RUN & LEARN

This series of projects ran from 2014 through 2015 with the aim of supporting and training young curators from Southeast Asia. It searched for a new image of curator by “thinking while running,” implementing many projects within the social and cultural environment of Southeast Asia that has transformed alongside its rapid economic growth.

The first stage of the project involved holding curator workshops in Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Thailand from February through June 2014. The second stage of the project involved 14 curators selected through assessment of their plans, and who then took up the challenge of participating in a short-term training scheme in Japan for two weeks from August 2014. This training involved lectures delivered by art historians and curators, technical training at an art transportation operator, research on Japanese artists, and viewing international exhibitions and art museum exhibitions. These activities resulted in 14 art projects and exhibitions, held in nine cities in four nations between December in 2014 and February in 2015.

In order to wrap up the project, four art guidebooks were produced, one for each country and including reports on the 14 exhibitions that resulted. In addition to culture in each nation, the books feature raw information on local artists and art scenes that is richly illustrated with photographs, alongside sightseeing information such as cuisine, adding up to an introduction to Southeast Asian culture that can feel accessible to readers.

Data
Links The Japan Foundation Website

Exhibition (Indonesia 1)

Sidewalk Warfare

An artist and an art group portrayed sidewalks in the city of Jakarta through installations, performances, and audiovisual works. They tackled urban problems by reflecting on how the sidewalks had been used until then and the future potential for sidewalks where pedestrians are competing for space.

Data
Dates & Venue
(Jakarta)
January 30–February 12, 2015
The Japan Foundation Hall
Curators Asep Topan (Curator; Lecturer, Faculty of Fine Arts, Jakarta Institute of Arts)
Artists Reza Afisina, Log Out Corps
Organizers The Japan Foundation

Exhibition (Indonesia 2)

The Shift: Imported Secondhand Clothing Project

Three artists implemented this project in Pasar Senen, the largest marketplace for imported and secondhand clothing in Indonesia’s capital city of Jakarta. While considering the relationship between Japan as an exporter of secondhand clothes and Indonesia as an importer and consumer of these items, the three participants created an artwork that cast a critical eye on the system in which these goods trade hands.

Data
Dates & Venue
(Jakarta)
January 23–February 5, 2015
Awanama Art Habitat; Pasar Senen
Curators Angga Wijaya (Curator, Serrum)
Artists Ardi Gunawan, Yudha “Fehung” Kusuma, Ismal Muntaha
Organizers The Japan Foundation

Exhibition (Indonesia 3)

Jinayah/Siyasah: Playing with Boundaries

Three artists took part in a residency program for approximately ten days and collaborated with the Muslim community to produce an artwork. As the artists attempted various approaches to Islam, dialogue emerged that elicited interest in art from the Muslim community.

Data
Dates & Venue
(Yogyakarta)
January 31–February 5, 2015
Tetangga Seniman
Curators Sita Magfira (Project Officer, Jaringan Arsip Budaya Nusantara)
Artists Octora, Wulang Sunu, The Popo
Organizers The Japan Foundation

Exhibition (Indonesia 4)

Bok Cinta' Project (Tengok Bustaman 2)

Featuring the results of collaborative work between ten selected artists or artist groups and 300 local residents, this exhibition was held in Semarang, a regional city located between the two major cities of Jakarta and Surabaya. It explored the boundary between art and non-art, and attempted to expand concepts of the public.

Data
Dates & Venue
(Semarang)
January 31–February 15, 2015
Kampung Bustaman, Purwodinatan
Curators Ahmad Khairudin (Director, Hysteria)
Artists Annisa Rizkiana, Haryo Wibowo/Bowo Kajangan, Arief Hadinata, Papillon, Tri Aryanto, Imam Budi Cahyono, Hysteria, Pembangun Bayu Putro/Bayu Tambeng, Karamba Art Movement, Serrum
Organizers The Japan Foundation

Guide Book (Indonesia)

