RESET Talk 1 | Better Together: New Ideas and Networks
Alessio Antoniolli, Emi Eu and Tan Boon Hui
By Lara Tan
Screenshot of talk. Clockwise from top left: Wong Binghao, Helmi Yusof, Jeffrey Say and Nadya Wang.
Key points:
Regional and global networks have been reconfigured, with stronger emphasis on the local
There is increased unity among existing networks and an openness to new ones.
A renewed focus is placed on ethical practices in the global art ecosystem, including lowering barriers to entry.
Innovation is necessarily an ongoing process and has to continue.
Talk 1 of RESET saw a lively and engaging discussion about how new ideas have been developed and tested, and how networks have expanded as stakeholders in the art world rethink their approaches to practices and businesses. The panel featured Alessio Antoniolli, Director of Gasworks and Triangle Network, Emi Eu, Executive Director at STPI and Project Director of S.E.A. Focus, as well as Tan Boon Hui, Founding Artistic Director and Co-Curator of the Asia Society Triennial. The talk was moderated by Nadya Wang, Editor at Art & Market.
Here are the takeaways from the panel:
Regional and global networks have been reconfigured, with stronger emphasis on the local. Emi noted that for many galleries, there is a motto of “think global, go local”. Without the need to travel abroad and work the international fair circuit, STPI has been able to turn its attention to the local audience, creating more avenues for knowledge dissemination and access to artists and artworks. Similarly, Alessio and Boon Hui said that their respective projects with Gasworks and the Asian Society Triennial have had a strong focus on the local as well as locality, responding to their immediate environments and audiences.
There is increased unity among existing networks and an openness to new ones. The panel wholeheartedly agreed that there is a need for unity among all individuals and entities in the artistic sector. Alessio observed that inter-institutional groups in London that were inactive have reemerged. Boon Hui commented that regional networks and narratives are strengthened, and that there are possibilities of a more diverse art world through collaboration. Emi used ‘Novel Ways of Being’, a project jointly initiated by National Gallery Singapore and Singapore Art Museum as an example of unity and resilience within the local ecosystem. She also mentioned STPI’s involvement in two gallery-led international projects that will be unveiled in the first half of next year, such as the South-South project by Goodman Gallery in South Africa.
A renewed focus is placed on ethical practices in the global art ecosystem, including lowering barriers to entry. Alessio highlighted how the pandemic has made the art world rethink its ethical practices, engendering conversations about how to address issues such as representation and equality of access. Boon Hui pointed to the pre-existence of these issues, which the pandemic has made visible. All the panellists spoke about how they have worked to increase access to the work that they do, empowering more audiences to experience art more fully.
Innovation is necessarily an ongoing process and has to continue. Emi suggested that being part of the creative sector means being more agile to changing situations. The panel collectively agreed that the pandemic has accelerated the digitalisation and its accompanying innovations of exhibitions and other events in the art world. Alessio emphasised that the digital has to be seen as complementary to the material experience, rather than its lesser half. And Boon Hui drew the audience’s attention to the fact that many contemporary artists have thus far been left out of the shift from the physical world towards the online one. This is due to the nature of their artworks, specifically immersive ones such as video installation and performance art. He emphasised that the art world needs to continue innovating over the next few years and adopt new technologies to bridge the gap.
Watch the full recording of RESET Talk 1 | Better Together: New Ideas and Networks here:
If you’d like, you can skip to:
02:28 - for Alessio’s introduction
12:36 - for Boon Hui’s introduction
26:40 - for Emi’s introduction
31:44 - for the panel discussion
59:08 - for the audience Q&A
You can also listen to the conversation as a podcast recording:
RESET runs from December 2020 to January 2021 on Zoom. The talks are free for all to attend with registration. Click here to find the full programme details and to secure your spot for Talk 2 | Mix and It’s A Match! Cross-Pollinations with Art.
Please note that RESET was originally titled POWWOW. For more information about the change, which was made on 18 December 2020, please click here.
