CV since ****
****:
Art, Faith and Healing: Sunsook Roh
Seoul: Moonji Publishing Co., Ltd. (forthcoming)
2021:
Author, ‘In the Sphere of the Soviets:
The Cultural Legacy of the Soviet Union.’
UK: Macmillan, Palgrave Press.
2020:
Author, ‘Roberto Chabet: The Russian connection’
Journal of Contemporary Painting, (Volume 6, Numbers 1-2), pp. 79-92(14)
Curator, Exhibition: Questioning Power.
Osage Foundation. Hong Kong.
Co-edited with Siegfried Zelinski,: Art in the 21st century: Reflections and Provocations, with a contributing essay.
Hong Kong: Osage Foundation, 2020.
Author: ‘Play, in spite of…”
Singapore: Tropical Lab.15.
2019:
Curator, Contemporary projects,
Karvasla: Contemporary Art Gallery, National Museum, Tbilisi, Georgia
Contributing essay WYSIWYG: Jeffrey Shaw. Osage Foundation.
2018:
Curator, Contemporary projects,
Karvasla: Contemporary Art Gallery, National Museum, Tbilisi, Georgia
Co-curator
Bristol/Tbilisi: 1988-2018
Contemporary Art Gallery, National Art Museum of Georgia, Tbilisi
Curator:
Repetition: Zhao Zhao takes Action,
Osage Foundation, Hong Kong
Paper ‘Chabet: The Russian Connection’ at Symposium: Art and Action: Contemporary Art and Discourse in Southeast Asia LASALLE College of the Arts Singapore (Dec.)
2016-20017:
Curator, Contemporary projects,
Karvasla: Contemporary Art Gallery, National Museum, Tbilisi, Georgia
Author, State of Play: Georgian Art 1980’s-1990’s.
Tbilisi: National Museum of Georgia, 2017.
Editor, Contemporary Art Gallery Projects
Introductory Essay: ‘East of the East’
Tbilisi: National Museum of Georgia, 2016
Committees:
- Venice Biennale
- Batumi-Odessa Photo Festival
- Advisory committee, Photo Macau
2015: Visiting Scholar, Baptist University, Hong Kong
2015: Research Fellow, Center for Contemporary Art, Singapore (3 months)
2014: Visiting Professor, National Technological University, Singapore
Author and Editor, After Memory: Forty Years of Milenko Prvacki 1971-2013
Singapore: Relay Books, 2013
Co-Editor with John Potts, and Contributing essay, After the Event
Manchester University Press, 2010
2010 -2013:
DIRECTOR & CURATOR,
INSTITUTE OF CONTEMPORARY ARTS SINGAPORE,
LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore
Directing and overseeing the administration, finance, the curatorial/exhibitions, publications and public programs of the ICAS.
Under my leadership, the ICAS held between 45- 50 exhibitions every year in our 6 galleries. 40% of these were Faculty-based exhibitions that we either generated or were proposed by a member of one of the 5 Faculties. We help shape the exhibition, allocate a calendar time and install it. The other 60% of the exhibitions originated from across the greater Asian region. These exhibitions were either curated by us or guest curated by a guest curator of one of those countries represented. In this latter case, we managed it financially, and oversaw its installation, catalogue, publicity and tours or talks. During the course of this time, I myself curated a number of exhibitions for the ICAS.
The ‘TriSpace’ series was dedicated to young graduating or graduate artists who showed in the smallest of the exhibition spaces. We also oversaw the organization of the LASALLE Graduate exhibition from across the 5 Faculties Fine Arts, Design, Performance, Media Arts and Creative Industries in May of each year.
We were invited to participate in the Singapore Biennale (October 2013), and I curated a major review of contemporary artists in Central Asia.
Under my directorship, the ICAS had an ongoing commitment to publishing catalogues in association with our exhibitions and a two-monthly calendar of upcoming exhibitions and events. Public talks and curated tours were offered for students, staff and Secondary schools and the general public.
We restored and improved the six Galleries we manage and installed a new space to house the Permanent LASALLE Collection.
