Dominic Zinampan, Ha Dao and Reaksmey Yean
By A&M

Key points:

While English remains the dominant language for critical art discourse, independent spaces advocate for the use of native languages.
Diverse modes of support are vital to sustaining independent projects.
Independent platforms find a balance between engaging with the local and international communities.

The second talk of LANDING saw a fruitful conversation on how independent spaces are working towards their goals of encouraging productive criticism, achieving financial sustainability and engaging the artistic community. The panel featured Dominic Zinampan, Managing Editor, Green Papaya Art Projects, Ha Dao, Managing Editor & Programme Coordinator, Matca and Reaksmey Yean, Programme Director, Silapak Trotchaek Pneik (STP). The conversation was moderated by Vivyan Yeo, Writer, A&M.

Here are the takeaways from the panel:

While English remains the dominant language for critical art discourse, independent spaces advocate for the use of native languages. Dominic acknowledges that access to art resources in Filipino language is limited, and shares the need to decentralise the English language in art writing. Echoing Dominic’s statement, Ha spoke about how Matca has always been publishing in both English and Vietnamese. Due to the lack of official Vietnamese translations for art terms, she noted that writing about art in Vietnamese can be challenging. A strong advocate for using the Khmer language in writing, Reaksmey proposed that new terminologies can be created in the native language for artists to communicate their ideas.

Diverse modes of support are vital to sustaining independent projects. After the fire that broke out at Green Papaya Art Projects last year, Dominic reflected that the platform could stay afloat due to the swift support offered by individuals and institutions. Lopez Museum and Library in the Philippines and the media archive initiative Recollective in Vancouver also volunteered to restore damaged archival material. Reaksmey and Ha noted that local independent platforms often receive funding from organisations overseas. While Reaksmey is tapping on local support from Cambodian donors and through a crowdfunding campaign on Facebook, Ha spoke about how Matca saves on operational costs through the use of family property, and shared that relative financial independence allows the platform to be selective in their projects and partners.

Independent platforms find a balance between engaging with the local and international communities. Ha related that she grew up learning about photography from the free workshops offered by the Angkor photo festival. Matca continues in this spirit of sharing knowledge and reaches a wider audience outside of Vietnam through the publication of bilingual essays online. Dominic talked about how Green Papaya Art Projects has always considered the international sphere as part of its community. The platform hosts residencies and events for practitioners from overseas, and amplifies regional voices through engaging in initiatives such as the Transnational Coalition for the Arts. Reaksmey, on the other hand, expounded on STP’s current focus on the local Cambodian audience in its first few years. The gallery is now working towards forging relationships between the art communities in Phnom Penh and Battambong, before considering connecting with Southeast Asian artists abroad.

Watch the full recording of LANDING Panel 2 here: