Art, Urban Change, and the Public Sphere: Public Art Education Summit

NTU CCA Singapore is pleased to present Art, Urban Change, and the Public Sphere, which engages with art in privately owned public spaces through a Public Art Education Summit and research presentation. Taking as its point of departure the neighbouring Culture City. Culture Scape. Public Art Trail at Mapletree Business City—developed with curatorial consultation by NTU CCA Singapore—the presentation and Summit explore broader cultural and artistic developments on a civic scale situated in urban landscapes. How do political and economic changes in the public realm evoke a regional discourse on art in cities?

The Public Art Education Summit is the first of its kind in Singapore and part of a larger engagement of NTU CCA Singapore in professional education of public art. It focuses on cultural place-making and building communities through artistic practices. It aims to stimulate a debate between art professionals, policy makers, urban developers and other local stakeholders, on how and for whom art creates public spaces in our built environment. Any artistic or curatorial initiative in “public space” must address the question of how to construct “a public” and with it, how to encounter identity. Any difference—be it regional and local, ethnic and religious, economic and social—generates its own cohabitation of urban space and public culture to communicate with. The challenge for art in the public sphere lies in its openness to existing and yet, imagined communities of civic urbanism. Ranging from corporate cultural engagement in privately owned public spaces to urban regeneration, the invited speakers draw connections to the beginnings of community engagement in public art with its fluid methods. Furthermore, they suggest a critical look at different artistic and curatorial practices which reflect on “artists as citizens.” Or, how any space called public, first and foremost, is created by the different people inhabiting that space.

Guest-of-Honour: Prof Wang Dawei, Executive Dean, College of Fine Arts, Shanghai University

With contributions by: Ute Meta Bauer (Germany/Singapore), Richard Bell (Australia), Lewis Biggs (United Kingdom), Antonia Carver (United Kingdom/United Arab Emirates), Lilian Chee (Singapore), Amanda Crabtree (United Kingdom/France), Daniel Mudie Cunningham (Australia), Catherine David (France), Eileen Goh (Singapore), Sophie Goltz (Germany/Singapore), Limin Hee (Singapore), Kok Heng Leun (Singapore), Richard Lim (Singapore), Hongjohn Lin (Taiwan/Singapore), Massamba Mbaye (Senegal), Alecia Neo (Singapore), Alan Oei (Singapore), Nikos Papastergiadis (Australia), Jasmeen Patheja (India), Lorenzo Petrillo (Italy/Singapore), Milenko Prvački (Ex-Yugoslavia/Singapore), Ashley Thompson (United Kingdom), Philip Tinari (United States/China), Katherine Ann Leilani Tuider (United States), et al.

With capability-development workshops by Amanda Crabtree (United Kingdom/France), Daniel Mudie Cunningham (Australia), Hongjohn Lin (Taiwan/Singapore) and Katherine Ann Leilani Tuider (United States).

Held in association with Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts, Shanghai University, and Institute for Public Arts, London. Supported by Mapletree Investments and, additionally, by Public Art Trust, an initiative of National Arts Council Singapore.

Programme for Public Art Education Summit

Thursday, 17 October 2019, 9.00am – 7.30pm
Venue: The Single Screen, Block 43 Malan Road

8.45am             Registration and Coffee

9.00am             Opening addresses by Low Eng Teong (Singapore), Assistant Chief Executive, Sector Development, National Arts Council Singapore, Ute Meta Bauer (Germany/Singapore), Founding Director, NTU CCA Singapore and Professor, NTU ADM, and Guest-of-Honour Wang Dawei (China), Executive Dean, College of Fine Arts, Shanghai University followed by Introduction by Sophie Goltz (Germany/Singapore), Deputy Director, Research & Academic Programmes, NTU CCA Singapore, and Assistant Professor, School of Art, Design and Media, NTU

9.45am            Context is Everything, Presentation by Lewis Biggs (United Kingdom) Chair, Institute for Public Art, London

10.15am           Making Art, Making Society, Presentation by Amanda Crabtree (France), Director, artconnexion

10.45am          Community-First Public Art, Presentation by Katherine Ann Leilani Tuider (United States), Executive Director and Co-founder, Honolulu Biennial Foundation

11.15am           Coffee Break and Discussions

12.00pm          Public Art and Community Building
Roundtable Discussion with Eileen Goh (Singapore), Assistant Manager, Art-in-Transit at Land Transport Authority; Richard Lim (Singapore), Manager, Art Management, Project Development, CapitaLand; Lorenzo Petrillo (Italy/Singapore), Director and Founder, LOPELAB, moderated by Lilian Chee (Singapore), Associate Professor, Department of Architecture, National University of Singapore

1.00pm             Lunch Break

2.00pm            Capability-Development Workshops
                         Venue: Studios, Block 37 Malan Road

#Activating#Communities New Patron Model for Public Art Commissioning, Workshop by Amanda Crabtree (France), Director, artconnexion. Register at tiny.cc/amandacrabtreeworkshop.