Cover of Run & Learn : Projects & Art Guide, Indonesia

Run & Learn: Projects & Art Guide, Indonesia
Edited by Leonhard Bartolomeus

  • Publisher:
    Tokyo: The Japan Foundation
  • Year:
    2015
  • Total Number of Pages:
    116
  • Size:
    26 cm
  • Language:
    Japanese (jpn); English (eng)
  • NCID:
    BB19324155

[Contents]

p. 2 Editorial Notes
Leonhard Bartolomeus
p. 4 Indonesia Maps
p. 6 Jakarta
p. 18 Curator InterviewAsep Topan
p. 22 Curator InterviewAngga Wijaya
p. 26 Highlight & ReviewSeizing the Public and Offering Space
Ade Darmawan (Artist; Curator; Director, ruangrupa)
p. 30 Yogyakarta
p. 60 Curator InterviewSita Magfira
p. 64 Highlight & ReviewDedication to Communities: What Can Curation Do Next?
Kamiya Yukie (Chief Curator, Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art)
p. 70 Semarang
p. 82 Curator InterviewAhmad Khairudin
p. 86 Bandung
p. 102 Highlight & ReviewStop and Learn, to Observe
Ardi Yunanto (Writer; Editor; Coordinator, Institut ruangrupa)
p. 108 Never Stop to Learn
p. 109 SFADA: Soundscape Presentation of 1950s Bandung
p. 110 Recollecting Memory
p. 111 Shifting Spaces
p. 112 Poetry of Space
p. 113 Ronda Art Project

Exhibition (Philippines 1)

Forces at Work: White Noise

A series of four “Forces of Work” exhibitions were held at the Jorge B. Vargas Museum in the Philippines. “White Noise” featured five Filipino artists and artist groups as well as one Japanese artist. Each produced artwork while embedded himself or herself into a poor urban community, endeavoring to understand and reaffirm protests against problems rooted in the class struggle.

Data
Dates & Venue
(Manila)
December 2, 2014–January 28, 2015
Jorge B. Vargas Museum
Curators Con Cabrera (Lecturer, Fine Arts Department, Kalayaan College)
Artists Jose Tence Ruiz, Hoshiba Ishihara Yumiko, Vermont Coronel II, Bru Sim, Derek Tumala, The Axel Pinpin Propaganda Machine
Organizers The Japan Foundation; Jorge B. Vargas Museum

Exhibition (Philippines 2)

Forces at Work: Still

In the face of major tragedies and social unrest, how do people overcome a crisis and move on? Through video, installation, painting, and poetry, five artists showed how art can contribute to dealing with such critical moments when they arise.

Data
Dates & Venue
(Manila)
December 2, 2014–January 28, 2015
Jorge B. Vargas Museum
Curators Ricky Francisco (Consultant, Lopez Museum & Library)
Artists Kiri Dalena, Allison Wong David, Marc Gaba, Chim↑Pom, Aida Santos
Organizers The Japan Foundation; Jorge B. Vargas Museum

Exhibition (Philippines 3)

Forces at Work: Holdings

One artist and one artist group reflected on such issues in the Philippines as art, labor, the value of things, and the economic conditions of artists and the art industry, and later exhibited the results of broad-ranging research projects.

Data
Dates & Venue
(Manila)
December 2, 2014–January 28, 2015
Jorge B. Vargas Museum
Curators Merv Espina (Artistic Director, The Institute of Lower Learning [iLL])
Artists Working Artists Group [WAG], Niwa Yoshinori
Organizers The Japan Foundation; Jorge B. Vargas Museum

Exhibition (Philippines 4)

Forces at Work: The Lizard Says You're a Liar!—Narratives of the Universe

This project was an attempt to portray the complex belief systems in today’s world. It presented a wide range of materials, including objective resources about rituals, forms of expression born from personal experiences, and scientific practices. It explored current encounters between doubts about belief and faith whose strength varies per person.