Some major exhibitions I curated or co-curated include:
- ‘Lost to the Future: Contemporary Art from Central Asia,’ Singapore Biennale (October, 2013)
- ‘DaWu Tang’ (2013)
- ‘Milenko Prvacki Retrospective’ (2012)
- ‘Encounters’: 24 artists from the Royal Academy (London) and 24 artists from Asia. (2012)
OTHER PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES 2010 - 2013:
Invited mentor program leader to Venice Biennale for National Arts Council, Singapore (2013)
Juries/Committees:
NAC Jury member for various project including Singapore Pavilion participation in Venice Biennale, (2010-2014)
Arts Creation Fund Panel,
National Arts Council, (NAC) (2011-12)
Art Stage Special Projects (2013)
Membership: Member of CIMAM
Member of IACA
Editorial Board: Istuvvo, Moscow
Yishu, Journal of Contemporary Chinese
Art Advisory Board, Art Asia Pacific
2009:
VISITING FELLOW, ZKM CENTER FOR ART AND MEDIA,
KARLSRUHE, GERMANY
OTHER PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES 2009/2010:
Co-Founder: MoMentuM: Event of Moving Image (2009)
Juries/Committees:
International Jury,
October Salon,
Belgrade Cultural Center (2009)
Advisory Committee,
8th Shanghai Biennale (2009-2010)
Jury Nominator,
Jameel Prize, Victoria & Albert Museum,
London (2009)
Chairman of Advisory Committee &
Member of Selection Committee
Hong Kong International Art Fair (2009)
Academic Posts: Visiting Lecturer,
Sotheby’s Institute,
Singapore (January 2010)
Visiting Professor,
Faculty of Humanities,
Chinese University, Hong Kong (May/June, 2009)
Senior Research Fellow,
School of Arts and Aesthetics,
Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi (March/April, 2009)
Curatorial: Special Exhibition: ‘Crossing the Arabian-Persian Gulf’
Hong Kong International Art Fair,
Hong Kong (May 2009)
Membership: Member of CIMAM
Member of IACA
Editorial: Editorial Board,
Yishu, Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art
Advisory Board, Art Asia Pacific
Chair of Advisory Board, Raking Leaves, London
Beijing-Venice-London: Ai Weiwei-Herzog & de Meuron. (Vols.1/2).
Co-Editor Mathew Price and Contributing essay (Vol. 2),
London: Albion Galleries/Basel: Walter Konig, 2008.
Ai Weiwei: Under Construction
Sydney: UNSW Press, 2008.
2007-2008:
DEPUTY DIRECTOR, SAADIYAT CULTURAL DISTRICT,
TOURISM DEVELOPMENT & INVESTMENT CO., ABU DHABI
Responsibilities
·Administrative leadership in establishing creative and cultural vision for Cultural District and for its implantation and delivery
·Management and strategic development of the Cultural District Team
·Committee member for ‘master plan’ development of Saadiyat Island Cultural District with Master Plan Consultancy Co. London
·Budget development & oversight for Cultural District,
·Oversight of Marketing and PR strategies and initiatives for promotion of the Cultural District and current programming,
·Coordination of ongoing negotiations with the Louvre and ‘Agence Museums France’ in museography, loan, exhibition and acquisition program, and in the educational and training policies and development,
·Coordinate ongoing negotiations with the Guggenheim Foundation in museography, loan, exhibition and acquisition programming, educational and training policies and programming,
·Development of new initiatives with international museums in fostering collaboration and program of exhibitions and loans,
·Development of policy and strategy for implementation of a Saadiyat Cultural District public program,
·Development of policy and strategy for implementation of Emirati professional training program for Saadiyat Cultural District,
·Development of strategic partnerships and collaborations with existing cultural and educational organizations in Abu Dhabi and UAE,
·Development of initiatives for fostering contemporary art and creative practices in Abu Dhabi and UAE,
·Development of policy and strategy for implementation of public art commissions.
·Acquisition of major Western, Arab and Emirati work for the Abu Dhabi Collection.
2004–2007 Senior Research Fellow,
Centre for Cross-Cultural Research, Australian National University
The Archive
Editor and Introductory essay,
London: Whitechapel Gallery/Mass.: MIT Press, 2006
OTHER PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES 2007-2008:
Academic Honorary Associate, School of Letters, Arts and Media,
The University of Sydney (2007)
Curatorial Guest Curator,
Special Exhibition: 'Given Difference'
Asian Contemporary Art Fair (ACAF),
New York (November 2008)
Guest Curator,
‘Ai Wewei: Beijing, Venice, London’
Venice Biennale of Architecture & Albion Gallery, London,
(September/October 2008)
‘Under Construction: Ai Weiwei’ - A Survey 1984-2008
Sherman Foundation & Campbelltown Art Center, Sydney
(May-July 2008)
Juries/Committees:
Jury Nominator,
Jameel Prize, Victoria & Albert Museum,
London (2008 - )
Nominee,
Harvard Peabody Museum Fellowship
Cambridge, Mass. (2008)
Chairman of Advisory Committee &
Member of Selection Committee
Hong Kong International Art Fair (2007 -)
Co-Chair for ‘The Idea of World Art History’ Panel,
International Congress for the History of Art (January 2008)
Consultancy Member of Steering Committee, MAJAZ Project,
Bahrain (2007)
Honorary Associate, School of Letters, Arts and Media,
The University of Sydney,
Advisory Curatorial Committee, de Appel Foundation, Amsterdam,
Invited Nominator for Macarthur Foundation Grants,
Invited Professor, Lecture series on Contemporary Art and Curatorial Practice, Suleimania, Iraq.
Membership Member of CIMAM
Member of IACA
Editorial Editorial Board, Yishu, Journal of Contemporary Chinese
Art Advisory Board, Art Asia Pacific
Editorial Advisory Board, Raking Leaves, London
2007:
ARTS CONSULTANT,
EMIRATES FOUNDATION, ABU DHABI
Research of the current status of Arts and Culture organizations and development in the UAE
Report with recommendations for 5-10 year Program and Project Development
2004–2006:
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR & CURATOR
BIENNALE OF SYDNEY
I was initially appointed as Curator of the Biennale and subsequently appointed to the position of Artistic Director by the Board in order to assume greater responsibility for the full range of the Biennale activities, including the management of staff and administration.
