David Teh on Artist-Curators and Southeast Asian Contemporaneity
The 'Artist as Curator' Symposium, organized by Afterall, showcases David Teh's presentation titled 'Where Monsoons Meet: Curatorial Currents in Southeast Asia,' which will be followed by a discussion featuring Alison Green and Charles Esche. In his contribution to Afterall journal's issue 30, 'Who Cares a Lot?', Teh analyzes ruangrupa, an artist-run initiative based in Jakarta, asserting it as a representation of local contemporary art. He argues that the role of artist-curator is a standard practice in Southeast Asia. Teh, affiliated with the National University of Singapore, has expertise in visual culture and critical theory, having previously served as an independent critic and curator in Bangkok from 2005 to 2009. The symposium also includes video pieces by Hito Steyerl and Cynthia Maughan, along with a presentation by Sharon Chin regarding her 2022 project, 'Creatures on the Move (In the Death of the Night).'
Key facts
- David Teh presented 'Where Monsoons Meet: Curatorial Currents in Southeast Asia' at the Afterall 'Artist as Curator' Symposium.
- Teh's essay 'Who Cares a Lot?' in Afterall issue 30 examines ruangrupa, a Jakarta-based artist-run initiative.
- Teh argues that ruangrupa's work exemplifies local contemporaneity, not just global art engagement.
- In Southeast Asia, the artist-curator has long been a professional norm, according to Teh.
- Teh's paper references socio-political conditions and communication technologies since the early 1970s.
- David Teh works at the National University of Singapore in critical theory and visual culture.
- Teh was an independent critic and curator in Bangkok from 2005 to 2009.
- Teh is a director of Future Perfect, a gallery and project platform in Singapore.
Entities
Artists
- David Teh
- Alison Green
- Charles Esche
- Cynthia Maughan
- Hito Steyerl
- Sharon Chin
- Arianna Mercado
- Camille Crichlow
Institutions
- Afterall
- National University of Singapore
- Future Perfect
- Electronic Arts Intermix (EAI)
- Bangkok Experimental Film Festival
- Kurzfilmtage Oberhausen
- Video Vortex #7
Locations
- Jakarta
- Southeast Asia
- Bangkok
- Oberhausen
- Germany
- Yogyakarta
- Singapore
- New York
- Malaysia
Sources
- Afterall —