sustain the burgeoning art scene in our country.
More specically, we support contemporary arts in Egypt by:
Providing a full-fedged arts and culture facility to artists
and the public in Egypt
Providing suitable spaces and resources for arts education
workshops, exhibitions, concerts, festivals, independent
lm-screenings and arts activities for children, youth, the
disabled and the elderly
Discovering young talented individuals who use various
elds of artistic expression and linking them to the local
and international art scene
Providing guidance, training and services to promote cre-
ativity and free artistic expression in Egypt and abroad
Promoting underground music and innovative art forms
Providing local artists with opportunities for international
exposure and cross-cultural exchanges
Inviting foreign artists to experience and learn from Egyp-
tian culture and to share their knowledge
Public outreach by moving the arts to unusual public spac-
es in the form of community events and street festivals
throughout the country
Community engagement through the arts
Awareness campaigns and advocacy
Continuous collaborations with other arts, education and
tourism organizations locally and internationally
We believe that artists are beacons for change and direc-
tion in society, in addition to being a guiding light.
We can challenge mainstream thinking and promote peace
and understanding through the international language of art.
Community Development
Darb 1718 also aims to have a long-term impact on the entire
geographic area of Fustat surrounding the cultural center.
Darb 1718 is located in a neighborhood rife with poverty
and unemployment but it is also adjacent to a historic
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Risk of nancial loss at concerts and festivals for example
since marketing events is challenging. Marketing requires
nancial spending and this is not always an option for us
because most of the concerts/festivals we organize at
Darb 1718 are not sponsored by commercial sponsors and
are dependent on ticket sales.
Social media is a convenient method to share knowledge. We
share open calls for funding proposals, calls for artists to
take part in exhibitions, open calls for job opportunities,
workshop participation etc. As part of another internation-
al project we are currently working on named Out to Sea:
the plastic garbage project,
Darb 1718 is commissioning a lmmaker to create a documen-
tary lm about the issue of plastic garbage in the Red Sea,
Mediterranean and Nile. This lm will be disseminated free of
charge to schools, universities, environmental organizations,
government authorities, NGOs and on the Internet. In addi-
tion, an up and coming music band has been commissioned
to create a song about this topic. This song will be performed
at numerous festivals around Egypt and will be disseminated
widely on public radio, YouTube, and live concerts.
Darb 1718 focuses on contemporary Art. The art mediums
Darb 1718 works with include photography, sculpture,
painting, printing, installation, video art, graphics, comics,
sound installations, music performances, dance perfor-
mance, theater performances, and more.
Darb 1718 generally encourages a participatory approach in
engaging the Egyptian artist community in its activities.
For most exhibitions, for instance, an open call is made
online through FB and its website to encourage and offer
opportunities for emerging artists.
Darb 1718 also organizes art in public spaces. These include
exhibitions in public spaces, street art, concerts and festi-
vals as well as open-mic events.
ment rife with crime, poverty, drugs, illiteracy, and lack of
public services. Although this settlement is adjacent to
one of Cairos famous tourism sites the churches and
synagogue of Coptic Cairo and Amr Ibn el Aas Mosuqe in
Fustat, Old Cairo the area is surrounded by open infor-
mal garbage dumps and is constantly covered in smoke
rising from the burning of solid waste which suffocates the
community, causes health problems and deters tourists
from visiting the ancient sites of Coptic Cairo.
Darb 1718 lies in the midst of Fustat and part of the centers
objectives is to be an inspiration to its surrounding com-
munities, offering training and educational assistance
through arts workshops and having a positive impact on
the whole area surrounding the cultural center. The aim of
Treasured Trash is to bring the community together to
discuss, work together and solve some of the problems
that afict the Fustat area. By approaching these prob-
lems in a fun way with exciting activities for the Fustat
community, it is anticipated that a change of attitude,
awareness and positive results will be achieved.
Currently the most challenging issues facing Darb 1718 in-
clude the unstable political environment in which we oper-
ate, as it makes forward planning and scheduling very dif-
cult. Planned projects, events and festivals can suddenly
be cancelled for reasons of political unrest in the areas in
which we operate. Cooperation with foreign institutions is
also challenging, as at times foreigners are reluctant to
travel to Egypt.
Community projects also pose some challenges as arts and
culture are not on the priority list of the poor living in the
Fustat area. Convincing the community to engage in arts
and culture activities is challenging as they have more
urgent priorities to spend their time on.
Sustainability in funding the organization also poses chal-
lenges as the bulk of funding is project based and lasts an
average of one to two years only.
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In general, having group sessions and informal discussion
time is always fruitful to nd synergies between people.
Working with economically impoverished communities: op-
portunities, best practices and lessons learned
Culture and the environment
Culture and social media
Fundraising for cultural organizations
Art in public spaces
Dealing with authorities: procedures, permits and the role
of the government
The role of the private sector in promoting arts and culture
Treasured Trash workshops showcase the works of local
as well as international recycling projects (eg. Zabbaleen
of Cairo, Debruille in Paris, Museo Solar in Frankfurt and
Raderum in Copenhagen).
Produced artworks include: handcrafts for sale (eg. jewelry,
toys, souvenirs, baskets), large recycled art projects pro-
duced for display in public spaces in cooperation with
Museo Aero Solar and playgrounds made from recycled
materials for public use in cooperation with Raderum and
3andena 3agala. Associane Indisciplinarte in association with
Esterni will give a workshop on revitalizing public spaces using
recycled materials. In addition, Indisciplinarte in cooperation
with the Italian ADD, will create a public artwork play-sculp-
ture from found materials by reshaping and recycling them.
ADD would like to investigate childrens cultural heritage
around Egyptian fairy tales and kids illustrations to rethink
cultural differences into similarities. The new Treasured
Trash play-sculpture will become the platform for incoming
activities proposed by the community. The play-sculpture will
be located in public space to strongly evoke the tales and
graphic novels children have chosen. The play sculpture will
become a total accessible place also for disabled children.
In Egypt, the main historical concerns are politically driven
with references dating back to Egypts past revolutions
including 1919, 1956, 2011, and 2013.
Taxi by Khaled Al Khamissi (2006)
Whatever Happened to the Egyptians: changes in Egyp-
tian society from 1950 to the present by Galal Amin
(2000)
3 Assembly
suggestion.
For a start, a good way to get to know new people at such
assemblies is to play some icebreaker games for people
to open up and get to know each others names and orga-
nizations for instance.
Another method is to encourage each person to sit next to
someone they dont know when entering a bus or having a
meal. This always helps people to get to know each other
and have informal conversations, which may then turn into
fruitful collaborations.
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outdoor spaces that can be used for a variety of activi-
ties such as exhibition spaces, workshop rooms, ofces,
rooftops, gardens, an outdoor cinema and a shop. These
could be used for collaborative projects with other Arts
Collaboratory organizations on the network.
est to you and why?
Darb 1718 is part of the Anna Lindh Foundation network, the
Danish Egyptian Dialogue Institute and Sculpture Network.
The Anna Lindh Foundation runs the largest Network of
civil society organizations involved in the promotion of in-
tercultural dialogue across the Euro-Mediterranean region.
The Danish Egyptian Dialogue Institute (DEDI) is an inter-
governmental body with a strong dialogue mandate under
the Danish Arab Partnership Program (DAPP). Established
in 2004, DEDIs core mandate as a center of excellence is
to promote political and cultural understanding between
Denmark and Egypt and Europe and the Arab World.
Sculpture Network is Europes platform for contemporary,
three-dimensional art. Their annual, comprehensive, two-day
program is organized in cooperation with a prominent art
institution. Renowned experts and artists address a specic
theme in contemporary three-dimensional art. Prominent
sculpture sites and collections are visited. These forums are
a fantastic opportunity for networking, meeting colleagues,
initiating project ideas, and nding cooperation partners,
promoting oneself, appreciating and enjoying sculpture.
