introducing: Curating Lab

Curating Lab: 2012
Curatorial-Intensive & Internship Programme
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 ABOUT         

Curating Lab offers final year tertiary students, recent graduates and young curators exposure into curatorial perspectives and practices. Organised by NUS Museum in partnership with the National Arts Council, this six-month programme begins with a curatorial-intensive designed as a workshop, followed by internship assignments. Participants are guided by facilitators and mentors, working towards a final exhibition project The programme centres on curatorial heterogeneities and contingencies, to be addressed as practices informed by conceptions of the nation and the global, spaces and their contexts, where modalities of practice are shaped and positions defined.

 ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS         

Application is open to Singapore citizens/PRs.

Individuals who are interested in pursuing a career as a curator or in the heritage industry.

          Recent graduates or final year students (e.g. local graduates with major or minor in art/art   
          history; arts management and heritage-related majors such as history, sociology,  
          architecture, Southeast Asian studies etc.)

          Individuals working in the arts with less than 3 years experience (in last five years)

 PROGRAMME         

The Curating Lab programme includes a Curatorial-Intensive designed as a workshop, an Internship period with selected institutions, a Regional Field Trip and a Final Exhibition Project, organised over a period of six months

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For more information, please download the Application Package

Application

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   ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS          

Application for this programme is open to all Singapore citizens/PRs

• Final Year Tertiary Students - a major or minor in art/ art-history/ arts management or heritage-related subjects such as history, sociology, architecture, Southeast Asian studies.
• Fresh Graduates - a major or minor in art/  art-history/ arts management or heritage-related subjects such as history, sociology, architecture, Southeast Asian Studies. Applications must be made within one year from graduation date
• Arts and Heritage Professionals - Individuals working in the arts/ heritage industry with less than three years cumulative experience (in the last 5 years).

   SELECTION PROCESS     

Applications will be reviewed by an assessment panel consisting of NUS Museum staff and internship curator-mentors. The assessment will be based on the submitted applications, written submission of statement of intent and assessment piece. Successful candidates will be informed via email of the results.

   PROGRAMME COSTS         

There is no cost for registering and participating in this programme.

A travel allowance of $200 per month will be provided during the Internship

All programme, travel and accommodation costs during the Regional Field Trip will be covered by the Programme.

   APPLICATION FORM SUBMISSION DETAILS          

Please download the Application Package for more information & instructions on how to apply. 

A copy of Annex A: Application Form and a signed copy of Annex B: Terms & Conditions must be submitted to NUS Museum by 15 July 2012 by post or in person to the following address. 

Attn: Michelle Kuek
NUS Museum, NUS Centre For the Arts
University Cultural Centre
50 Kent Ridge Crescent
Singapore 119279

All applications sent by post must be postmarked before or on the deadline. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
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For further enquiries, please contact:

Michelle Kuek I   michellekuek@nus.edu.sg I  (65) 6516 8428

Jolene Lee I   jo.leewh@nus.edu.sg I   (65) 6516 8797

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phase 1. Curatorial-Intensive

 PROGRAMME         

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Dates

30 July - 6 August 2012
(6 working days)

Concept

As an introduction to curatorial practice, the Curatorial-Intensive will consist of lectures, tutorials, and exhibition visits. Participants are to recognize fluidity of curatorial perspectives, informed by the dynamics between curators, artists, objects, institutions and their contexts. The workshop will emphasize discussions and dialogue, where tutorials will be complemented by journal writing and presentations.

Learning Objectives

Lectures conducted during the curatorial intensive will cover aspects of contemporary curating, where relevant, referenced to projects completed by the lecturers and their conceptual frameworks. Participants are expected to complete related readings assigned, and to actively participate in discussions during tutorials. Aspects of contemporary curating are as follows:

• (Re)Working the Canon: Curators and Institutions
• Positions and Repositionings: Writing Asia
• Art/Politics/Activism: Curating with a Cause?
• Artist/Curator: Collaborations and Resistance

Lead Facilitators

          Patrick D. Flores is Professor of Art Studies at the Department of Art Studies at the     

          University of the Philippines, which he chaired from 1997 to 2003 and Curator of the  
          Vargas Museum in Manila. He is Adjunct Curator at the National Art Gallery, Singapore. 
          He was one of the curators of Under Construction: New Dimensions in Asian Art in 2000-
          2003 and the Gwangju Biennale (Position Papers) in 2008.

          Heman Chong is an artist, curator and writer. His art practice involves an investigation  
          into the philosophies, reasons and methods of individuals and communities imagining 
          the future. Charged with a conceptual drive, this research is then adapted into objects, 
          images, installations, situations or texts. He participated in the 2nd Singapore Biennale   
          (2008), Busan Biennale (2004) and represented Singapore at the 50th Venice Biennale 
          (2003). He previously co‐facilitated Curating Labs 2009 and co‐curated the 
          accompanying Curating Labs: 100 Objects (Remixed) exhibition  

Workshop Invited Speakers

          Cosmin Costinas is the Executive Director of Para/Site Art Space (Hong Kong) and its   

          first Outset Curator of Contemporary Art. He was formerly a Curator at BAK, basis voor  

          actuele kunst (Utrecht) and an advisory board member of Patterns/Erste Foundation   

          (Vienna). He co‐curated the 1st Ural Industrial Biennial and was the editor of documenta 

          12 Magazines from 2005‐2007. He has taught and lectured at various universities and art      academies in Europe and China.

