ANNOTATIONS: Art + Archiving in South-East Asia

What is the purpose of the archive, and how does it intersect with the making, historiography, and writing of art? What are the permutations it takes in our region, and who are the people who build and sustain them? Rather than seeing the archive as a repository of precious and perishable reference material that can only grow in scale and import, can we imagine it as an amalgamation of stories that invite intervention and interpretation?What must be done to build on and push the possibilities of the archive for research and the understanding of art, and can we see the archive as a creative and artistic practice in and of itself?

A gathering of voices from the imbricated domains of art history, artistic and curatorial practice, and digital humanities, “Annotations: Archive and Art Practice in Southeast Asia” brings together generations of researchers, scholars, curators and archivists working in the region. Speakers will share their perspectives—or “annotations”—on key issues as well as new modalities of archival work in Southeast Asia, suggesting how we can gainfully activate and advance beyond that to hold the archive as a compelling site of critical possibilities.

“Annotations” is organised by National Gallery Singapore in conjunction with the opening of its new Rotunda Library & Archive on 14 October 2019.

PROGRAMME SCHEDULE

2-2.45pm:

Welcome: Eugene Tan, Director, National Gallery Singapore

Inaugural Address: T.K. Sabapathy, writer, curator, art historian and Adjunct Associate Professor, School of Design and Environment, National University of Singapore

2.45-3.45pm: Archivists in Dialogue 

Chu Chu Yuan, Senior Manager (Publications, Library and Archive), Singapore Art Museum

Farah Wardani, Assistant Director (Library and Archive), National Gallery Singapore

Moderated by: Clare Veal, Lecturer (MA, Asian Art Histories), LASALLE College of the Arts 

3.45-4pm: Tea break

4-5.30pm: Panel discussion

Cheng Jia Yun, Assistant Curator, National Gallery Singapore

Shubigi Rao, Artist, & Artistic Director, 5th Kochi-Muziris Biennale (2020)

David Smith, Head of Collections and Digital Experience, Asia Art Archive

Simon Soon, Senior Lecturer, University of Malaya & Member, Malaysia Design Archive

Moderated by: Kevin Forkan, Head (Archives & Library), M+ 

Tickets -  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/annotations-art-archiving-in-southeast-asia-tickets-73089969065