The artwork that best represents Darb 1718 is a photograph-
ic series by Moataz Nasr, the founder of the organization.
We will an art piece entitled Cairo Walk (2006) which con-
sists of 72 C-prints,
40 x 40 cm each, 320 x 360 cm overall, 15 3/4 x 15 3/4
in each, 126 x 141 3/4 in overall.
Yes, Treasured Trash. We would like to continue with this
project to make it sustainable and have a real positive
impact on the Fustat community in the long-term.
We would like to collaborate with other similar organizations
in other parts of the world. We would also like to promote
our organization and its activities as well as present the
Treasured Trash project in particular to hear feedback
from the other participants and see whether others have
had similar experiences, suggestions or present opportu-
nities for further collaboration. We would like to nd coop-
eration partners for the continuation of this project.
4. Network
The Arts Collaboratory platform could be benecial in linking
together arts and culture organizations with similar inter-
ests, backgrounds, challenges etc. It could be a platform
where such organizations share their ideas, thoughts,
questions, concerns and they could discuss these
amongst each other. They could also collaborate with each
other and create projects linking different countries, shar-
ing their experiences and beneting from each other.
Darb 1718 would be willing to share its experiences from its
projects and activities since its inception in 2008. Such
experiences would include types of activities implemented,
the way in which these ideas were formulated, methods
used in planning and implementation, budgeting for such
activities, nancial costs and sources of funding, how to
organize activities, how to advertise and market, intrica-
cies of implementation, and how to report.
In terms of facilities, Darb 1718 has a number of indoor and
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KUNCI
Cairo Walk is a series of photographs taken by Moataz Nasr
during his walks around different parts of Cairo. The photo-
graphs represent his perception of what truly constitutes this
magnicent city of 20 million inhabitants. The assemblage of
the photos is a collage of a series of small towns or villages,
bisected here and there by major roads and yovers.
Similarly, Darb 1718 is like a small village dissected with
roads, gardens, sidewalks and gaps. According to what
activities take place; the culture center is transformed
sometimes entirely to accommodate different events.
The location is historical and there are people who both
work in the area as artists, artisans and pottery sculptors
while others are considered visitors to the area coming
to attend specic events. The types of people who visit
Darb 1718 are not only artists and cultural enthusiasts, but
people of all ages and all walks of life just like one would
see in the street or public spaces. The blank spaces are
representative of the future and the unknowable.
Elonore Fallot, Reem Hatem,
Project Leader PR & Communications
Manager
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Since its inception, KUNCI has been run on a project-based
funding system. We do not have a primary source of fund-
ing to cover the costs of our organization and projects.
2 Practice
At the time of its formation in September 1999, KUNCI
came into being through the regular publication of a
newsletter. The group was founded by the activists of
Bulaksumur, one of the main student press of Gadjah
Mada University, Yogyakarta. This media was an impor-
tant tool to shape cultural projects in post-Reformasi
(also known as post-Suharto) Indonesia. Reformasi
marked a sociopolitical change in Indonesia, prompted
by a deep nancial crisis in the region. The hitherto
President Suharto and his New Order eramarked by
rampant corruption, collusion, and staged violencehad
reached its 33th years of power. The student protests
in many Indonesian cities and the escalation of violence
that culminated with the riot in Jakarta in May 1998 had
forced the regime to resign, opening a whole different
political landscape in the country, especially related to
freedom of speech and assembly.
Indonesian Reformasi in 1998 saw the rise of new mass me-
dia. They served as channels for news and knowledge that
were formerly censored, banned, or forbidden. Reformasi
also saw the emergence of alternative spaces founded by
a group of artists or individuals. To trace the origin of the
phrase alternative space is not easy. The phrase is par-
ticularly well known within the environment of art and cul-
tural organizations in Jakarta, Bandung, and Yogyakarta
where such spaces have been playing key roles in differ-
ent cultural practices. Nowadays, different typologies of
citizen initiatives in the cultural eld are also ourishing
in other locations, promoting social change.
KUNCI may be categorized as an alternative space as it
takes on different roles in promoting production and
1 General
(please edit/elaborate more specifically and about your physical
facilities)
KUNCI inhabits a precarious position of belonging to neither
this nor that within existing disciplinary boundaries while
aiming at expanding them. The collectives membership
is open and voluntary and is so far based on afnity to
creative experimentation and speculative inquiry with a
focus on the intersections between theory and practice.
Since founding in 1999 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, KUNCI
has been deeply preoccupied with critical knowledge pro-
duction and sharing through means of media publications,
cross-disciplinary encounters, research-action, artistic
interventions, and vernacular education within and across
community spaces.
We used to have a conventional organizational structure
with each person appointed a particular position and job
description director, program manager, etc. Since March
2014 we have opted for a more open structure. Antariksa
and Nuraini Juliastuti are listed as co-founding members.
Ferdiansyah Thajib, Syaatudina, Brigitta Isabella, Yuli
Andari M, Wok the Rock, and Hayyi Al Qayyumi are listed
as members. The structural change aims to decentralize
the authorities in managing the organization. We hope the
change will provide room for a more experimental ap-
proach to work.
8 (4 male / 4 female).
structures etc.)?
Eight individuals work on voluntary basis. KUNCIs board of
supervisors consists of individuals from important positions
in universities and the advancement of cultural studies.
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Conict: Jogja Istimewa, Jogja Special, is the well-known
slogan of Yogyakarta. The slogan partly derives from the
relational position of Jogja among other provinces in the
country in the historical and cultural context. The ofcial
name of Yogyakarta is Propinsi Daerah Istimewa Yogya-
karta Yogyakarta Special Region Province. The slogan
initially regarded the symbol of Yogyakarta as the city
which values diversity. In practice the slogan turned to
have a different meaning. We will illustrate this through the
story of Nuraini Juliastuti while doing eldwork in Yogya-
karta from November 2012 October 2013. Below is an
excerpt from her interim eld report:
Being foreign in Yogyakarta
When my partner arrived in Yogyakarta in February, we moved
to the house which I had found several months earlier. For
two-three weeks, we established the necessary elements
of settling in - i.e. furniture, white-goods, internet etc.
This was time-consuming and tedious another part of
moving around, doing eldwork. We experienced another
difculty when we met with members of the local area.
This meeting was arranged by the landlord and we were
introduced to the heads of the neighborhood. During this
meeting (in roughly the middle of February) we were told
that we had to move out as soon as possible. That we had
to move out was non-negotiable. Our landlords, however,
argued our case and said that we would move out once we
had nd a new place. The local representatives didnt care
for my pregnancy and didnt engage with asking about
my partners background. We were being expelled simply
for his status as a foreigner: apparently, it is a law or
rule from the Kraton, that foreigners are not permitted
to live in the suburb of the kraton. Foreigners also includes
Indonesians of Chinese background. The owner of the
house was previously unaware of such a rule. The head
of the kampung and his associates threatened us with
violence if we did not leave as soon as possible. This was
sharing of critical knowledge. It publishes printed and
online media that facilitate discursive practices and
intellectual exercises, regionally as well as nationally. In
parallel, the collective provides a space for interdisciplin-
ary exchanges and engagement with the society through
vernacular approaches and artistic experiments. The
group also actively investigates contemporary issues in
society using more speculative and creative methods as
opposed to existing academic traditions.
