1.
Get creative.
The
creative response - -
I’m
here to solve problems.
I
see problems as opportunities for progress.1
Judy
Atkinson
Effective Indigenous activists all around the world are less interested in complaining, and more interested in devising a strategy to deal with issues at hand.
Part
of the inspiration for the alterNATIVE event strategy came from
Canada, as I had been aware of the beginnings and motivations behind
the imagineNATIVE film and media arts festival that is held in
Toronto every year. It is a world-class event born from an identified
lack of Native Canadian representation at the Toronto International
Film Festival, to generously include perspectives from other
Indigenous peoples as well. This is the spirit that we try to evoke
in presenting the
other APT
exhibition.
In
this case, no amount of complaining or highlighting the cultural
apartheid entrenched in the Queensland Art Gallerys selection process
has worked on getting more Australia Aboriginal artists represented
in the Asia Pacific Triennials, so we just have to show them how its
done.
2.
Name the enemy.
“...you
must understand that for the most part the art world and its
institutions have not rid themselves entirely of the language of
violence. Many operate on the basis of baaskap.
Of
course baaskap is a word that has special relevance to the South
African context but its meaning can be applied to any context where,
because of ill-gotten privilege, there is an intransigent,
incestuous, and self-appointed authoritarian group of people. Once
internalised, of course, baaskap poisons every kind of relationship
on every level of society from the home to the church and, of
particular interest to us, the cultural sphere.
Even
in a new dispensation, there are often remnants of baaskap that
remain as they do in South Africa. In such cases, the only way to
deal with the baaskap culture is to be direct, unapologetic and
precise.”
2
Simba
Sambo
Some
audiences aren't aware of shortfalls in representation until it is
pointed out to them. In this case, the exhibition was titled 'the
other APT'
to specifically acknowledge a point of difference to 'the APT' or
Asia Pacific Triennial presented by the Queensland Art Gallery.
In
the past, other galleries around Brisbane city, would mount
exhibitions to coincide with and complement the themes inherent in
the Asia Pacific Triennial, but institutional bullying and ownership
has since smothered that spirit. So the
other APT
definitely stands out in more ways than one, and makes the enemy
obvious through the rationale, while also articulating our own
cultural imperatives.
 |
| Postcard the other APT 2006 |
3.
Invite the people you would like to work with.
Use
all personal contacts you ever had.
We
all try to mediate the spaces in-between these binaries and I cannot
help but imagine The Other APT in these terms. Mediating the social
and cultural imaginaries of Indigeneity, it plots a landscape where
tradition and disenfranchisement overlap and contradict each other
and these inconsistencies intersect the exhibition’s themes of
place, legend, identity, politics and mutual respect.3
Kylie Gaffney
Half
of the artists in 'the
other APT'
are Aboriginal and the other represent cultural heritages from
throughout the Asia Pacific, with identity cross-overs in-between.
Aboriginal Australians are a very friendly people, and a number of
artists in the show are of mixed race ancestry, those with a foot in
a different camp, who are not often afforded a voice.
As
an Aboriginal curatorial approach, artists weren't listed in the
usual mainstream artworld alphabetical order, but instead, in order
of other important cultural signifiers, such as age, tribal and
residential geographical proximity. This approach attempts to honour
our elders along with celebrating Aboriginal locals who are often
ignored and excluded from participating in mainstream culture in
their own country.
4.
Trust the artists and let them do things they’re planning to do and
they’ll do their best. Never point to the work, but discuss the
strategy.
The
primary curatorial premise of the
other APT was
to show works from Indigenous Australian Artists, and also show
meaningful works from other Artists that may constitute them as a
friend in culture and good visitor to this country, in meaningful
dialogue and otherwise. In other words, Aboriginals actively engaging
with other Aboriginals, and those from other cultural backgrounds -
Torres Strait Islander, Melanesian, Samoan, Maori, Japanese, Filipino
and others from outside the Asia-Pacific Rim (even Australians!),
providing a true survey, commenting on individual and shared
experience. Naturally some of these works are collaborations -
existing works, and also works produced especially for the
other APT,
but all really important discourse, culturally and historically.
Some
artists appreciate freedom, and some are used to being directed –
when one allows for more discussion and explanation time, they will
come up with the goods.
 |
'Pins' performance by Ann Fuata, the other APT opening night,
2006
|
5.
Focus on the centre.