          Pauline J. Yao is an independent curator and scholar based in Beijing and Hong Kong.    

          Previously, Yao co‐founded the Arrow Factory in Beijing, and was a co‐curator of the 

          Shenzhen Hong Kong Bi‐City Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism in 2009.

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phase 2. Internship

 PROGRAMME         

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Dates
13 August- 2 November 2012 (12 weeks)

NUS Museum I   Thursday 5-8pm
Singapore Art Museum  I   Tuesday 6-8pm and/or Thursday 6-8pm
Future Perfect  I   Wednesday 5-7pm and/or Friday 5-7pm

(The internship is not a full-time commitment. It will require a minimum of 3-5 hours/ week contact-time with the respective institutions' curator-mentor. However it is to be noted that you may be expected to meet outside official hours to work on assigned projects.)

Concept
With the completion of the workshop, programme participants will embark on a 3-month Internship programme where they will be afforded the opportunity to work closely with practitioners across different spectrums of the arts and heritage industry, developing practical work skills to build upon the theoretical foundations from the workshop. Participants will get to join in on-going work and develop a new project under the auspices of the institution, and according to its mandate.

Participating Institutions

         NUS Museum's mission is to actively facilitate the intellectual and cultural life of the NUS 
         community. Focusing primarily but not exclusively on Southeast Asian art and culture, the   
         Museum contributes to and facilitates the production, reception, and preservation of 
         knowledge through collections development and curatorial practice, developing  
         partnerships within NUS, the cultural and heritage industry, and the global knowledge 
         community.

         Singapore Art Museum (SAM) advocates and presents contemporary art practices of 
         Singapore and the Southeast Asian region. Opened in January 1996 as a museum 
         under the National Heritage Board of Singapore, SAM has amassed one of the world's 
         largest public collections of modern and contemporary Southeast Asian artworks, with a 
         growing component in international contemporary art. Since 2009, SAM has focused its 
         programming and collections development initiatives around contemporary Southeast 
         Asian art, and art practices. Through strategic alliances with arts and cultural institutions 
         and community organisations, SAM facilitates visual arts education, exchange, research 
         and development within the region and internationally. SAM also organised the 
         Singapore Biennale 2011.

          Future Perfect works with an international roster of contemporary artists. With extensive 
          knowledge and experience in the Asian region and beyond, Future Perfect provides 
          international promotion and representation for contemporary artists, as well as research 
          and advice for collectors, institutions and curators. The gallery boasts extensive 
          international networks in Europe, Australia and Southeast Asia. It is committed to 
          advancing the practice of the most dynamic and innovative contemporary artists, working 
          across a wide range of traditional and non-traditional media.

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phase 2. Regional Field Trip

 PROGRAMME         

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Dates

10-12 September 2012 (3 days, 2 nights)

Concept

Organised during the internship period, the Regional Field Trip aims to expose participants to international curatorial practice, provide international networking opportunities and allow participants to put into context curatorial practices in Singapore with the Southeast Asian region. The field trip programme will be co-organised between NUS Museum and the Soemardja Gallery, Institut Teknologi Bandung.

The field trip will include visits to the Soemardja Gallery, Platform 3 and Selasar Sunaryo Art Space. Presentations and discussion sessions have been planned with figures in the Bandung and Indonesian art scene such as Aminudin TH Siregar, Rizki A. Zaelani, Agung Hujatnikajennong and Jim Supangkat. 

Aminudin TH Siregar  I   "Bandung School and Indonesian Modern Art"
Rizki A. Zaelani  I   "Problems of Curating in the Indonesian Art Scene"
Agung Hujatnikajennong  I   "Curatorial Strategies in Selasar Sunaryo Art Space"
Jim Supangkat  I   "Contemporary Art in Indonesia"

Participating Institution

Soemardja Gallery, as the oldest university gallery in Indonesia, serves as an educational complement to Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB)'s Department of Fine Art and as a cultural resource for the institute and art communities in Bandung. The gallery is a place for contemporary art exhibitions and serves as a platform for students to learn and study the management of exhibitions and art programmes through curatorial and volunteer projects.

Location

Bandung, Indonesia
Itinerary to include visits to Soemardja Gallery, Platform 3, Selasar Sunaryo Art Space. 

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phase 3. Final Exhibition Project

 PROGRAMME         

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During the internship, all groups of participants are to develop a final project within the auspices and according to the mandate of their attached institution. Participants will be tasked to manage all facets of the exhibition and will be mentored by a curator within their respective institutions. The project should be exhibitionary in nature and will be presented at the end or after the internship period.

Common Programmes

During the internship period, participants will gather together at certain junctures for common programmes such as lectures, screenings, field trips and conferences. These common programmes may be organised by the participants or participating institutions and will be announced in due time. Confirmed common programmes at this point in time include:

• University Museum and Collections (UMAC) Conference I   10-12 October 2012
• Roundtable with Professor Apinan Poshyananda I   11 October 2012

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