As a Cultural Studies Center, KUNCI refers to the tradi-
tion of The Center for Contemporary Cultural Studies In
Birmingham, UK. In the early stage, its main preoccupa-
tion was to expose minor studies such as youth, femi-
nist studies, consumerism, Internet culture, gender and
queer issues to public scrutiny. However these activities
also showed the limits of imposing theory to the under-
standing of local issues and commonplaces. Over the
course of time the group has worked towards contex-
tual appropriation shaping an idiosyncratic and locally-
grounded version of Cultural Studies. Furthermore during
KUNCIs early years, in order to open spaces for multiple
subjectivities (a key goal in post-1998 cultural proj-
ects) it initiated a series of media literacy and family
history projects. The groups chameleonic nature allows
many denitions: cultural producers, community activ-
ists, a think-tank. KUNCI enjoys being in a position that
is harder to pin-down in a regime of disciplinary division
as it continues to extensively collaborate with artists,
students, community members, activists and academics
alike; touching on diverse issues such as space and ur-
banity, media and technology convergence, history from
below and memory, diasporic studies, open knowledge,
critical art history and experimental education. Finally
in the past two years the group has been hosting those
who are doing explorative research in the city. The
program called Exchange Room is designed to by-
pass introductory tension so commonly found in eld
research by providing direct access to local relevant
resources, in order to nurture a more hands-on engage-
ment with the many communities being addressed.
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Bon Suwung is a collaborative project exploring waste-
land potentials as a territory that creates a viable
transformation of the relation between people and city-
spaces. The project title inspired by Gunawan Maryantos
ction narrative (2005) is used here to represent the
complexity surrounding wasteland formations in Indone-
sia, particularly in Yogyakarta. In its etymological sense,
the Javanese term Bon Suwung can be literally trans-
lated as Blank Garden which carries specic per-
formative dimensions. The word garden here refers
to facets of ownership and cultivability of an empty
lot while suwung or blank here, is closer to specic
mental experiences rather than a physical quality, not
unlike tabula rasa. Hence, this project foregrounds the
wasteland condition in Yogyakarta as always already
entwined with social practices, urban environments and
wider discourse of cultural space, both in Indonesian and
global contexts.
Studi India (http://studindia.kunci.or.id): An explora-
tion of Indian community history in Jogja through collab-
orative research and artistic experimentation.
Hack History
In this project we are appropriating the idea of hacking to
negotiate the ofcial history education which is already
considered standard, by rereading the collective memo-
ries and history knowledge which circulates among
public and have been constructed by the state through
ofcial curriculum.
The sustainability of Kunci how and with what methods
can we do this?
Constantly fnding intersections between theory and practice,
which will lead us to new ways of approaching the society.
Since founding in 1999 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, KUNCI has
been deeply preoccupied with critical knowledge produc-
somewhat unexpected, and of course, rather unpleasant.
We were rather uncomfortable about having to conform
to the demands based on xenophobia, but did not want
to aggravate the situation given my pregnancy. Moreover,
we didnt want to spend the early months with our child
facing pressure and threats from our neighbours. We then
had to spend more or less the next two to three weeks
looking for a new house. This was not easy and it was time
consuming. This was energy that could have been given
to research, or, at the very least, networking and explor-
ing matters related to my research. We then had to go
through the same tedious tasks of settling in, once we had
found our new place. Given the problems with our previous
house, we were more specic about what we were looking
for and thus, options were limited.
Purist attitudes towards locality and culture at large (i.e.
the attempt to preserve tradition which often leads to
refusal for any criticality, hostile gestures and prejudice
towards foreigners).
The limit of institutions and established structures in pub-
lic engagement.
Media publication, cross-disciplinary encounter, research-
action, artistic intervention, and vernacular education
within and across community spaces.
Exemplary projects:
Space/Scape (http://space.kunci.or.id): this is a
project division of KUNCI Cultural Studies Center which
is maintained as a critical engagement with ways of
thinking around our contemporary conditions of space
as forms of social practices. The conceptual and prac-
tical nature of this exploration weave through various
issues ranging from architecture, geography, urbanism
to the everyday experiences of life, with a strong em-
phasis on collaborative approaches, open circulations,
and knowledge-sharing processes.
Bon Suwung (http://space.kunci.or.id/bon-suwung/):
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Engineers of Happy Land: Technology and Nationalism
in Colony, Rudolf Mrazek, 2002.
3 Assembly
We would like to propose the structure of programs that cop-
ied from that of the focus group discussion sessions that
were held in performative culture symposium in 2009 in
jogja where me (Nuning) and Ade were members of the
steering committee.
The structure is as follows:
In the working group sessions, participants will be divided
up into smaller working groups. Each group will talk about
a particular topic. Participants are free to join a particu-
lar group according to their topic of interests. (So its not
totally different to the structure of the working group ses-
sions proposed by Jason/Binna in their previous emails)
When participants have decided which group to join, he/
she needs to write a statement on his/her perspective
of the topic of the group. In the symposium in 2009, this
statement is called position paper. The statement does
not need to be long. It can be a super short paragraph.
Each group has a moderator and note-taker. Both of them
can be selected from the group.
As a chairperson of the group, the moderator will use the
position papers submitted by the members of the group
as one of the materials of discussions/debate.
In the end of the working group sessions, all participants will
be assembled to hear the result/ndings/debates resulted
from the smaller working group sessions. The wrap-up ses-
sion will be chaired by a moderatorperhaps Andan (for the
Jakarta event) and Antariksa (for the Jogja event).
tion and sharing through means of media publications,
cross-disciplinary encounters, research-action, artistic
interventions, and vernacular education within and across
community spaces.
Publishing
Participatory
Creative experimentation
Speculative inquiries
exchange, crafts)
Lekras Turun ke Bawah Get down to the root
1970s Gerakan Seni Rupa Baru New Art Movement
The rise of alternative space and komunitas in Reformasi
era & its precursors
Community Art Taring Padi and Moelyono
Powerlines: Alternative Art and Infrastructure in Indone-
sia in the 1990s, Susan Helen Ingham, 2007
Refracted Visions: Popular Photography and National
Modernity in Java, Karen Strassler, 2010
Media, Culture, and Politics in Indonesia, Khrisna Sen
and David T. Hill, 2000.
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you and why?
Inter-Asia Cultural Studies network.
(http://www.inter-asia.org)
Indonesia Art Coalition
(Koalisi Seni Indonesia, http://www.koalisiseni.or.id)
Another Roadmap for Arts Education
(http://another.zhdk.ch)
KUNCI Working Team
Aesthetics and ethics in social practice based projects
How to evaluate the work/role of a cultural organization in
its context.
- Made in Commons deals with the productive aspects of the
commons in local cultural spheres and looks at the his-
torical and transnational relations informing and shaping
commons-based practices across the globe, especially
within the artistic environment. MIC is designed as a long-
term project that runs through sets of activities: research,
artistic productions, public programs, and publications.
Not yet. Kunci would like to see the dynamic of the working
group sessions since this will be our rst time participat-
ing in this meeting.
We would like to expand our working network and nd more
kindred spirits, both individuals and institutions.
4 Network
Facilitating knowledge exchange between members, enabling
interdisciplinary work and building infrastructures for infor-
mal/formal arts education.
We can share our experience and methods on creative
experimentation, research, and community engagement
based on a few of Kuncis previous projects.
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MS ARTE
MS ACCIN
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Part Time: Artistic Director, Executive Director,
Choc Community, Leader, Assistant in Bogot
By Project: Designer
Volunteer: General tasks
All staff is paid except for the Artistic Director and Trainee.
Trusts and foundations
Public / Government sources
Private donations
In-kind contributions e.g. Directors
2. Practice
as a whole?
Consciously attempting to change the world is a utopian
concept. Its linked to colonialism, religions, and political
movements underpinned by a general spirit of optimism
and hope. In 2016, 500 years will have passed since the
word utopia was created and new societies have been
motivated to pursue this idea.
Our vision is to explore the world we inhabit, in the remote
Colombian rainforest, through a series of projects that take
as a starting point the idea that a better world exists, albeit
in our minds. Its this striving to produce or re-produce this
ideal world that drives our approach to art, change and
progress. Although our work has strong social drives and
processes, we also believe in art for arts sake. Art that
tries to change the world usually fails, and often backres.
Were not xated on what constitutes art philosophy or edu-
cation. Instead were interested in breaking down these rigid
classications in order to explore the world around us.
ment, etc.?