Usually
that is the place where you are situated and the concentration of
energy radiates outwards from there.
If
the centre of the artworld is somewhere like New York or Sydney, does
that mean the rest of us are excluded? First People come first. Even
though the focus is an online exhibition, some thinking went into the
idea around Aboriginal curatorial practices and how the centre is, or
could be further honoured in an artspace.
Raw
Space Galleries was the site of 'the
other APT'
2006, and it is situated near the centre, literally around the corner
from the Queensland Art Gallery / QGOMA, and also very close to the
Brisbane city centre.
The
three window boxes situated outside of the gallery were used to
highlight the idea of the centre. Traditional Aboriginal shields
featured in the centre window box, with our Pacific neighbours, who
are in the greatest numbers locally, nestled in the window boxes on
either side.
 |
The window boxes outside Raw
Space Galleries, featuring Aboriginal artist Paul Bong (centre), Maori artist
Haro the Crazy Prins (left) and Samoan collaboration by Polytoxic and Chantal Fraser (right), the other APT
exhibition 2006
|
6.
Poach performers from the blockbuster exhibition.
Some
are bound to be related to the artists in your show.
i.
Its worth asking as performers are usually keen to do more gigs.
ii.
Make the most of family obligation, but have offerings.
iii.
Provide an open mic on the opening night for adhoc opportunities as
well.
 |
Eddie Nona performing with his
relatives, the other APT opening night, 2006
|
7.
Create a corroborree or ceremony for the now.
As
we grow older, we ourselves become the storytellers...
In
the ceremonies we celebrate the awareness of our lives as sacred.4
Miriam
Rose Ungunmerr
We
come to you as 'the
others' a
group representing many Nations, Tribes, States, Islands, Languages,
Cultures and artforms, of varying hybridity, and bring the spirit of
all that vibrancy with us. Modern Dreamings acknowledge the presence
of a modern reality which is different to that of the past. In
defining ourselves as 'the
others',
we know we have reconciled ourselves with modern society, perhaps
more than modern society has reconciled with most of us. However,
creativity is eternal.
The
arts strongly and effectively adds value to Aboriginal discourse in
Australia, which is often perceived as controversial by institutions.
However it must be understood that we can dismiss this attitude as a
political issue with little legitimacy, and instead find strength in
notions of artistic integrity.
 |
'Framed' live performance by Polytoxic; the other APT opening
night, 2006
|
8.
Invest great energy into the catalogue / website... people mostly
remember the opening parties and catalogues.
…
with
this type of ‘happening’ there can be no notion of merely ‘sour
grapes’, but some of the original energy, communication,
excitement, and feeling of ownership of the art process is generated
and experienced: the energy major art events struggle to maintain.5
Djon
Mundine
Online
Galleries will revolutionize the way that the white cube, brick and
mortar galleries and museums function. They can complement each other
too. Sometimes we try to incorporate them; cyberTribe
has a focus as an online gallery but where possible, we try also to
use the "real life" gallery spaces. It works well if the
website is created months in advance and then make it an event in a
gallery space, creating and celebrating a sense of community locally.
Then use the internet for its potential, for it is the best
promotional tool usually. Even if we have an exhibition in a "real"
gallery space in regional cities and towns, a lot of the time people
will not travel to it. If we show what is happening online, in terms
of the actual works and also some photos of the opening
celebration/ceremony, that can be a good indication of the work, and
it also historically important to document it. So the space operates
as equal parts archive, gallery, museum and publisher.
9.
Make the most of social networking – online and face-to-face.
And
document everything. Its your ticket to the next one.
when
you get a chance to speak for your people, do it.
It’s
not about you. Just do a bloody good job.6
Charles
Perkins
Never
say no to good
opportunities such as profiling, writing and touring. These are also
good chances for exercises in rebranding. No matter how exhausted you
are, agree first then make time to do it later.
the
other APT from
2006 was also selected for inclusion in the 2008 Biennale of Sydney.
As part of the Biennale, Revolutions
– Forms That Turn,
Artistic Director Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev selected digital
artworks and texts to be featured in its online venue. The exhibition
as a whole and the online venue particularly, focused on the
different ways artists have “revolutionised” contemporary art. It
explored the impulse to revolt, rotating, turning upside down,
shifting points of view, revolving, mirroring and reversing as formal
devices, as well as to chart their broader aesthetic, psychological,
psychoanalytical, radical and political perspectives. Being
acknowledged in the Biennale of Sydney has again brought great
importance to the relevance of online galleries as an exhibition
venue, and reciprocally also brought many more Indigenous
perspectives to the Biennale of Sydney as well.
