« Curating–In–Depth (SI)
Barbara Borčić, curator, writer, SCCA–Ljubljana, Slovenia
Graduated with B. A. in art history from the Ljubljana Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana and studied PhD media studies and anthropology, Institutum Studiorum Humanitatis, Postgraduate Faculty of Humanities, Ljubljana). Since 2000 director of SCCA−Ljubljana, Center for Contemporary Arts. Active in the field of contemporary arts as a free-lance curator, publicist and editor. Member of AICA and IKT. In frame of SCCA Borčić conceived and edited the documentation, archival and research project on video art in Slovenia under the title Videodokument. Video Art in Slovenia 1969–1998. She is also curating video programs under the title Videospotting and writing about video (in English: ‘From Alternative Scene to Art Video’, in Reader V2_East Meeting, No. 1, Rotterdam, 1996; ‘Video Art from Conceptualism to Postmodernism’, in Impossible Histories: Historical Avant-Gardes, Neo-Avant-Gardes, and Post-Avant-Gardes in Yugoslavia, 1918–1991, MIT Press, Massachussetts, 2003). She was a leader of curated web project Internet Portfolio, research projects What Is to Be Done with the Balkan Art and What Is to Be Done with the Audiovisual Archives, and editor of PlatformaSCCA magazine. At the moment she is also a leader of No Nails, No Pedestals presentation/discussion program and of a physical and web archive of video art DIVA Station. From 1980 on she worked in Škuc Gallery, Ljubljana and was the artistic director of the gallery 1982–1985. Between 1982 and 1992 she was involved in video practice in frame of Ljubljana alternative scene and collaborated on several art and documentary video projects. 1991–1992 she was editor-in-chief of the fine arts magazine Art Words. From 1993 she was an assistant to the director, from 1997 the director of the Soros Center for Contemporary Arts – Ljubljana.
Isabel Ching, curator, writer, Singapore
Isabel Ching is a curator and writer who holds a Masters of Arts in Art History from the University of Sydney, Australia. She is currently a Ph. D. candidate at the University of Heidelberg, Germany, and member of its Cluster of Asia and Europe in a Global Context’s Graduate Program for Transcultural Studies. Her doctoral research project investigates conceptualism in Myanmar, The Philippines, and Singapore from the 1960s to 1990s. She is the co-curator of To Be Continued, and Complete & Unabridged parts 1 and 2 about Philippine conceptual artist Roberto Chabet (2011), and ‘plAy’, a major showcase of installation and video art from Myanmar (2010). She has also curated exhibitions of artists from China, Hong Kong, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, and was recently guest curator of the 9th BrandNew Art Project in 2014 hosted by the Bangkok University, Thailand.
Dušan Dovč, project manager, SCCA–Ljubljana, Slovenia
Studied Comparative Literature and Slovene Language at the Faculty of Arts in Ljubljana. His first working experiences in the art sector he gained at Emzin, Institute for Creative Production and Arts Magazine as an editor and head of the projects (1997−2002), continued at Pristop, consultancy and communications company as an assistant for public relations (June-December 2003). Since 2004 he is employed at SCCA−Ljubljana as a production manager, responsible for coordination, public relations and fundraising. At SCCA−Ljubljana he is also a member of a physical and web archive of video art DIVA Station and coordinates No Nails, No Pedestals program. He is active in the field of cultural policy (a member of an expert group on mobility information standards at the European Commission, May−December 2011, a member of management board at Asociacija, Association of Arts and Culture NGOs and Freelancers, Ljubljana since 2009).
Antares Gomez Bartolome, independent writer, curator, Philippines
Antares Gomez is a Manila-based independent writer and curator as well as a practicing artist. He is an Art History graduate from the College of Fine Arts in the University of the Philippines whose recent curatorial projects include Hold Everything Dear at the University of the Philippines Film Institute, Ian Carlo Jaucianís Fork Bomb at 1335 Mabini, the HLMX Wall Project in the Hacienda Luisita Massacre Commemoration, Alwin Reamillo’s Tinubuang Lupa at the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Cian Dayrit’s Bla-bla Archeological Complex at the Vargas Museum, and Blindspots 01: The President’s Office, also at the Vargas Museum. He is a cultural activist and is a member of organizations such as Concerned Artists of the Philippines and Luisita Watch, as well as a spokesperson for Artista Kontra Korupsyon (AKKSYON). He is a convenor and consultant of Graffiesta, a street art and graffiti initiative run by Kabataan para sa Tunay na Kalayaan (KARATULA, Youth for Genuine Freedom) and has also taught courses at Philippine Women’s University and Kalayaan College. He was a participant in the Young Curators Workshop of the 8th Berlin Biennale in 2014. He most recently served as Festival Director for Project Bakawan, a collaborative art festival that sought to raise critical awareness and build networks to address the environmental crisis.