The Choco rainforest is vulnerable to the demands of
twenty-rst century humanity. It includes deforestation
1. General
Ms Arte Ms Accin is a non-proft organization led by an
internationally established visual artist, Fernando Arias,
and arts manager, Jonathan Colin. The term Ms Arte
Ms Accin encapsulates our mission: to generate art
projects that motivate actions beyond galleries. Our
work explores social and environmental issues, often in-
volving educational projects with people from communities
silenced by lack of opportunity.
In 2011, Arts Collaboratory enabled us to build the Choc Base,
a rainforest shelter in a remote part of the country in which
we had been working for 10 years. It now provides a platform
for our fve-year cultural program. The Choc Base, consist-
ing of a workspace, sleeping area and bathroom facilities
offers accommodation for one or two visiting artists and
project participants, in addition to an adjacent cabin.
Board of Directors (includes Artistic Director)
Executive Director
Coordinator
Community leader in Choc
Assistant in Bogot
Trainee
Freelance Team
Designer
Documentation
We will discuss our structure at the Assembly.
We are seven people, three women and ve men. One is full-
time and seven are part-time / freelance.
flexible etc.?
Full Time: Coordinator
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planting, ultimately resulting in a cookbook celebrating lo-
cal produce and dishes.
A dancer worked with a pioneering Senegalese school and
returned to Choco to work with women in the community
to create a dance piece based on gender problems and
domestic violence.
An MC, anthropologist and flmmaker worked with a group
of youngsters to explore their African routes and regions
social challenges.
These projects were presented in Colombias national media.
Funding! Public and private sector resources are scarce in
Colombia and unavailable for organizational costs.
Human resources Attracting and retaining a motivated
and skilled team on low wages.
Challenging traditional beliefs in what art is Colombias
Ministry of Culture puts most of its resources into annual
Salons. Our projects are based on concepts and chal-
lenge traditional views of what constitutes art and culture.
Colombias art world is very elitist and is managed by a
small number of very powerful curators and arts managers.
Bureaucracy Where fnancial support exists it tends to
be extremely complex to unlock.
Knowledge sharing takes place on many levels, within the
organization, in the communities and nationally. Its an on-
going process of development.
Different methods are used for each project. Where projects
are developed with the community, such as Plataforma
Choco, we ensure that the people we work with are in-
volved from beginning to end. This means we can take
decisions together, especially when problems arise and
changes to the original plans are needed.
and resource extraction (metals for mobile phones, com-
puters, gold etc.)
This in turn impacts on traditional ways of life of its com-
munities who nd it more difcult to live sustainably from
the land and sea.
The arrival of mass media through satellite TV also cre-
ates expectations of how people should live in the twenty-
rst century. This engenders a sense of inequality in the
communities and can lead to younger people leaving the
region in search of a better life or to get involved in drug
trafcking along the Choco coast.
The possible construction of a road, linking the center of
Colombia to a planned port on the Choco coast, over-
shadows and divides people in the region.
A lack of healthcare and access to high quality education
and learning tools such as computers and the Internet,
means the region continues to be left out of technological
and healthcare advances.
Violence is a major issue in parts of the region, especially
those places affected by resource extraction.
A small arts organization (on its own) cant change these
enormous national and international problems. However,
our ve -year programs explore these issues through a
utopian lens. We have three program strands; South
South Exchanges, Space to Reect and Plataforma
Choco. Each has a different structure to approach the
foundations annual themes.
We work with local people to explore the issues from different
angles. Through our links with the Colombian media we try
to ensure that these projects are seen by a large section
of the Colombian public.
Social and other cultural networks also present the work to
wide audiences.
Examples:
Creating a community garden, involving the community,
artists working with scientists to produce new ways of
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suggestion.
We are a small group so ideas, connections etc. can be made
informally and uidly.
Speed dating works well with larger groups and this format
could be applied on the rst day.
What does Collaboration mean?
What are we aiming at when we talk about collaboration?
We can make a checklist of reasons and benets whats
the best way to collaborate? Geographic, thematic, com-
binations, etc.
Whats the best way to share the results and knowledge
generated from our collaborative projects? Something
tangible/practical/platforms.
What kind of impacts does the network want to make on their
audiences and wider society and how best to achieve this?
With such an emphasis on art as a tool for social change,
is this right? Is it meaningful and genuine? Will it last?
Nuevatopias a series of projects and exchanges to mark
500 years of Utopia.
Global Consumption Soundscape our current call for
contributions from around the world.
AC partners invited to program a project for 2015 in their
own context that relates to Technology and Utopia. Each
partners base will be the context to imagine utopias.
Invite 3 artists from AC partners to come to Choco in 2015
to explore Technology.
Develop Nuevatopias 2016 with other partners
2016 will be the 500
-
year anniversary of Utopia. The AC
See above - we have a fve-year program with a specifc
focus.
We explore the environment around us with communities
and artists, writers etc.
Colombian art has focused on violence and the countrys
50-year civil war. Some critics say that this is now less
of a focus as parts of the country open up to trade and
tourism.
For the past 2030 years the countrys visual arts scene
has been over dominated by a handful of artists such as
Fernando Botero.
The Ministry of Cultures focus and funding of the salons
leaves little room for other structures in the visual arts.
The current rise of the Art Fair as the center of Art, with
its associated market-driven audiences, consolidates the
power of a handful of curators, artists and collectors.
Crafts/art forms, minority cultures and those outside the
urban centers are overlooked.
Utopia by Thomas More (1516)
The starting point for our ve-year
Nuevatopias Programme.
3 Assembly
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est to you and why?
Mesa de Competitividad Assembly organized by the Ministry
of Culture of Colombia.
Pair of Hand-Carved Wooden Objects and the Items From
Which They Derive.
An indigenous Embera living in the Choco rainforest made
these two carved wooden objects. In 2014, were explor-
ing the topic of consumption and creating a dialogue
between urban and rural places. The original items were
washed ashore in Choco and for many locals, without
access to money the can and bottle represent a utopian,
moneyed world beyond their forest. In 2014, were working
with indigenous people in Choco and Bogota to explore the
impact of consumer, market-driven society on traditional
cultures how can they resist, survive or adapt to not be
consumed by the dominant culture.
network can provide the framework and platform to mark
the anniversary. We plan to develop a year of exchanges
with 12 artists from different countries visiting the Choco
Base and 12 Colombian artists visiting the AC partners.
More details to follow.
Share and tour the results of these projects amongst Arts
Collaboratory partners in 2016 to mark the 500-year an-
niversary of Utopia.
A mobile exhibition including visual materials and videos to
be presented of the 5 year Nuevatopias Programme to be
offered to each host.
Create new and strengthen existing partnerships.
Develop solid projects with partners for Nuevatopias proj-
ects, exhibitions and This Place.
Offer our knowledge and ideas to the rest of the partners.
Experience something unexpected, projects, ideas and
new ways of working.
Learn from others.
4. Network
Learn from one another in genuine and tangible ways
Build ideas and projects together
Share results
Build long-term friendships and partnerships that go be-
yond any formal structures.
We invite AC partners to become involved in Nuevatopias in
2015 and 2016 in two specic ways:
Identify an artist who will travel to the Choco Base to work
on the themes of Technology and Utopia.
Offer facilities for a Colombian artist to visit their country
to work on these themes.
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PART
NERS
PART
NERS
PART
NERS
Jonathan David Colin,
Director
Ana Milena Garzn Sabogal,
Coordinator
DOEN
PARTNERS
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How many people work for your organization? (Women/Men)
7 men and 20 women.
We work with local freelance experts.
What are the working conditions for those in your organization (vol-
untary/paid, full time/half time, interns, flexible or structures etc.)?
Everyone is paid. Many people work 4 days per week, some
fulltime and some a little less then 4 days. Working hours
are fairly exible, but in general range from somewhere in
between 8 and 19h.