Data
Dates & Venue
(Manila)
December 2, 2014–January 28, 2015
Jorge B. Vargas Museum
Curators Hirano Mayumi (Co-founder, 98B COLLABoratory; Curator)
Artists Santiphap Inkong-ngam, Elia Nurvista, Yagi Kanade, Zeus Bascon, Maria Victoria Beltran
Organizers The Japan Foundation; Jorge B. Vargas Museum

Catalogue (Philippines)

The Catalogue of Forces at Work

Forces at Work
Edited by Alice Sarmiento

  • Publisher:
    Manila: The Japan Foundation Manila; Jorge B. Vargas Museum and Filipiniana Research Center
  • Year:
    2015
  • Total Number of Pages:
    88
  • Size:
    23 cm
  • Language:
    English (eng)

[Contents]

p. 5 Working on the Curatorial
Patrick D. Flores (Curator, Jorge B. Vargas Museum)
p. 6 The Curators
p. 8 Itinerary
p. 9 Calendar
p. 10 White Noise
p. 30 Holdings
p. 44 Still
p. 62 The Lizard Says You're a Liar!
p. 80 Situation Specificity in Curating
Kataoka Mami (Chief Curator, Mori Art Museum)
p. 82 Critical, because Curatorial
Patrick D. Flores

Guide Book (Philippines)

Cover of Run & Learn : Projects & Art Guide, Philippines

Run & Learn: Projects & Art Guide, Philippines
Edited by Hattori Hiroyuki; Hirano Mayumi; Furuichi Yasuko; Suzuki Keiko; Mitomi Yukie; Marc J. Ocampo; Okeda Mariko

  • Publisher:
    Tokyo: The Japan Foundation
  • Year:
    2015
  • Total Number of Pages:
    88
  • Size:
    26 cm
  • Language:
    Japanese (jpn); English (eng)
  • NCID:
    BB19324155

[Contents]

p. 2 Foreword
p. 9 City Guide 01: Manila
Text by Mark Salvatus, Hirano Mayumi (Co-founder, 98B COLLABoratory)
p. 30 Memoir of ManilaA Story About Choices in Manila
Niwa Yoshinori (Artist)
p. 33 Curators’ Workshop “RUN & LEARN: New Curatorial Constellations” Philippines
p. 36 White Noise
Text by Con Cabrera
p. 38 Holdings
Text by Merv Espina
p. 40 Still
Text by Ricky Francisco
p. 42 The Lizard Says You're a Liar!—Narratives of the Universe
Text by Hirano Mayumi
p. 46 Exhibition ReviewSituation Specificity in Curating
Kataoka Mami (Chief Curator, Mori Art Museum)
p. 49 City Guide 02: Bacolod
Text by Marc J. Ocampo (Program Coordinator, The Japan Foundation, Manila)
p. 62 Memoir of BacolodTo the Sweet Town of Bacolod
Ozawa Keisuke (Co-founder, Arts Initiative Tokyo [AIT])
p. 65 City Guide 03: Baguio
Text by PatriciaTumang (Contributing Editor, Asian Art News and World Sculpture News)
p. 78 Memoir of BaguioBaguio
Yahata Aki (Artist)
p. 82 The Nationalist Hang-Up and the Insecure History of Philippine Culture
Lisandro E. Claudio (Post-doctoral Fellow, Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University)
p. 87 About the Writers

Exhibition (Thailand 1)

Turning Tweets Pulse

Starting from consideration of turning points in life, this exhibition spurred visitors to re-examine and know their own life stories. Six artists wove stories through explorations of sound.

Data
Dates & Venue
(Bangkok)
February 4–10, 2015
1st Floor, Multi-Function Room, Bangkok Art and Culture Centre [BACC]
Curators Kamonpond Eiko Wongcharoenchai (Independent Curator)
Artists Eyedropper Fill, Tokin Teekanun, Wannarit Pongprayoon, Vuttipong Mahasamut, Siwanut Boonsripornchai, Nattapol Rojjanarattanangkool
Organizers The Japan Foundation; Bangkok Art and Culture Centre

Exhibition (Thailand 2)

The Air of Familiarity

By looking at commonplace and everyday elements, this exhibition introduced artworks that explored the beliefs and ideas that form the foundations of our lives. The four artists employed such media as short film, video documentary, photography, and installation.