Miha Kelemina (1985)
In 2010, he graduated in Art History from the Faculty of Arts in Ljubljana. In 2011, he enrolled in the World of Art, School for Curators and Critics of Contemporary Art, which operates as part of the Center for Contemporary Arts SCCA–Ljubljana. After completing his training at SCCA–Ljubljana, he worked in the archives and the library, and later at the Diva Station portal for video art. He is currently coordinator of the World of Art as well as the Studio 6 exhibition and research programme. He has also completed additional training in project management. He is a founding member of the OFFTIR Association for Visual and Sound Art, a collaborator of the Video Wall project by artist Pila Rusjan, and since 2013 also a collaborator of the Culture and Humanities Editorial Office at Radio Študent, where he is editor of the Art-Area show.
Antonija Letinić, editor, Kulturpunkt.hr, Croatia
Editor-in-chief of the Internet publication Kulturpunkt.hr and is in charge of other projects of the organization Kurziv – Platform for Matters of Culture, Media and Society, such are the project management and coordination of the educational programme Kulturpunkt’s Journalistic School ‘World of Art’ and programme Criticism – Past, Present, Future. Since 2000 she collaborates with numerous cultural and artistic organizations in Zagreb. From 2004 till 2009 worked as executive producer and PR at International festival of new theatre Eurokaz where she was also in charge for editing publications. She is one of the founders of the organization Nemeze – Association for development of non-profit media. She is a member of the organization Kurziv where she has a role of the vice president of the organization. Collaborates with magazines specialized in arts and culture.
Saša Nabergoj, curator, SCCA–Ljubljana, Slovenia
Art historian, curator and critic. Assistant director at SCCA−Ljubljana, Center for Contemporary Arts (Slovenia). A member of AICA and IKT. Writer, editor, curator and lecturer on contemporary art, focusing on curatorial and critical practices. At SCCA−Ljubljana she is a head of World of Art, School for Curators and Critics of Contemporary Art (since 1998) and Studio 6 (since 2004). She curated many exhibition, among them: Day by Day (Škuc Gallery, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 2014); with Simona Žvanut, Kdor jezika špara, kruha strada (Krško Gallery, Krško, 2014–), In Our Backyard: PLEH References in Ljubljana (International Centre of Graphic Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 2014), Uni-form (Project Room SCCA, Ljubljana, 2014); with Simona Žvanut, Port Izmir3 (International Triennial of Contemporary Art, Austro-Turk Tobacco Warehouse and various scenes in the city, Izmir, Turkey, produced by K2, Contemporary Art Association, 2014), Line Stroke the Letter (Matchpoint Gallery, Ljubljana, 2013); with co-workers, Studio 6 Presents: Liminale (Project Room SCCA, Ljubljana, 2013, exhibition was part of 7th Triennial of Contemporary Art in Slovenia); with Simona Žvanut, That’s Doodles (City Gallery Nova Gorica, Nova Gorica, Slovenia, 2013), Doodles (Simulaker Gallery, Novo mesto, Slovenia, 2012), Studio 6 Presents: CAC Bukovje (SLO) and Studio Golo Brdo (CRO) (Matchpoint Gallery, Ljubljana, 2011), Tomislav Brajnović: Ekspedition_ego (Alkatraz Gallery, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 2010); both with Sonja Zavrtanik, Around the world of art in 4.380 days. World of Art 1997–2009 (Alkatraz Gallery, Ljubljana, 2009), Ola Pehrson. Retrospective. Ljubljana. Beograd. Stockholm (Škuc Gallery, Ljubljana, 2008; Salon of Museum of Contemporary Art Beograd, Serbia, 2008 and Färgfabriken, Sweden, 2009); with Joa Ljungberg. She has lectured extensively, recently: Eksperimentator versus ekspert (Nova Gorica City Gallery, Nova Gorica, 2014), Legends and Stories of the Parallel Reality on symposia Archive as a Strategy: Conversations on self-historisation on the Case of East Art Map organised by Calvert 22 and University College of London (2012), Curatorial Intervention on a conference Applied Exhibiting, ECM, Postgraduate educating, curating and managing studies at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna (2012) and A Praize of Lazyness at TEDx in Maribor, Slovenia (January 2011).
She edited several publications, recently: Open Systems, Quaterly for Contemporary Art and Theory (August 2013), Anthology Dilemmas of Curatorial Practices (2012); with Barbara Borčić.
In collaboration with Alkatraz Gallery and Simona Žvanut she has been working on research of visual art scene at Autonomous Cultural Center (ACC) Metelkova City, Ljubljana (2011–2013). Within this working process they prepared: The Closing Stop, various locations in ACC Metelkova City, 2013 (co-curated Metelkova Revived!, documentary exhibition at the 20th Anniversary of ACC Metelkova City, Alkatraz Gallery, Ljubljana, 2013; with co-workers) and A Mid-Stop, various locations in ACC Metelkova, 2012.
Guest lecturer at the Department of Art History (Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana) at Seminar for Modern Art I (Assist. Prof. Rebeka Vidrih) in 2012/2013 and 2013/2014.