The Dutch Postcode Lottery, The Friends Lottery and the
BankGiro Lottery.
2 Practice
The DOEN Foundation was set up by three Dutch charity
lotteries
1
that focus on culture, welfare, humanity and
the environment, in the Netherlands, but also in the rest
of the world. DOEN was installed to nd and nance the
small, innovative and risky projects that could eventually
grow towards becoming beneciaries of or inspire the
Lottery charity programmes. Working from a very broad
vision believing that a green, socially inclusive and cre-
ative society is possible, DOEN develops its programmes
according to necessities and trends observed through
working. Historically it has developed a large focus on
economy, climate, culture and cohesion.
The word doen in the organizations title means to do. This
speaks to our focus of supporting concrete projects and
programmes. The social, cultural or environmental ben-
et of these projects and programmes always leads our
decision-making. Our approach could be described as
practical idealism.
1
The National Postcode Lottery,
the VriendenLoterij, the BankGiroLoterij
1 General
DOEN Foundation is a small Dutch Fund established by three
Dutch charity lotteries that provides subsidies, loans and
investment. Aiming to foster a world that is more green,
socially inclusive and cultural, we work with two major
themes, Green and Inclusive Economy, and Culture and
Cohesion. These two themes head up 9 programmes
including new economy, social entrepreneurship, social
design, sustainable entrepreneurship and culture and
media international that take place across the Nether-
lands, Africa, Asia and Latin-America. DOEN aims to link
its partners to create new synergies, build capacities and
create alternative movements.
DOENs international culture programme is part of the
Culture and Cohesion Theme. Policy is directed towards
developing the cultural sector in East-West- and North-
Africa and to initiate arts and social innovation (the latter
mainly through Arts Collaboratory). DOENs support for
culture stems from a vision that believes culture is an
important domain in human life and therefore also nec-
essary to develop a green, socially inclusive and creative
society. Besides the programmes direct aims that take
an autonomous approach to culture, we also try to link
our knowledge and partners to other programmes such as
social design and new economy.
DOEN is based in a 19
th
Century building next to the big
Vondelpark in Amsterdam. It occupies the top oor of a
building that is otherwise occupied by the lotteries, with
which we share facilities such as human resources, the
communication department and canteen,.
DOEN is a foundation with a Board. The organizational struc-
ture consists of two directors, 13 programme managers, 3
communication managers, 1 administrator and 8 support-
ing staff. The International culture programme consists of
2 programme managers and 1 supporting staff.
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Claudia Fontes and based on the Most Signicant Change
Methodology of Rick Davies and Jess Dart (2005)
2
. This
participatory evaluation process takes stories of how cultural
activities have signicantly changed the lives or practices of
individuals. These stories are then anaylsed and discussed
by different groups (in this case cultural organisations, DOEN
staff). The analyses became the framework used to decide
on programme applications and becomes a way to remain
connected to key contextual knowledge through regular visits
and the continuous collection of these stories.
We assist the development of the cultural sector in West,
East and north Africa through a long-term commitment to
the cultural sector, especially in Mali, Uganda and Tunisia.
Since many donors are now moving towards a more social
or political approach to culture, we feel it is important to
focus on the development of the cultural sector. The or-
ganisations and projects we nance are therefore selected
based on the contribution they make towards the devel-
opment of the cultural sector, believing that art can only
have a wider impact in society if the sector is strong and
the quality of expression reached on a sustainable level,.
Within Arts Collaboratory we focus specically on the visual
arts and its relation to wider issues in society. Arts Col-
laboratory also shows our efforts to look for collaborations
with other funders and other organisations, to improve our
work and increase impact. Arts Collaboratory is an impor-
tant programme in terms of triggering more exchange and
knowledge sharing on a South-South level and therefore
contributing to the international debate.
What are the most challenging and pressing issues and questions
for you as an art organization?
How to improve our work and relationship with the needs of the
organizations and individuals in Africa, Asia and Latin-Amer-
ica we work with, and at the same time being able to explain
what we do to our main source of funding: the Lotteries and
people in the Netherlands that buy lottery tickets.
2
http://www.mande.co.uk/docs/MSCGuide.htm
Creativity and entrepreneurship are central features of the
programmes and projects we develop and nance. Col-
laboration and sharing are also important criteria for
the practices and ethos of these and for our own work-
ing modality. In recent years we have established a more
inter-disciplinary way of working intended to initiate a more
integral approach to development and change.
The international culture programme focusses on strength-
ening the quality of artistic expression in Africa, Asia and
Latin America to expand the reach of the cultural in society.
Working with modalities and necessities of local contexts as
well as connecting people and knowledgepreferably on a
south-south axisis an important part of this.
The power of imagining different versions of reality or pos-
sibilities for the future, regarding what often might seem
unquestionable truths or the status quo, is one of the
most important reasons why DOEN supports cultural
research and expression. DOEN works with a vision in
which the cultural process or meaning of an object can
only completed with the reception of a spectator,. As such,
culture can be a driving force that triggers processes of
social innovation. This type of innovation aims to challenge
and change the social interaction of people. It provokes in-
novation that does not decide or dene the whole process
of change, but offers a starting point. Equally important is
the potential cultural processes have to include those that
are affected by this change, both in the set-up and during
the process, therefore enhancing the possibility of such
change becoming meaningful sustainable.
Please also describe in brief any exemplary projects.
The international culture programme is actively nding modes
and ways of nancing that are closer to the needs of orga-
nizations and artists. These also respond to the needs of
the context in which either of these two groups work (from
networks of individuals to society at large). A major step in
this has been the evaluation we carried out in 2009-2010
set-up and coordinated by Argentinean artist and consultant
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We have a specic interest in creating a more integrated
practice within DOEN therefore a number of issues are
relevant, including urban interventions, developing self-
organised and/or common organizational practices,
relational art practices, encounters in public space, the
development of alternative ways of organizing/economy,
and the development of artistic languages based on local
knowledge that are linked to global discourse.
exchange, crafts)
We work throughout the NL, Africa, Asia and Latin America
therefore all the areas you mention are relevant for us.
The What and the How, Claudia Fontes in: Contemporary
Perspectives in Art and International Development, Polly
Stupples and Katerina Teaiwa ed. (2013) (see attached)
Research into New Economy: http://www.doen.nl/web/
projects/Green-and-Inclusive-Economy/Research-design-
ing-the-new-economy.htm
Sustainism is the New Modernism, M. Schwarz and J.Elfers
(New York, 2011)
3 Assembly
meetings? Or do you have any other suggestion to try?
Open time, working groups, travelling together, dancing and
cooking.
How to balance the quest for a more qualitative, participa-
tory and context based funding practice with the number
of applications coming in and resulting administrative
workload.
How to make our non-nancial resources available (network,
knowledge) to our community of partners in a meaningful
way and with limited staff capacity.
How to create synergies between our programmes, especially
culture in the NL, culture international, social cohesion and
New Economy?
Is there a knowledge sharing method that your organisation has
succeeded to accomplish or is this something you are still experi-
menting with?
The approach of our MSC evaluation was also successful as a
knowledge sharing method. Organisations were sitting to-
gether for several days analyzing the stories of their users
and discussing the values around this. In Mali and Uganda
this has triggered the set-up of intensive longer-term
collaboration. It is a nice methodology because it triggers
discussion based on the impact in others, and also based
on narratives/stories instead of the rational/logical.
In 2012 we tried a different form organizing a discussion
based on images of what is most signicant in contempo-
rary art.
Within DOEN we often work with methodologies like Dare to
ask, where one can ask an urgent question for his/her
daily practice to the group and the group delivers tips on
all levels (ranging from contacts to philosophical thoughts)
in a very practical way. Small groups of people rotate to
discuss 4 of such questions, deepening the dilemma and
suggesting solutions.
Etc.
