Critique Session

Today, there was a critique session held at Youkobo Artist Space. The idea of the session was introduced youkobo last year to create a situation where gallery artists and residency artists can have in depth critical dialogues about each others' works, with the support of Youkobo Staff member who can mediate, facilitate and translate the content. 

For this evening session, the current residency artists from Austria, Chile, Youkobo directors, staff members, also a special visitor from Melbourne gathered. After giving my brief explanation about the project and each artist's works, the critical discussion was focused on the relationship between myself and other artists.

The dialogue between artists without having my mediation did not grow as much I wished at the beginning of the project. Every participant was busy enough to produce works every week for the project. The importance was more for me to find the artistic commonality between artists and connect it through the presentation of works in progress in the art space and blog space. How I did it was in a way the representation of my concern.  The local silk screen printer helped me to visualize the relationship through composing a set of printmaking work (to be completed for the closing party this Saturday.) 

It was interesting to hear that the installation of works even start to look similar. This project was for me to set a platform where the act of working everyday can be explored more visually, as an artist, and also someone who work for the art organization. I felt that I need to re-think and re-evaluate the models of presenting artworks from artist studio to the outside world via mediation of gallery space, through the initiative of artist. In other word, I probably wanted to think about the uniqueness of artist's curation in relation to other types of project and exhibitions organized and curated by non-artists.

Lastly, one of participant, Christof, who has been witnessing the work in progress for the last 5 weeks noticed something that I did not know about my work. It was about my strong personal theme, the idea of home. This answers some of the questions, too. I might have been simply wanted to be a host to my familiar neighborhood, Youkobo Art Space, in my neighborhood. For the last 9 years, I could not have a sense of belonging to place or community deeply. but now I am understanding slowly how and where... The place where  likely I can grow greens without afraid of leaving this land next year.

The participants chatting after the session.