Guest lecturer at the School of Arts (University of Nova Gorica, Gorica) in 2014/2015 and 2015/2016: together with dr. Petja Grafenauer lecturing the course entitled DIWO Art Systems: Corrections of the Dominant yet Deficient System and Narrative of Visual Art in Slovenia from 1960 to 2000.
John Kenneth Paranada, curator, Philippines
John Kenneth Paranada is an emerging curator who is currently in the process of completing his MA Curating degree in Zurich, Switzerland. He looks at curating as a scientific process where countless failures are inevitable and necessary to gather and synthesize justice to curatorial projects that had a noble agenda. His latest group show was exhibited at the knoerle & baettig contemporary in Switzerland titled the City is My Frankenstein as part of the 750th celebration of the city of Winterthur. He is an avid scholar of contemporary art and postcolonial experiences.
Sidd Perez, curator, art writer, Planting Rice, Philippines
Sidd Perez is a curator and art writer from the Philippines. Since 2012, she shuttles between Manila and Singapore in programming The Drawing Room while actively pursuing the activities of Planting Rice, a curatorial and resource platform focused on Philippine practices and its cross-pollinations, that she founded with another curator Lian Ladia. Graduating from Ateneo De Manila University in 2008, she has then been affiliated with Ateneo Art Gallery and Valentine Willie Fine Art and has ran an artist space LOSTprojects.
Moe Satt, artist, curator, Myanmar
Lives and works as an artist and curator in Yangon, Myanmar. He started creating art after graduating in Zoology in 2005. Moe Satt is part of a new generation of Myanmar artists to emerge after the year 2000, with a different approach to making, from conception to embodiment. He was invited to be the resident artist from several locations including Rimbun Dahan (Malaysia, 2008), Hooyong Performing Art Center (S-Korea, 2008), 3331 Arts Chiyoda (Japan, 2011), De Deelstaat Nijmegen, (Netherlands, 2013). He has actively participated in live arts festivals in Asia, and occasionally in the West. He has participated in several major exhibition including the Busan Biennale (2012), CAFA biennale (Beijing, 2013), Concept Context Contestation: Collective-Driven Art In Southeast Asia (Bangkok, 2013), and The Journal of the Plague Year (S Korea, 2014). Moe Satt also works regularly as a curator. Selected curated exhibitions: On/Off: Myanmar Contemporary Art Event, The Almaz Collective (Vietnam, 2010), Forward/Backward: 8 Myanmar Second-Wave Contemporary Artists, H Gallery (Thailand, 2011). Beyond Pressure Festival of Contemporary Art, Yangon (Myanmar, 2012). General / Tiger / Gun: Group exhibition by Myanmar artists, Rebel Art Space (Bangkok, 2014), The Mirror_reflect the society, TS1 Gallery, Yangon (Myanmar, 2008). He founded Beyond Pressure, an international festival of performance art in Myanmar. He writes regularly on art in Myanmar and contributes to magazines across the region. He is currently artist in residency at Recollets in Paris.
Simona Žvanut, curator, writer, SCCA–Ljubljana, Slovenia
In 2011 she graduated from art history, comparative literature and literature theory at the Faculty of Arts in Ljubljana. At SCCA, Center for Contemporary Arts − Ljubljana she coordinates School for Critics and Curators of Contemporary Art World of Art and its research-exhibition program Studio 6, as well as contributes to their concept and program and participates at various projects and exhibitions. She is a curator, writer of texts dealing with the field of contemporary art and web-editor for arhiv.worldofart.org.
Curated: Day by Day (Škuc Gallery, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 2014); with Saša Nabergoj, Vseeno (Sokolski dom, Škofja Loka, Slovenia, 2014), Stik/h (Fürst House, Ptuj, Slovenia, 2014), Studio 6 Presents: Uni-form (Project Room SCCA, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 2014, exhibition was part of the International Ceramic Triennial UNICUM 2015); with Saša Nabergoj, Liminale (Project Room SCCA, Ljubljana, 2013, exhibition was part of 7th Triennial of Contemporary Art in Slovenia); with Saša Nabergoj. In collaboration with Alkatraz Gallery and Saša Nabergoj she has been working on research of visual art scene at Autonomous Cultural Center (ACC) Metelkova City, Ljubljana, Slovenia (2011–2013). Within this working process they prepared: The Closing Stop, various locations in ACC Metelkova City, 2013 (co-curated Metelkova Revived!, documentary exhibition at the 20th Anniversary of ACC Metelkova City, Alkatraz Gallery, Ljubljana, 2013; with co-workers) and A Mid-Stop, various locations in ACC Metelkova, 2012.
Image Credits: personal archives, except: Johnny Amore (Moe Satt), Rolando Tolentino (Antares Gomez Bartolome), Bangkokg University Gallery (Isabel Ching), Voranc Vogel (Saša Nabergoj)