We try to base our funding practice on what is relevant in a
specic local context and how that can also be linked to
international networks. We are open to different artistic
focusses, methodologies and disciplines.
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(different networks in other sectors in a.o. cradle to cradle,
bio mimicry, micronance, alternative currencies etc.)
Yu-Lan van Alphen, Gertrude Flentge,
Program Manager Program Manager
Arts Collaboratory as a trans local school of socially in-
novative artistic practice
What can and should Arts Collaboratory be after 2015?
How can (or should?) an independent platform be created?
Re-writing art history: mapping/research into partici-
pants practices
How can we link our local artists networks and publics to
the platform and vice versa.
We wish to get to know everyone better and understand what
really matters to each of us. We are looking to build the foun-
dations of some collective projects and would like to start the
discussion about how Arts Collaboratory should develop.
4 Network
It can create a pool of people, knowledge and practices that
strengthen or extend the individual activities of participat-
ing organisations.
Collect knowledge on socially innovative art practices.
Contribute to more south-south linkages and knowledge ex-
change and as such inuence international contemporary
art practice.
Financial means, networks in culture, New Economy, Financial
sector and Climate, and donor community.
you and why?
Arterial, pan African network for development of the cultural
sector (as a way of imagining what could be)
KYA network of cultural practitioners in Mali (as an example
of practical and active collaboration)
Abbara (network of cultural organisations in North-Africa)
ArchiAfrika (Architecture network Africa)
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PARTNERS
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but also less-visible features such as preferences and
needs, sexual orientation, work styles and characters.
Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, CIDA, DFID, European Union,
NORAD, RNE Indonesia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South
Africa, SIDA (2012).
2 Practice
Hivos is guided by humanist values. Together with local civil
society organisations in developing countries, Hivos wants
to contribute to a free, fair and sustainable world where
everybody has equal access to opportunities and re-
sources for development and can participate actively and
equally in decision-making processes that determine their
lives, their society and their future.
Core values of Hivos are:
human dignity and self-determination
pluralism and democracy
focus on material and non-material aspects
mutual solidarity and responsible citizenship
respect for peoples cultural and social identity
responsible management of nature and natural resources
Social Responsibility
Our commitment to social responsibility is a consequence
of our values and the resolution to act consistently with
the Hivos programmes. Sound social responsibility also
contributes to strengthening these values. Taking respon-
sibility means being transparent and accountable for the
choices one makes and the things one does. We have
chosen to focus our social responsibility policy on the
following 4 themes, based on the link with the humanist
values, practicality, added value and consistency with our
4 programmes and campaigns:
Integrity and embodying the Hivos Values
1 General
Hivos head ofce is located in the Hague and we have 6 re-
gional ofces and 6 local ofces. Hivos works in 27 coun-
tries in Africa, Latin America and Asia.
Hivos is managed by the Board of Directors, consisting of
an Executive Director and a Director of Programmes and
Projects, and the Management Team, made up of the
heads of the four Hivos programmes (Sustainable Eco-
nomic Development; Democratisation, Rights, Aids and
Gender; Culture, ICT and Media; External Relations), the
head of the bureau of Audit & Evaluation and the six Di-
rectors of the Regional Ofces.
At head ofce, the Hivos organisation consists of units re-
sponsible for donor relations, nance, human resources,
and ICT & Facility.
In 2013 a total of 338 people were employed at Hivos, 119
based in the head ofce.
The female to male ratio of employees in management
positions is 50:50; the ratio at Head Ofce is 4F:5M
The overall female to male ratio is around 70:30.
organizations (voluntary/paid, full time/half time,interns, flexible or
structures etc.)?
338 employees (330 FTEs). Be aware that full time in Hivos
is 32 hours a week
203 employees in regional ofces (220 FTEs).
135 employees at HO (110 FTEs)

From the year report 2012: Hivos aims to make the most
of staff potential. This means that people's specic char-
acteristics, backgrounds and qualities need to be consid-
ered. Diversity adds value to the organisation. Diversity
covers not just the most obvious differences between
people, e.g. sex, age, ethnicity and physical challenges,
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openness in a society, it is also a basic condition for promo-
tion of social and economic development. Also in relatively
open societies, freedom of expression needs to be con-
stantly validated. Freedom of expression is threatened by
the rise of global media monopolies, pressures on indepen-
dent media outlets and widespread spying of governments
and companies on citizens (online) communication.
Exemplary project in Central America:
Actors for Change is a program aimed at increasing opportu-
nities of free expression (while improving their safety) for
journalists, cultural activists and human rights defenders in
Central America. The program is pleased to announce its
second call for proposals this year. Actors for Change will
support innovative ideas and initiatives that involve working
with ICT, culture and media. It will be considered a plus if the
project is implemented in alliance with other local organiza-
tions (women, indigenous, youth and rural sectors).
Examplary project in MENA region:
Mid East Creatives: Creative working spaces facilitate col-
laboration and co-creation between small entreprises, new
creative initiatives and art projects. In a second phase
these initiatives are connected to so called accelerators
to help them become stronger. If successful, investors are
involved to nance up scaling pilot projects.
Generally spoken, the basis for development cooperation and
arts and culture both internationally and in the Netherlands
is declining due to the economic crisis, This translates into
considerable reduction in funds for cultural institutes and
initiatives in the Netherlands and international cultural ex-
change along with drastic reduction in exible funding from
the Dutch Government for development cooperation.
Hivos has always considered arts and culture to be an inte-
gral part of development. Thanks to non- earmarked fund-
ing from the Ministry, Hivos was able to run a fully edged
arts and culture programme for over 17 years.
Diversity and Equality
Good Employment Practices
Environmental Stewardship
The actual crisis in the world is multiple and interlinked (-
nancial, ecological, political). To focus on economic growth
is a dead-end street and there is an urgent need for
systemic transformational change on a global scale. Our
ecosystems are threatened by the ever-increasing en-
ergy needs. Inequality in income and access to resources
causes feelings of discontent and are a breeding ground
for populism. Hard-won rights, like sexual and reproductive
rights are under threat and the legitimacy of democrati-
cally-elected leaders who seem unable to bring sustainable
solutions, is at stake.
Hivos (future) strategic program has two components:
Green and Open:
1. Green Society stands for a sustainable society, in which ev-
eryone takes responsibility for the present and future con-
dition of our ecosystems and natural resources. The green
economy offers economic development and employment
whilst preserving the environment and citizens wellbeing.
2. The Open Society is based on freedom of expression,
convictions and ways of living. An open society enables
citizens to actively shape society and take control of their
lives. The open society implies high quality political deci-
sion-making and a society embracing diversity
The Open Society programme rests on four pillars:
Transparency and Accountability
Womens Empowerment
Freedom of expression
Sexual (health) Rights and Diversity
Hivos considers freedom of expression as key indicator of
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Artists can trigger debate, offer unexpected solutions for old prob-
lems, provide alternative perspectives and use their aesthetic skills
and talent to communicate with and inspire people.
exchange, crafts)
N/A
Civic Driven Change: Citizen's Imagination in Action, In-
stitute of Social Studies, The Hague, October 2008. (with
Kees Biekart).
3 Assembly
Getting to know each other: market place model each
organization or several organizations together - have a
stand in which materials are displayed and information is
provided.
Another way to get to know each other could be old fash-
ioned presentations in a new jacket such as ignite
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9emDX_eql-g or
pecha kucha presentations.
Working together: I could imagine that members of the work-
ing groups stick together meanwhile it could be very fruit-
ful to have a look at what the neighbors are doing.
There are methodologies for sharing and getting fresh
input form the neighbors e.g. several members of work-
ing groups stay at their table, the others are spread over
other working groups. At the tables the remaining mem-
bers receive members from other groups, explain where
the group is and ask input. Through rotation, members
give input to other working groups. The receiving mem-
The current perspective means, for Hivos, that it needs to
adapt its operating structures into a more exible organi-
zation, equipped for cutting edge, innovative and evidence
based programme and project development. It also means
that the core business of Hivos no longer will be re-
granting. Instead will we have to take up other roles, being
connector, interlocutor, (social) innovator, broker in multi-
actor partnerships or promotor/faciltator of knowledge
exchange? Or all of these?
As for our relationship with the cultural sector: it is very
unlikely that funding will be found to continue supporting
the arts and culture sector as before. The challenge is
to connect art initiatives and artists to and involve them
in the new Hivos programmes as movers and shakers,
critical and unconventional thinkers and doers and social
innovators who offer different perspectives and creative
solutions on issues we both wish to address.
Hivos works with diverse groups of people; academics, activ-
ists, creators, media makers, policy makers and business
people to tackle key questions. The building of civil society
and the promotion of pluralism in times of growing intoler-
ance have been important issues in recent years. Knowl-
edge activities include brainstorming sessions, debates,
research, policy advice, documentation, dissemination and
creative encounters such as BarCamps, summer schools,
writing workshops and knowledge exchanges.
The Theory of Change has been frequently used in Hivos as
a basis for a methodology for partners to learn and help
understand what kind of change they aim to achieve with
their programmes.
There is no specific artistic focus but social innovation is central
in our new policy and Hivos believes that artists play an important
role in processes of critical thinking, social innovation and change.
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platform for permanent and continuous exchange of expe-
riences and knowledge between participants and beyond in
which they themselves take the lead with the three Dutch
organizations as connectors, co-thinkers and facilitators.

According to Hivos, artists and arts organizations can play
an important role in processes of social change. Many of
the Arts Collaboratory participants work on issues (human
rights, freedom of expression, gender, renewable energy
etc) that Hivos also works on. Hivos has an extensive net-
work of specialized partners in those areas and Arts Col-
laboratory participants and Hivos partners could mutually
benet from each others knowledge, experiences, insights
and creativity.
you and why?
Community of Baltan Lab in Eindhoven because of design
thinking, the multidisciplinarity and the link between art,
science and technology
Hivos Alliance: strategic partnership with Mama Cash, IUCN
Netherlands and Free Press Unlimited to implement the
2011-2015 program under the Dutch co-nancing system
Alliance 2015: strategic European partnership (ACED,
France; Ibis, Denmark; Cesvi, Italy; People in Need, Italy;
Concern, Ireland; Deutsche Welthungerhilfe, Germany).
Dutch organizations: cooperation with different Dutch or-
ganizations sharing the same philosophy e.g. Oxfam Novib
and Hivos jointly manage a knowledge program on biodi-
versity and agriculture.
e.g. Hivos and SNV collaborate for implementation of bio-
gas programme
e.g. Hivos and DOEN jointly implement Arts Collaboratory
programme
Task Force Culture and Development of the Arts Invest-
ment Forum
A group of donors worldwide that have culture in their
bers at the tables discuss the feedback. This can also be
done in a less structured way.
Visiting Indonesian arts scene: see bullet 1 on presentations
Mission, vision, objectives, roles, tasks and tasks divisions
of the Arts Collaboratory platform/network, including the
(nancial) sustainability of the programme/platform.
Mentoring programme between younger/smaller and older/
more established participants.
increased collaboration between participants in the AC
platform/network
increased number of exchange visits and study trips be-
tween participants
increase in exchange of information and knowledge
In general: more ownership of participants in the Arts Col-
laboratory platform
4 Network
I think the question is how to dene the AC platform; is it all
participants and associate participants together? Is it a
platform only facilitating exchange and sharing between
the participants? Are DOEN, Hivos and Casco part of the
Arts Collaboratory platform (in the future) and in what
way? Hivos would like the participants to be the core of
the AC platform where priorities and working areas are
dened. On basis of this a task division could be made,
ideally divided between the three Dutch organizations and
the participants.
Our hope is that Arts Collaboratory becomes a sustainable
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CASCO
PARTNERS
development portfolio and jointly feel a need to strength-
en and support each others policy, sharing information
and knowledge.
Chantal Emma Maria Verdonk,
Project Ofcer
Marie Sophie Leferink,
Project Ofcer
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Two people work four days a week.
One person works three and half days a week.
Four people work three days a week.
One person works two and half days a week.
One person works one day a week.
We also employ three interns three days a week.
Cascos main funding comes from the city, EU grants, and
public foundations. These include:
City Council of Utrecht
Mondriaan Fund
DOEN Foundation
K.F Hein Fonds
European Union Culture Program
Casco is also part of three networks that receive funding:
Practice International
COHAB
CLUSTER
2. Practice
as a whole?
Since 1996, Casco has developed a critical program that
explores art in the public realm, questioning the relation
between art and its physical, social and political environ-
ment. Casco maintains a questioning approach to culture,
which is also applied to its own position in the cultural
eld. Besides pursuing different modes of artistic produc-
tion, Casco seeks to open its own infrastructure up to ex-
perimentation in order to push the boundaries of a visual
arts organization, both in the elds of art and design, and
in wider social, cultural and political frameworks.
environment, etc.?
The major issue confronting Casco is capitalism, which we
see as producing a host of inequitable relations, dispos-
1 General
Casco Ofce for Art, Design and Theory just moved to a
new location in April 2014 after seven years in an open
ofce combined with an exhibition space, just north of the
city center of Utrecht. The new location in museum quar-
ter of Utrecht is located alongside a courtyard in an old
nineteenth-century school building, on the site of a former
convent. The new building has four large luminous exhibi-
tion spaces that are shared with another organization
Fotodok, both organizations together have two exhibition
periods of around ten weeks each. The total space Casco
can utilize is four hundred square meters.
Berlin-based architects, Jesko Fezer and Andreas Mller in
collaboration with designer Maximilian Weydringer, were
responsible for the design of Cascos public ofce. Mul-
tiplying the motif of the arch as a recurring element in
this building and Utrecht as well as an important support
structure in architecture, the architects designed a new
grand arcade running through the space. The colon-
nade differentiates the ofce into four distinct spaces;
the library and bookstore; the indoor garden which dou-
bles as a stage; a meeting space and a communal work
table, which can be transformed into two separate tables
for public discussions. The bookshop both hosts Cascos
books as well as a branch of the anarchist bookstore in
Utrecht: De Rooie Rat. The exible design addresses the
multiplicity of use ongoing at Casco and carries forward
the history from the previous sites of Casco, on the Ou-
degracht (19922007) and then the most recent Nieu-
wekade (20072014), of breaking down the distinctions
between presentation and labor in an arts institution.
Casco is a stiching [public foundation] with a board and director.
At the time of writing, Casco employs nine women and three men.
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Grand Domestic Revolution is also part of a line of feminist
materialist histories that Casco has been exploring in both
its projects and collaborations. Beyond Revolution at Point
Zero, Casco also hosts the regular meetings of the femi-
nist/queer organization Feministisch Verzet, and their rst
festival Interqueersections, which explored the construc-
tions of genders and sexuality while providing an open and
safe space for those discussions to unfold.
Our most pressing question is how to balance the growth of
Casco with an uncertain future regarding the traditional
forms of public funding? While Casco has expanded im-
mensely in the last couple years it has corresponded with
a time of public scal restraint and a slow restructuring
of the public system of funding which has allowed Casco
to prosper. Thinking of non-traditional forms of provid-
ing support for our team, program and community is a
future concern constantly on the horizon. This has been
addressed by extending further in two directions, working
with other organizations across Europe that Casco has an
afnity with, as there has been the natural development of
networks to provide both affective and effective support
these include CLUSTER and COHAB, and hopefully Arts
Collaboratory. The other direction has been looking close
to home and trying to mobilize the various communities
and supporters of Casco into a form of commons for mu-
tual support, that does not necessarily include money.
How to explain what one does and the various impacts on a
whole ecology when the standards of arts organizations
are obsolete?