Under
the touring name of
'the others' the
exhibition
also
toured to Noumea, a Kanaky / French South Pacific Island. Our
contribution and presence helped to celebrate the 10th
Anniversary
of the Centre Culturel Tjibaou which is New Caledonias primary agency
for the development of Kanak culture. So in effect, the
other APT
toured into the Pacific to engage in dialogue, whereas the Asia
Pacific Triennial does not.
 |
| online offering from the other APT for the Sydney Biennale |
- Make sure there is a next one.
If
white people are pleased we are glad. If they are not, it doesn't
matter. We know we are beautiful. And ugly too. ... If colored people
are pleased we are glad. If they are not, their displeasure doesn't
matter either. We build our temples for tomorrow, strong as we know
how, and we stand on top of the mountain, free within ourselves. 6
Langston
Hughes
Following on from the successes of the inaugural exhibition 'the other APT' in 2006, we continue to bring many more alterNATIVE perspectives from this big brown land, Australia. There was another one in 2009, and also in 2012 and hopefully thereafter.
 |
| Postcard, the other APT 2009, featuring artwork by Jessica Johnson 'Naughty Natives' |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This
manifesto is a guide to developing and presenting an exhibition of
alternative views to that of a blockbuster art exhibition or other
arts event that fails to be inclusive in their selection processes.
The
particular exhibition mostly referenced here is 'the
other APT'
an Aboriginal alternative to the institutional Asia Pacific Triennial
in Queensland.
While
trying to develop the guiding principals towards an alterNative
Curators Manifesto, some other manifestos proved particularly
inspirational, such as the Manifesto ezine by the Dead
Revolutionaries Club in South Africa and the 2005 'Make Biennial
Yourself' by Redas Diržys
from Alytus in Lithuania.
All
artists with a social conscience are encouraged to help facilitate
their own group exhibitions – step out of the ego and try to make a
difference collectively. Curating is a great conceptualizing process
and as artists we have ideas for exhibitions all the time – to
actually make them happen ourselves is a beautiful thing.
The alterNATIVE Curators Manifesto was first presented at the Pacific Arts Association Conference in Rarotonga (Cook Islands) 2010.
The manifesto was further developed and published for the Aboriginal Curatorial Colloquium in Toronto 2011.
This manifesto was greatly inspired by the Dead Revolutionaries Club E-Zine Manifesto Issue and in particular the 'make Biennale yourself - manifesto' by Lithuanian artist Redas Dirzys.
Jenny Fraser
artist/curator
links:
the
other APT 2006 http://www.cybertribe.culture2.org/theotherapt/2006
the
other APT 2009 http://www.cybertribe.culture2.org/theotherAPT
cyberTribe
http://www.cybertribe.culture2.org
the book of abstracts for the PAA Conference in Rarotonga 2010:
and the PAA Program 2010:
info and photos for the Aboriginal Curatorial Colloquium, Toronto 2011
a review of the Colloquium 2011
the Dead Revolutionaries Club E-Zine Manifesto Issue
http://www.deadrevolutionariesclub.co.za/epublish/1/3
http://www.deadrevolutionariesclub.co.za/epublish/1/3
References:
1.
Judy
Atkinson, The
Prun, An Indigenous Conflict Management Training Handbook, p28,
Gnibi
College of Indigenous Australian Peoples, Southern Cross University,
2000
2.
Simba Sambo, Dead
Revolutionaries Club E-Zine, The Manifesto Issue, Vol.1
http://deadrevolutionariesclub.co.za/editorial
2009
3.
Kylie
Gaffney, The
Other APT: An Exhibition of Other Perspectives,
Machine Magazine 2007
4.
Miriam Rose Ungunmerr, Dadirri
– Listening to one another,
1993
5.
Djon Mundine, APT:
Aboriginal People Try - 'The other APT', Artlink Magazine, 2007
6.
Hetti Perkins (quoting her father Charles), 'Art+Soul',
Hibiscus Films, 2010
7.
Langston Hughes, The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain, aka: the
Harlem Renaissance Manifesto, 1926
http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/g_l/hughes/mountain.htm
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