Jan - MAR 2024

WUNDER GYM X ARTIST AS CURATOR

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH WYNDHAM CITY COUNCIL 2024

Wyndham City Council Arts, Culture and Events Team are partnering with Wunder Gym to invite participants to participate in a one-of-a-kind program titled, ‘Artist As Curator’. 

The ‘Artist as Curator’ program primarily seeks to explore concepts of place and community.

Designed to support and build confident artists as curators and producers, working collaboratively with their creative peers to engage community audiences the program will provide foundational knowledge to participants to consider, find, engage and activate new public spaces, through group exhibitions or as collectives, reimagining creativity in Wyndham.

PLEASE NOTE: This program is primarily open to Wyndham City residents, then will be open to Western Region artists to be considered pending availability.

PROGRAM FORMAT

Through seven (7) Q&A sessions with industry experts, topics will be discussed and broken down to provide insights into:

Sophia Cai presents (IRL at Bus Projects): Artist as Curator & alternative modes of knowledge sharing

Dr Vikki McInnes presents (online): Curatorial history & curation display strategies & writing about art & Spring 1883

Steven Rhall presents (IRL – location TBC): Interrogating ideas of the curator/curatorial and generative methodologies aligned with notions of the artist-curator, exhibition/gallery as form and related expanded fields

Illana Russell presents (online): Community arts, curation & programming 

Elyse Goldfinch presents (IRL at ACCA): Working with artists & current trends in curation of art /group exhibitions 2022 59th La Biennale di Venezia. Writing & messages curators should consider conveying to visitors

Dr David Cross presents (online): Public Art, Treatment & the role of public have in engaging with the art & ideas, interrogating the idea of the exhibition as a meeting point between artist and public

Annette Wagner presents (IRL at The Annex): Creative enterprises & participant walk through & feedback session at The Annex, before installation commences.

PARTICIPANT REQUIREMENTS

This program requires participants:

- Are established artists with a confident art practice and proven ability to deliver artwork outcomes

- Contractually agree to be open and willing to actively listen and learn from mentors and peers alike

- Contractually agree to be open and willing to accommodate selection and placement into 3 groups of 5

- Contractually agree to be open and willing to work in a group outside their bias or familiar networks

- Contractually agree to commit to attending ALL the program events and deadlines

- Contractually agree to be open and willing to actively support and be respectful at all times to their group and peers

 WUNDER GYM PROGRAM AIMS & BENEFITS

This program is designed to:

  • Grow curatorial confidence and build an awareness for curatorial considerations

  • Encourage artists as curators to challenge and create new place based installations

  • Work collaboratively in groups to generate installation and group exhibition concepts

  • Encourage and support individuals own artistic practice

  • Aid in developing access to broader support networks and audiences

On completion of the program, individuals will benefit from:

  • Generate an artwork to nurture creative confidence

  • Meet peers and establish stronger bonds with community artists

  • Meet an established mentor through private participant only Q&A events

  • Have artwork included in a group exhibition

  • Have artwork documented for personal use and promotional use

  • Potential for artwork to be included in a later exhibition outcomes

  • Individuals will benefit from shared knowledge

  • Build creative confidence to explore future community collective activities, curatorial initiatives and exhibitions

  • Participants will benefit from peers promoting the exhibition and events, supporting each other

  • Ongoing support community online via Wunder Gym hosted Slack Community