We are trying to develop a form of membership as commons
for our varied communities to be able to meet and support
one another. We are still trying to develop a framework for
this to happen.
session of the means of making and sustaining a bountiful
and meaningful life, while also putting all life and nature at
risk. The specic symptoms of this afiction in Utrecht are
varied and include legal and social discrimination against
immigrants, gender equality, affordable housing and a
restriction on the potential for squatting.
Addressing these issues is woven into the DNA of Cascos
approach on multiple levels. A concerted research on and
engagement with the commons as a means of provid-
ing alternatives to capitalist relations has been an ongo-
ing concern. A few of the initiatives around this topic are
the organization of a two day event around theorizing the
commons with the feminist-commons philosopher Silvia
Federici entitled Revolution at Point Zero. This grew into a
larger project under which we are basing our programming
from 20132015 entitled Composing the Commons. As
an ephemeral way of experimenting with different compo-
sitions of commons were various events, exhibitions, and
collaborations that act as a score which can be played
together for a period and then picked up by others else-
where and reinterpreted.
As part of the Grand Domestic Revolution project which was
based in a rented apartment Casco collaborated with the
artist Matthijs de Bruijne and the Cleaners Union, many of
which are made up of immigrants, to make a lm about their
labor and lives. When Grand Domestic Revolution traveled to
the Showroom in London, it linked up with the local domes-
tic cleaners who were on strike and undertook an action of
cleaning the walls of London with high-power water spray
as an inverted form of cleaning-cum-grafti to make vis-
ible their work and voice. Elsewhere Casco has collaborated
with We Are Here an immigrant rights organization in the
Netherlands. It is both through the methodology of collabo-
ration and collective action, thinking and working together
that these issues become addressed in the cultural eld and
expand the critical space of representation.
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Utopias
Indonesian cooking
CLUSTER, co-publishing?
Tenting!
To meet individuals/organizations with whom we share a cer-
tain afnity, to make a different path together.
4. Network
Lots!
We can share our knowledge of network building, collabora-
tion methodology, and publishing.
to you and why?
CLUSTER Other arts organizations in and around Europe
that are located in peripheries that share many of the
same issues and concerns.
COHAB Intimate network of relations between two other
organizations that we share a strong bond with, and now
programing and publishing as well.
Practice International Another trifecta that has broad-
ened our horizons for research while at the same time sup-
port production of those who share a view of the translocal.
We focus on critical practices and mainly research-based art-
ists of whom we tend to develop a long relationship with.
The historically overlooked from the 1970s/1980s, also I
believe we are nally shifting into another reassessment of
the 1990s cultural moment.
The Grand Domestic Revolution: A History of Feminist
Designs For American Homes, Neighborhoods, and Cities
by Dolores Hayden (1981)
The Baron in the Trees by Italo Calvino (1957)
3. Assembly
Non-structured time and getting rid of PowerPoint!
How to form a commons now?
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REFERENCE
LIBRARY
Binna Choi,
Director
Jason Waite,
Curator
CRTER INVERTIDO CRTER INVERTIDO
RIWAQ RIWAQ
RIWAQ RIWAQ
RIWAQ RIWAQ
RUANGRUPA RUANGRUPA
RUANGRUPA RUANGRUPA
RUANGRUPA RUANGRUPA
HIVOS HIVOS
HIVOS HIVOS
HIVOS HIVOS
HIVOS HIVOS
DOEN
the organisations concerned. In addition, the results lead to cross-
pollination between the different cases. For example, one person may
have found a solution to a problem that someone else is still struggling
with.
Finally, the research yields specifc approaches that not only DOEN but
many other organisations as well can draw on as a source of inspiration
in contributing to a new economy.

Read more in the preliminary study and the blogs written by Godelieve
Spaas about her research.

*Godelieve Spaas is a consultant, researcher and writer in the feld of
organizational development, combining economic, ecological and social
development.
DOEN
1. RESEARCH A NEW ECONOMY
A new economy
A new economy is developing and DOEN supports initiatives that
have the nerve to take a leading role in shaping that new economy.
An economy where there is more space for social and sustainable
entrepreneurs, for activities whose primary aim is to deliver a positive
contribution to man and the environment.

The main shift compared with the current economy is that more,
and different, players are entering the game. Society and the natural
environment are becoming partners in the market. Organisations
responsibilities are changing as a result: making a proft or adding
value are moving aside to create room for new ecological and social
objectives. What an organisation creates and contributes to the world is
becoming more important. The economic dynamic is changing too, with
sharing and giving playing a role in addition to trading. And fnally,
impact and effect are measured not only in quantitative but also in
qualitative terms.

All in all, this means that organisations need different skills in order
to succeed. A solid anchor of their own, a moral compass, is required
to help navigate a course between the various players. Resilience
and sensitivity to the environment are vital to be able to discern and
respond promptly to changes in surroundings. Lastly, the ability to see
the big picture is vital in order to identify the effect and impact on the
environment and to respond accordingly.

Research
DOEN supports Creating Change by Godelieve Spaas* in her research
into the new economy, active research focusing on the experiments
that work, the dilemmas that arise at the interface between current and
alternative economies, the factors needed to function successfully in
the new economy and the changing feld of play on which businesses
operate.

This research contributes to the development of the projects studied
by raising awareness and identifying the processes evolving in
CASCO CASCO
CASCO CASCO
CASCO CASCO
CASCO CASCO
CASCO CASCO
CASCO CASCO
Art Group 705:
http://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/07/18/kyrgyzstan-patriarchal-
society-as-seen-by-artists/
Ker Thiossane:
http://www.sudonline.sn/villes-africaines-congurations-
des-possibles_a_17883.html
Lugar a dudas
http://esferapublica.org/nfblog/?p=1309
Riwaq
http://www.haaretz.com/news/features/creativity-in-captivity-a-
palestinian-art-festival.premium-1.477324
32 East
http://startjournal.org/2013/03/censorship-and-the-arts-in-uganda/
http://startjournal.org/2014/01/beyond-tradition-modernity-
contemporary-art-in-uganda/
LINKS
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
ruangrupa
Address: Tebet Timur Dalam Raya No. 6.
Jakarta Selatan 12820. Indonesia
Tel: +62 21 830 4220
Email: info@ruangrupa.org
Contact: Ajeng Nurul Aini
Tel: +62 81 766 07046
Email: ajeng@ruangrupa.org
KUNCI Cultural Studies Center
Address: Jalan Ngadinegaran MJ III/100,
Mantrijeron Yogyakarta 55143
Tel: + 62 274 745 6680
Email: editor@kunci.or.id
Contact: Syaatudina [Dina]
Tel: +62 81 31 077 3698
Email: syaatudina@gmail.com
Hotel Jakarta
Fontana Residencia
Address: Jl. Tebet Barat 8 No.42, Tebet, Jakarta
Tel: +62-21-8304613/+62-24-8298046
Email: prana@fontanaresidencia.com
Hotel Yogyakarta
The Cube
Address: Jl. Parang Tritis No. 16, Yogyakarta
Tel: +62 274 387979
Email: info@hotelthecube.com
Emergency Numbers
Police: 110
Ambulance: 118,119
Fire: 113
Exchange Rate
$1.00 USD = 11,500 Indonesian Rupiah
Edited by:
Binna Choi (Casco),
Gertrude Flentge (DOEN),
Jason Waite (Casco)
Compiling and proofreading:
Jason Waite (Casco)
Copyediting:
Taf Hassam (Goleb)
Graphic Design:
Daniel Frota
(Werkplaats Typograe/
ArtEZ Institute of the Arts)
Credit images:
Photo for the rst cover:
runagrupa space
Photo for the back cover:
KUNCI Cultural Cultural Studies Centre space
Disclaimer:
This document is created for facilitating the
information on the Arts Collaboratory participants
for the assembly in Indonesia. It is not intended for
public distribution and for internal use only.

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