Jan - MAR 2024
EOI CLOSED - participant Selection Currently in Progress
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.
Key Program Dates
Application Closing Date: WED 6 DEC 2023
Final Recipients Announced: FRI 8 DEC 2023
Enrolment Period: MON 11 – SUN 15 DEC 2023
Program Commences: SUN 28 JAN 2024
Program Completed – Exhibitions/Installations Installed: SUN 7 APR 2024
Critical Participant Program Dates:
• Project Release & 1 hour zoom meeting discussing 3 collaborating groups x 5 participants (Coordinated
& Developed by WG): SUN 28 JAN 2024 7-8pm
• Mentor Q&A 1 Hour Events x 7:
o SAT 3 FEB 10–11am Week #1 / Curator #1 - In Person Event: Sophia Cai
o SUN 11 FEB 7-8pm Week #2 / Curator #2 - Online Event: Dr. Vikki McInnes
o SAT 17 FEB 10–11am Week #3 / Curator #3 - In Person Event: Steven Rhall
o SUN 25 FEB 7-8pm Week #4 / Curator #4 - Online Event: Ilana Russell
o SAT 2 MAR 10–11am Week #5 / Curator #5 - In Person Event: Elyse Goldfinch
o SUN 10 MAR 7-8pm Week #6 / Curators #6 - Online Event: Dr David Cross
o SUN 17 MAR 9am – 12pm Week #7 / Curator #7 - In Person Event: Annette Wagner
• Artwork Statements sent via email: SUN 17 MAR 2024
• Artwork Submissions & Installation (All Artist/Curators to Participate at The Annex): MON 18 MAR 2024
• Artwork & Opening Photographed: WED 20 MAR 2024 – 5-7pm
• Exhibition Opening at The Annex, Werribee: WED 20 MAR 2024 – 6-8pm
(Easter Long Weekend: FRI 29 MAR – MON 1 APR)
• Artwork Collection & Deinstall (All Artist/Curators to Participate at The Annex): SUN 7 APR 2024
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
“SHOULD I APPLY?” FAQS
Q: How much time will participating in the program demand?
A: The program is delivered over 8 weeks, leading up to the exhibition. During these 8 weeks (28 JAN - 18 MAR) you should allow 3-5 hours per week to commit to communicating & catching up with your group/collective & creating your artworks.
Q: What is the theme?
A: The theme is broadly ‘place and community’, however, as part of a group/collective, you need to establish a more cohesive response so this broad theme and your group/collective artwork outcome should be read by viewers as a unified exhibition installation. Not disparate ideas. The 3 groups of 5 participants need to demonstrate some continuity in a single idea the group/collective agrees on.
Q: Can I pick the group I am in?
A: No. Wyndham Arts, Culture and Events team will be considering multiple variables and assigning participants to groups. The rationale is to ensure that you establish new networks, are stretched outside your comfort zone of both facilitating group outcomes and working with people you normally don’t with a common objective of creating an artistic response for the pending exhibition.
Q: How will I communicate with my group?
A: WG will establish Slack channels (1 WGXAAC all slack channel + 3 x group/collective slack channels) and prompt conversation with the participants throughout the program. As a selected participant you will all be expected to engage with each other via Slack (as a minimum requirement) OR through your own coordinated catch ups (zoom meetings, IRL catch ups, etc.). We strongly recommend that you try to catch up consistently throughout the 8 weeks, and meet at The Annex to consider the exhibition space.
Q: Can I create my own artwork?
A: The artwork or installation outcomes need to be discussed within your groups first, so you are all collectively approaching the final exhibition/installation in the same way. This may be generating your own individual artworks, or creating something together, or a combination.
Q: I can’t make either of the information online events. Is there another way to get some greater insight into the program?
A: If you are unable to attend either of the information online events, these events will be recorded. Please email: hello@wundergym.co and a link to these recordings will be sent to you.
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