#Building#Communities, Fundraising as Community Engagement, Workshop by Katherine Ann Leilani Tuider (United States), Executive Director and Co-founder, Honolulu Biennial Foundation. Register at tiny.cc/katherinetuiderworkshop.

5:30pm            End of Workshop

On the occasion of NTU CCA’s International Advisory Board annual meeting, invited members share their knowledge and experience.

6.00pm            Lecture by Nikos Papastergiadis (Australia), Professor, School of Culture and Communication, University of Melbourne

6:30pm            Lecture by Ashley Thompson (United Kingdom), Hiram W. Woodward Chair of Southeast Asian Art, SOAS University of London

7:00pm            Roundtable Discussion with Antonia Carver (United Kingdom/United Arab Emirates), Director, Jameel Arts Centre; Catherine David (France), Deputy Director, Research and Globalisation, MNAM/CCI, Centre Pompidou; Philip Tinari (United States/China), Director, UCCA Center for Contemporary Art, moderated by Ute Meta Bauer (Germany/Singapore), Founding Director, NTU CCA Singapore and Professor, School of Art, Design and Media, NTU

7:30pm            Reception

Friday, 18 October 2019, 9.00am – 5.30pm
Venue: The Single Screen, Block 43 Malan Road

8.45am             Registration and Coffee

9.00am            Introduction by Sophie Goltz (Germany/Singapore), Deputy Director, Research & Academic Programmes, NTU CCA Singapore, and Assistant Professor, School of Art, Design and Media, NTU

9.15am            A Railroad Switch in Time: South Eveleigh Case Study, Presentation by Daniel Mudie Cunningham (Australia), Director, Programs, Carriageworks

9.45am             Biennials as Public Space, Presentation by Hongjohn Lin (Taiwan/Singapore), Associate Professor, Taipei National University of Arts

10.15am           Action Sheroes, Heroes, Theyroes. Resonate #NeverAskForIt, Presentation by Jasmeen Patheja (India), Founder, Blank Noise

10.45am           Beyond Education, Beyond Community, Presentation by Milenko Prvački (Ex-Yugoslavia/Singapore), Senior Fellow, LASALLE College of the Arts, artist and founder, ART WALK Little India

11.15am            Coffee Break and Discussions

12.00pm           Art, Public Space, and Urban Development
Roundtable Discussion with Kok Heng Leun (Singapore), Artistic Director, Drama Box; Alecia Neo (Singapore), artist and co- founder, Brack; Alan Oei (Singapore), Artistic Director, The Substation, moderated by Limin Hee (Singapore), Director, Research, Centre for Liveable Cities

1.00pm             Lunch Break

2.00pm            Capability-Development Workshops
                         Venue: Studios, Block 37 Malan Road

#Supporting#Communities Urban Communities and their Stakeholders, Workshop by Daniel Mudie Cunningham (Australia), Director, Programs, Carriageworks.

#Educating#Communities Biennials as Public Space: Between Artistic Approaches and Public Demands, Workshop by Hongjohn Lin (Taiwan/Singapore), Associate Professor, Taipei National University of Arts.

5:30pm            End of Workshop

Saturday, 19 October 2019, 9.00am – 1.00pm
Venue: The Single Screen, Block 43 Malan Road

8.45am            Registration and Coffee

9.00am            Introduction by Sophie Goltz (Germany/Singapore), Deputy Director, Research & Academic Programmes, NTU CCA Singapore, and Assistant Professor, School of Art, Design and Media, NTU

9.15am            Participation in Practice: Artists as Ally, Presentation by Alecia Neo (Singapore), artist

9.45am             The Village of the Arts of Senegal, Presentation by Massamba Mbaye (Senegal), lecturer, Dakar Cheikh Anta Diop University & Virtual University of Senegal

10.15am           Aboriginal Tent Embassy, Presentation by Richard Bell (Australia), artist

10.45am           Coffee Break and Discussions

11.15am            Roundtable Discussion with Richard Bell (Australia), artist, Hongjohn Lin (Taiwan/Singapore), Associate Professor, Taipei National University of Arts, Massamba Mbaye (Senegal), lecturer, Dakar Cheikh Anta Diop University & Virtual University of Senegal, and Alecia Neo (Singapore), artist, moderated by Sophie Goltz (Germany/Singapore), Deputy Director, Research & Academic Programmes, NTU CCA Singapore, and Assistant Professor, School of Art, Design and Media, NTU

12.00pm           Closing Remarks by Lewis Biggs (United Kingdom)

Programme as of 1 October 2019, subject to change.