Achievements
• Assuming leadership of the staff and all aspects of the event
• Substantially increasing fundraising from international, governmental, corporate and private sectors, patrons and benefactors
• Budget surplus
• Record attendance over the three-month period
• Record number of school attendances and talks
• Program development and collaboration with all levels of educational institutions
• Successful community and interstate program
• Special educational program with Accessible Arts for people with disabilities
• Hosting of special ceremonial event for artists from community of Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islander peoples
• Enlarging exhibition and including greatest number of artists from outside the US and Western Europe in the event’s history
·Creating ‘Comfort Zones’ concept to enable greater access to participating artists with interviews and presentation of the Biennale
Strategic Planning
• Developing resources to enable and support enlarged exhibition, public programming and publications budgets
• Involvement in discussions of governance report and recommendations on Biennale governance
• Sub-Committee for future of alternate exhibition space ‘Pier 2/3’
Management
• Fostering a staff who were newly appointed under my watch
• Overseeing staff in the development and preparation of the Biennale exhibition and event
• Overseeing collaboration with participating venue and program organizations
• Strengthening the involvement of the Board at all levels of the organization
• Innovating and establishing ‘new look’ for Biennale in all publications and publicity
Operations • Establishing new relations of program collaboration and cost-sharing with educational and arts institutions across Sydney and Australia
• Developing a coherent Biennale interstate program of residencies, seminars, talks and touring exhibitions
• Overseeing marketing campaign, especially in pre-event stories and publicity
Financial • Preparing, monitoring and maintaining budget for exhibition, public programming and publications
• Regular submissions to Board on exhibition budget and program development
• Developing new avenues for foreign government support, private sector sponsorship, private patronage and benefaction
• Regular submissions to Board on exhibition budget and program development
Funding • Meeting and negotiating with government agencies both within and outside of Australia to develop funding initiatives
• Writing and overseeing all funding applications
Zones of Contact
General and Commissioning Editor and Introductory essay,
Sydney: Biennale of Sydney, 2006
2004–2007:
SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW
CENTRE FOR CROSS-CULTURAL RESEARCH
AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, CANBERRA
Management:
The position entailed being part of a small management team of the Center responsible for overseeing research programming to promote and ensure stronger public awareness of the Center, including broader forms of dissemination and professional development opportunities for staff, as well as research grants for visiting Fellows.
OTHER PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES:
Membership
2004–2007: Member of CIMAM
2004–2007: Member of IACA
Editorial 2004–2007: Editorial Board, Yishu, Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art
2004–2007: Advisory Board, Art Asia Pacific
1994–2004:
COLLLECTIONS CURATOR
GETTY RESEARCH INSTITUTE, THE GETTY CENTER, LOS ANGELES
I was initially appointed to develop, strengthen and maintain forms of access and dissemination of the Latin American Archive and Research Collection. During my tenure, I was involved at Collection Development Council level in the overall development of the research collection, exhibition program and collaborative projects with tertiary institutions.
Additionally, I instigated the formation of an initiative in developing the Asian Research Collection and Archive.
Achievements
• Establishing a recognized Latin American Research Collection of the visual arts. This included the developing electronic access, a research program attracting scholars, curators and art historians, a public program of lectures for general public and schools, as well as exhibitions with catalogues.
• Four successful exhibitions based on the Collection and local as well as international expertise
• Development of non-Western European collections that have been used for new scholarly research and publication
• The two-part exhibition, Mexico: From Empire to Revolution, was based on a collection of photographs collected for the Institute over five years in my capacity as Collections Curator. It was accompanied by an extensive website which I developed, wrote and oversaw at all stages. I conducted an intensive publicity campaign that involved a series of interviews conducted on Spanish- and English-language television and radio.
• Foundation of an Asian Art Archive and Research Collection with proper budgeting and staffing allocation.
Management:1997–2000 Steering Exhibition Committee
1995–1997 Committee for Contemporary art/history projects
Educational 1997–2000 Committee for postgraduate Research Fellowships
Curatorial 2007 Co-Curator with Rika Hiro,
Art, Anti-Art, Non-Art: Experimentations in the Public Sphere in Postwar Japan 1950–1970,
Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles
2000–2001 Mexico: From Empire to Revolution (Parts 1 & 2),
Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles
1999 The Shadow of Gradiva,
Getty Research Institute of Art History and the Humanities, Los Angeles
1997 Irresistible Decay,
Co-curated with Michael Roth and Claire Lyons,
Publication edited by Michael Roth,
The Getty Research Institute for the History of Art and the Humanities, Los Angeles
Co-Editor with Reiko Tomeii and Rika Hiro.
Art, Anti-Art, Non-Art: Experimentations in the Public Sphere in Postwar Japan 1950–1970.
Contributing essay: ‘Disjunctive Modernity: The Practice of Artistic Experimentation in Postwar Japan.’
Los Angeles: The Getty Research Institute, The Getty Center, 2007