Data
Dates & Venue
(Bangkok)
February 6–28, 2015
Cloud
Curators Soifa Saenkhamkon (Independent Curator)
Artists Apichart Yimyong, Chaiwat Wiansantia, Namfon Udomlertlak, Tippawan Narintorn
Organizers The Japan Foundation; Cloud

Exhibition (Thailand 3)

Shuffling Spaces

In this exhibition, images, installations, and performances were used by Thai and Japanese artists to present various interpretations of the spaces that surround people, including physical and imaginative spaces, urban environments, and social situations. It explored the means whereby we acquire our independence in contemporary society.

Data
Dates & Venue
(Chiang Mai)
February 8–15, 2015
Gallery Seescape
Curators Horiuchi Naoko (Curator, Arts Initiative Tokyo [AIT])
Artists Surajate Tongchua, Paphonsak La-or, Kritchunun Srirakit, Nuttapon Sawasdee, Kotaka Takuro
Organizers The Japan Foundation; Gallery Seescape

Guide Book (Thailand)

Cover of Run & Learn : Projects & Art Guide, Thailand

Run & Learn: Projects & Art Guide, Thailand
Edited by Pichaya Aime Suphavanij

  • Publisher:
    Tokyo: The Japan Foundation
  • Year:
    2015
  • Total Number of Pages:
    112
  • Size:
    26 cm
  • Language:
    Japanese (jpn); English (eng)
  • NCID:
    BB19324155

[Contents]

p. 1 Our Challenges in “Run & Learn”
The Japan Foundation
p. 4 Map of Thailand
p. 6 Photo of Attitude in Thailand
p. 14 Contemporary Art in Thailand: An Introductory Genealogy
Brian Curtin (Art Writer; Curator)
p. 18 RUN & LEARN: New Curatorial Constellations
p. 21 Event Photos
p. 26 The Air of Familiarity
Soifa Saenkhamkon
p. 32 Shuffling Spaces
Horiuchi Naoko
p. 38 Turning Tweets Pulse
Kamonpond Eiko Wongcharoenchai
p. 44 Recapturing RUN & LEARN Projects in Thailand
Gridthiya Gaweewong (Artistic Director, Jim Thompson Art Center)
p. 48 Art and Culture Spot Bangkok
p. 50 MESSY SKY Nº02
p. 54 Conversation: Karin Phisolyabut
p. 58 Conversation: Top Changtrakul
p. 62 Articulating Sphere: Contemporary Art Space in Thailand
Narongsak Nilkhet (Independent Curator)
p. 68 Crossing Over...Film—Visual Arts
Mary Pansanga (Independent Curator)
p. 72 Conversation: Tokin Teekanun
p. 76 Art & Culture Spot Chiang Mai
p. 78 The Bare Truth of Chiang Mai
Prapat Jiwarangsan (Artist)
p. 82 Conversation: Torlarp Larpjaroensook
p. 86 Conversation: Voranon Suetrong
p. 94 Elastic Cities
Pichaya Aime Suphavanij (Curator, Bangkok Art and Culture Centre [BACC])
p. 108 Contributors
p. 110 RUN & LEARN Thailand

Exhibition (Malaysia 1)

M_kng Sp_c_: We Are Where We Aren't

This exhibition attempted to consider the monopoly of space in cities. The exhibited artworks by eight artists and art groups disrupted the dichotomy of public and private, raising questions about the monopolization of space while extracting various aspects of the concept of space.

Data
Dates & Venue
(Kuala Lumpur)
January 31–February 9, 2015
Sekeping Sin Chew Kee
Curators Ong Jo-Lene (Independent Curator)
Artists Zedeck Siew with Sharon Chin and Maung Day, Saiful Razman and Ilham Fadhli, Okui Lala, Kontak!, Jeffrey Lim, Goh Lee Kwang, Engku Iman, Daniel Chong
Organizers The Japan Foundation
Support Sekeping Retreats

Exhibition (Malaysia 2)

Re: Engage—The People's Court

This was a Cantonese community-based exhibition and project in the UNESCO World Heritage site of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. Four artists took part in a residency program, and, through discussions and dialogue with local people, created artworks that recorded memories of residents who are caught between the urbanization ushered in by economic growth and the need to protect their cultural heritage.

