CulturE-ASEF / Asia-Europe Cultural Exchange
URL: http://culture-asef.org/english/txt/2004/acc-shanghai/index.html
Print version
International Meeting Between Autonomous Cultural Centers
Stemming from Citizen and Artistic Initiatives
A BizArt and Artfactories project, with the cooperation and support of the Asia Europe Foundation (ASEF)
25 - 27 September 2004
BizArt Center, Shanghai, China
(parallel to the Shanghai Biennale 2004)
Over the past twenty years in Europe, and more recently in Asia, a large number
of autonomous cultural centers emerged from artistic and citizen initiatives.
There are more than 300 independent cultural centers in Europe and the number
is increasing in Asia. Although there were some contacts among Asian and European
centers, many artists, art managers and curators expressed concerns about the
fact, that very little concrete activities resulted from these contacts, which
could contribute for a sustainable exchange with the other region.
Under the initiative and organization of Artfactories (France) and BizArt (Shanghai, China), supported by the Cultural Exchange Department of ASEF, this International Meeting gathered for the first time 30 autonomous cultural centers from 15 ASEM countries. It took place parallel to the Shanghai Biennale on the premises of BizArt, located in the warehouse area of 50 Moganshan Road, which has a high concentration of artists' studios and galleries.
Close to 60 people from different fields participated, including members of cultural centers, networks and residency programs from Europe and Asia, as well as professors and students based in China, artists, and groups from non-ASEM countries (such as Canada and Brazil).
The meeting was articulated around booth presentations by most participating centers, four workshop sessions, and a video screening of works by different centers. The booth presentation contributed to the networking among the different centers, as well as to the interaction between the centers’ representatives and visitors to the BizArt premises during the event.
The workshops focused on the following topics:
- Art in contemporary society and the evolution of contemporary practices
- Methods and practices of reaching communities though the arts
- Rules and developments of independently founded art spaces
- Artist-in-residence-programs
- The exchange and development of transnational projects in Asia and Europe
The meeting provided the participants with an excellent opportunity to get to know other centers and their operation, to share experiences, learn from each other, recognize the need for a common advocacy to defend common visions and ideas, and to propose short- and long-term activities and measures to strengthening the network, exchange and cooperation.
Among the initiatives resulted from the meeting, ASEF proposed a pilot project on staff exchange, which aims to answer the needs for training cultural managers, pointed out several times during the discussions.
More information:
>> ArtFactories
http://www.artfactories.net/uk_rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=234
>> ASEF
http://www.asef.org/project.asp?projcode=288&deptcode=1
>> BizArt
http://bizart.w5.dvbbs.net/art_past_events/20040925_artfactories_en.htm
© Asia-Europe Foundation and Universes in Universe - Worlds of Art