exhibitions

RINGO BUNOAN, LIM TZAY CHUEN, COMMAND N, MIRA GOJAK, ALEXANDER KNOX, NAMDEE PUBLISHING, NUTS SOCIETY, KATA SANGKHAE, SANJOT KAUR SEKHON, MICHAEL SHAOWANASAI, TIM SILVER, JULAINE STEPHENSON, CHRISTIAN THOMPSON, KACEY WONG, YE SHUFANG. CURATED BY TESSA DWYER AND SARAH TUTTON.

USEBY: ASIA PACIFIC ARTIST INITIATIVES PROJECT

Continuing 200 Gertrude Street's commitment to cultural exchange between artists and organisations, USEby explored the burgeoning phenomenon of artist-run and independent galleries throughout the Asia Pacific region, and involved artists from Bangkok, Christchurch, Hong Kong, Manilla, Melbourne, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo. Conceived by curators Tessa Dwyer and Sarah Tutton, who developed the project from the perspective of artists-run spaces, USEby did not propose a thematic program, but one that was geopolitical: a recognition on the one hand of regional collaboration and exchange between artists, and on the other, of the ingenuity and resourcefulness of artists working independently in the face of global change, limited support and diminishing resources. USEby focused on artistic collaboration and the way in which practical and social limitations function as creative tools, producing their own innovative and compelling aesthetic. USEby also incorporated a website, a Forum Series coordinated by Danny Huppatz, featuring local and international speakers, a screening of recent Thai film and video, and a satellite exhibition at 1st Floor Artists and Writers Space. The exhibition met with significant media and public interest and was successful in developing dialogue and exchange between artists and independent galleries in the Asia Pacific region. The project was continued in 2001-2 with a number of exhibition projects and curatorial exchanges involving Australian artists in Bangkok and elsewhere.