PROGRAMS
CULTIVATE Module 1
‘Every single second of the seminar was precious knowledge that has pushed and challenged me to be a better advocate for our artists…. This was a life changing week for me in all its fullest meanings. And I know that I’m not alone in feeling this!’
Denise Lai
‘It was such a privilege to spend a whole week with you all – listening, learning-unlearning, processing, eating, drinking, exhibition-hopping. You guys have inspired me so much. I will always cherish this experience and this new friendship that we share’.
Nin Djani
1 AUGUST - 30 NOVEMBER 2024
Meet the inaugural cohort of CULTIVATE: Professional Development for Curators and Arts Managers. Each of the 5 CULTIVATE modules brings world-renowned faculty to Bangkok to develop select arts professionals with skills and networks to distinguish themselves and their affiliates as leading facilitators of contemporary art in the region and beyond. Module 1 is co-organized by Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (Asian Culture Council Grantee, 2024).
This inaugural cohort is a distinguished group of 18 practicing curators and arts managers from 7 Southeast Asian countries, leading independent and institutional initiatives across the region. The impressive caliber of this cohort’s participants and the keen interest of practitioners far beyond the region demonstrate the field’s increasing recognition of the need to bridge emerging talent in the Southeast Asian art world with global collaborators. Participants are selected through a competitive application process designed to identify leadership potential, capacity for mentorship, and the relevancy of their work to the program module focus.
CULTIVATE Module 1, “Programming in the Arts,” offers an opportunity to learn from faculty about key issues in our region and the global contemporary art landscape. Participants will build practical know-how and lasting networks through a rigorous seminar program, case study development, group discussions, and 1:1 mentorship. The Module 1 onsite intensive at Bangkok Art and Culture Center took place from August 1–7, and is followed by online mentoring, through November 2024.
Topics of discussion include Research; Exhibitions, Commissions, Artist Liaison; Education; Audience Development, Visitor Engagement; Public Programs, Events, Performances; Artist Interventions and Residencies; Fundraising and Sponsorship; Scenography; Shipping, Art Handling & Installation; Publishing; and Community Collaborations.
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CULTIVATE Module 1 Faculty
Zoe Butt, Founder/Director/Curator, in-tangible institute
Nikita Choi, Deputy Director and Chief Curator of the Times Museum, Guangzhou
Kate Fowle, Senior Curatorial Director, Hauser & Wirth, New York
Luckana Kunavichayanont, Board Member, Secretary and previous director of BACC
Nisa Mackie, Deputy Director of Learning & Engagement at MoMA, New York
Frankie Su, Senior Curator at the Taipei Fine Arts Museum.
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With sincere gratitude to Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (Asian Culture Council Grantee 2024) for their co-sponsorship, co-organizational support and co-hosting of CULTIVATE Module 1. And to our CULTIVATE Program Partners, ATTA Gallery and SAC Gallery, whose patronage of this entire 5-module program helps sustain the necessary know-how and networks to elevate our arts infrastructure on an international stage.
With additional thanks to the following individuals/organizations for their sponsorship of participants in Module 1: Silverlens, Manila; Nguyen Art Foundation, Ho Chi Minh City; ROH, Jakarta; IndoArtNow, Jakarta; Elevations Laos; A+ Works of Art, Kuala Lumpur; Anne Thu Pham.
This project is supported by the Asian Cultural Council, whose mission is to advance international dialogue, understanding, and respect through cultural exchange activities in Asia and the United States.
For further information on how you can support CULTIVATE, please contact us.
CULTIVATE Module 1 Participants
(from left to right, top to bottom)
Jongsuwat Angsuvarnsiri is a former director at SAC Gallery, Bangkok where he served for over 10 years. He is currently pursuing the founding of a new cultural institution in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Dea Aprilia is curious about communicating and delivering ideas through exhibitions. Dea is currently working as a full-time gallery manager at ROH, Jakarta.
Megan Arlin is an arts manager from Indonesia currently based in Singapore. She is the director of Sullivan+Strumpf (Singapore), leading the gallery’s local and international itinerant programs and expanding the roster of represented artists, particularly from Southeast Asia.
Clara Che Wei Peh is a Singapore-based curator and arts writer examining the intersections of art, money, and technology. She was recently Asia Collection Fellow at KADIST, and has curated projects with institutions such as The Institutum, ArtScience Museum and Art Dubai.
Nin Djani is a curator, writer, and educator who specializes in interdisciplinary approach to art education through contemporary museum practice. Since 2021, she serves as the Curator of Education and Public Programs at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Nusantara (Museum MACAN), Jakarta.
Van Do is a curator and writer, currently Artistic Director of Á Space, an experimental art space in Hanoi. Her practice concerns artistic interventions and negotiation of existing sites and seeks to create critically engaged spaces with the local communities.
Bob Edrian is an independent curator as well as Project Director at IndoArtNow, Jakarta. His curatorial work focuses on the development of sound in the arts and media art.
Neli Go is an independent practitioner from Manila. She has experience working in both for-profit and nonprofit organizations, private and public institutions.
Bill Nguyen is an artist-curator committed to the development of locally-driven modes of curatorial articulation and artistic practice. Currently Director, Nguyen Art Foundation, Ho Chi Minh City, he works across diverse forms of engagement, including performance art, creative writing and curatorial endeavors, delving into themes such as intimacy, foreignness, cultural contiguity and the pursuit of historical truth.
Danny Hartanto Kristiawan is a Surabaya-based designer, maker, and curator who has served various art communities across disciplines, including Keliling Art Space, Unicorn Creative Space, and Orasis Art Space. Danny strives to develop a sustainable art ecosystem in his hometown, Surabaya.
Denise Lai is a curator and writer from Kuala Lumpur. She works with artists across Southeast Asia on exhibitions that redeploy an array of cultural memories to address our contemporary conditions. She is currently Associate Director, ROH, Jakarta.
Lenette Lua is a practice-led researcher, whose practice explores the possibilities of art in reconciling the interlaced and contested political, economic, social, and cultural spheres through a participatory and collaborative approach. She currently works at the Curatorial Programmes team at National Gallery Singapore.
Souphaluck Phongsavath was born in Sayaboury province, Laos and was awarded a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2011. Souphaluck is now a gallery Manager at i:cat gallery Vientiane, running workshops and project coordinator.
Prach Pimarnman lives and works in Narathiwat and Pattani provinces, Thailand. Prach is a visual artist and Curator in De’ Lapae Art Space Narathiwat who often takes part in community movements and focuses on the Malay historical route.
Erlyz Santos is the Gallery Manager of Silverlens Manila. She plays a crucial role in driving sales revenue and maintaining relationships with collectors, artists, and external collaborators.
Atty Tantivit is a gallerist (ATTA Gallery) and collector based in Bangkok with an interest in promoting the awareness and importance of people in different roles and with different responsibilities in the art ecosystem. She is embarking on a new challenge to help people cultivate their tastes in art through various exhibitions including exhibitions, workshops, educational programs, etc.
Ian Tee is an artist and curator whose practice is concerned with the social space of abstraction and how paintings are read. He is also Associate Editor of Art & Market, a multimedia platform spotlighting Southeast Asian art and its communities.
Manithip Vongphachanh is the CEO of The XYZ Art Center in Vientiane. Manithip drives strategic efforts to promote artistic excellence and community involvement, curating exhibitions and educational initiatives that enrich the art and cultural fabric of Laos.