Data
Dates & Venue
(Gorge Town)
January 25–February 15, 2015
People's Court
Curators Lee Cheah Ni (Artist)
Artists Chang Yoong Chia, Chua Teck Yeo (@Yeo Lyle), Okui Lala, Tan Lay Heong
Organizers The Japan Foundation
Support Penang State Government, Majilis Perbandaran Pulan Pinang [MPPP], George Town World Heritage Incorporated, YB TEH LAI HENG Service Center, Persatuan Penduduk-Penduduk Rumah Pangsa People's Court, Pulan Pinang, LUMA
Notes Artists' Residency: October 2014–January 2015

Exhibition (Malaysia 3)

Being Maphilindo

“Maphilindo” was a proposed federation at the beginning of the 1960s consisting of current-day Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia. Though ultimately not realized and rarely remembered today, five artists and artist groups each created a story inspired by Maphilindo and presented it as an artwork. These stories were not simply recollections, but also made the viewer aware of present immigrations problems across the three nations.

Data
Dates & Venue
(Kota Kinabalu)
February 7–22, 2015
Sabah Art Gallery
Curators Harold Egn Eswar (Architect Assistant, Kota Kinabalu City worker)
Artists Bram Ibrahim, Dina Gadia, Pangrok Sulap, Kato Tsubasa, Cracko Art Group
Organizers The Japan Foundation; Sabah Art Gallery
Support Sabah Cultural Board

Guide Book (Malaysia)

Cover of Run & Learn : Projects & Art Guide, Malaysia

Run & Learn: Projects & Art Guide, Malaysia
Edited by RogueArt; The Japan Foundation

  • Publisher:
    Tokyo: The Japan Foundation
  • Year:
    2015
  • Total Number of Pages:
    72
  • Size:
    26 cm
  • Language:
    Japanese (jpn); English (eng)
  • NCID:
    BB19324155

[Contents]

p. 1 Foreword
The Japan Foundation Asia Center
p. 2 Map of Malaysia
p. 3 Plural Agendas: Brief Notes on the Malaysian Art Scene through the Decades
Beverly Yong
p. 8 Future Curation Now: Connecting Places and People
Yap Sau Bin
p. 12 Kuala Lumpur
p. 18 Kuala Lumpur's Art Scene
Beverly Yong
p. 21 Independence: Communities: HistoriesInterview with Yeoh Lian Heng, Co-Founder, Lostgens
Chris Pereira
p. 22 M_KNG SP_C_ : We Are Where We Aren't
p. 22 Curator's Statement
p. 26 Interview with the Curator: Ong Jo-Lene
Text by Beverly Yong
p. 30 Exhibition as Spatial Laboratory: Notes on M_KNG SP_C_: We Are Where We Aren't
Yap Sau Bin
p. 32 George Town
p. 38 Penang's Art Scene
Sara Loh
p. 41 Heritage: Culture: Education Chen Yoke Pin, Program Manager, Arts-Ed
Chris Pereira
p. 42 Re: Engage: The People's Court
p. 42 Curator's Statement
p. 46 Interview with the Curator: Lee Cheah Ni
Text by Beverly Yong
p. 50 Claiming/Re-Claiming Community Space: Notes on the People's Court Art Project
Yap Sau Bin
p. 52 Kota Kinabalu
p. 58 Sabah's Art Scene
Jennifer Linggi
p. 60 Women: Identity: CollectingInterview with Jennifer Linggi on her collection of Sabahan Bakul
Chris Pereira
p. 61 Being Maphilindo
p. 61 Curator's Statement
p. 64 Interview with the Curator: Harold Egn Eswar
Text by Beverly Yong
p. 68 Mobilizing Art across Boundaries: Thoughts on Being Maphilindo
Yap Sau Bin
What We Do