Crawl space is presented by Art Guide Australia. You can read more about the project here, or visit Art Guide Australia online at artguide.com.au.
Interview with SafARI 2010 co-curators Lisa Corsi and Danielle Hairs.
Nicholas Hudson-Ellis: What was your approach to curating SafARI 2010?
Lisa Corsi: SafARI does not have a theme and artists are therefore selected according to the merit of their work and the dedication and drive. For every SafARI we make a national call for artist submissions. There are crucial aspects to SafARI
1. That artists are invited based on the merit of their submissions only. We don't invite people through word of mouth because we know them. 2. Artists must be emerging and unrepresented
3. That there is no theme to SafARI and that selected artists are given free reign to explore and push the boundaries of their current investigations.
Danielle Hairs: SafARI inverts the traditional model for curating a show. There isn't a theme that we conceive of and then hunt for works that fit the bill. Rather, the works dictate the shape and feel of SafARI that year. As curators then, I guess our role becomes about helping artists deliver the best presentation of their work. Its actually a really lovely model. So while we get the privilege of curating the show, SafARI belongs to the artists.
SafARI 2010 artist, Will French and SafARI 2010 curator, Danielle Hairs at the SafARI 2010 Opening Night, MOP Projects. (Photo © Emma Furno)
NH-E: How would you describe the relationship between yourselves as curators, and the ARIs who participated in SafARI?
LC: Danielle & I began working on SafARI as co-curators in January/February of this year following the overseas departure of Alex Maciver who was the co-curator prior to Danielle and with whom the SafARI 2010 artists were selected. Danielle came in at a very crucial time and has got a taste of what 2012 will be like. Danielle has been great and has a great deal to offer as an emerging curator. I look forward to watching the developments of 2012 with Danielle and another co-curator who we'll be seeking just after this SafARI has come to an end.
Working with one another is a balancing act, that is we each pick up the others slack. Its a great way to manage a project like this. I have to also acknowledge the help we get from Elizabeth Stanton whose input has gone beyond her role of Communications Manager.
We have a different relationship with each ARI we work with and that is simply because of the history of our previous projects and approaches. Overall the relationships are really very positive and there is a real sense of give and take and the community approach to how we work means that it is a win-win scenario for everyone involved from the artists, to the ARIs to the volunteers.
DH: Lisa has been a great mentor for me this SafARI. Her knowledge, thought processes and vision is an excellent thing to witness. The nature of the show is that we both have to work pretty darn hard to pull it together, so naturally, there's a bit of being dropped in the deep end. But that's what makes the experience so great.
And as Lisa mentioned,SafARI would simply not have happened without Elizabeth Stanton. She's a force of nature! The three of us have had a very close late-night email relationship these past few months.. I'm going to miss it.
All the ARIs have been amazing. It's definitely a challenge organising the logistics of one show across multiple venues, but all the Directors have been really helpful and accommodating. SafARI is about shining a light on this aspect of the art world while the big spotlights are beaming over the mega venues and artists of the Biennale. In this way, the ARIs are as important as the artists in SafARI.
NH-E: On the first Sunday of SafARI there was an ARI Tour across all of the participating ARIs, how did this go?
LC: Numbers were much smaller than the last SaFARI however the participants were mainly artists meaning that the quality of the discussions were personal, genuine and we certainly didn't shy away from sensitive subjects. Understanding the work, the processes involved in creating it, how they related to one another allowed for a very rich and fulfilling day. That's the beauty about not having a theme to SafARI. There was a real sense of discovery and finding out what this SafARI presented as a group was priceless. The day finished up in Serial Space with a performance by Vincent & Vaughan O'Connor and everything came together so beautifully. As a co-curator I was honestly moved by the openness of the experience and the genuine tenacity of each artist to understand the work of their piers as a means of understanding their own work better. It was, I believe, one of the best ARI tours SafARI has had.
DH: Hearing an artist speak about their work adds so much depth and understanding as an audience member. As curators, we get the priviledge of hearing all the gems while working with the artists in the lead up to the show. It was really nice to see everyone sharing in those insights.
Aaron Seeto, Director Gallery 4A, and SafARI 2010 curator, Lisa Corsi at the SafARI 2010 Opening Night, MOP Projects. (Photo © Emma Furno)
NH-E: The SafARI Forum was held at Firstdaft, what interesting topics where discussed?
LC: This was another truly fabulous event. Peter Fay set the stage by being the provocative speaker he intended to be and this was digested and responded to in the most thoughtful, even if opposing view by Ross Woodrow. People in the audience were genuinely moved and participation was again very rich. Edwina Marks, a cultural economist who chaired the Forum was simply brilliant. Techa Noble from the KingPins and Dan and Dom from Soda Jerk put the conversation into practice when responding to the various arguments made.
So much was covered and we ended up going way over time which no body minded, but in short: The process of 'becoming' an artist - official or not; suggestions about what to do and not to do were offered mainly referring to education, mentorships, prizes, commercial gallery representation and the world beyond; the plight of the artist; how to expose the machine and learn from it. You had to be there! We did record it and are yet to determine where and when to make the footage available.
DH: As Lisa said, the forum was excellent. The turn was amazing! I think it was up against some stiff competition for stuff-about-town that day, but Firstdraft was bustling. I think we ran out of chairs! Lisa has covered the topics in detail, so I would just add that the frank discussion of different viewpoints and ideas was thrilling.
NH-E: The exhibitions that make up Safari continue until the end of May, do you have any tips for a self guided tour of SafARI 2010?
LC: Following this Saturday 22 May, only Locksmith remains open however, unlike other years, we have an outdoor piece created by Nils Crompton which will remain visible until it fades! This work is on the facade of the FBi radio station building located at 44-54 Botany Road Aleaxndria.
DH: HURRY!
NH-E: What experiences have you taken away from this year that might influence SafARI 2011?
LC: SaFARI is a biannual event that is timed to coincide with the opening weeks of the Biennale as a way of providing a look in to the grass roots elements of art practice which acts as a counter weight to the international success of many of the artists featured in the Biennale of Sydney. It is a way of acknowledging those spaces which every artist has so heavily relied on in their emerging years - and to which many return - and also an alternative to offer international visitors during their stay here.
SafARI 2010 is my swan song. As co-founder, I always said that I will do three SafARI and then hand over to the 'young blood' as a means of keeping it fresh and dynamic. I will remain on the SaFARI Board but Danielle Hairs and an incoming co-curator will take us on SafARI 2012.
DH: SafARI is low budget, low resource and produced in our spare time. Despite this, we achieved so much more than what we thought was possible. It really is amazing what can happen when you just ask.
NH-E: Many thanks to Lisa Corsi and Danielle Hairs, congratulations on SafARI 2010! And a special thanks to Elizabeth Stanton for making this interview happen!
SafARI continues until May 31, but the closing night party is tomorrow at Locksmith Project Space at 6pm.
The SafARI exhibitions currently open are Nils Crompton and Biljana Jancic at Locksmith (until May 30) and Will French, Sue Ching Lascelles, Chris Town, Karla Dickens, Leahlani Johnson at MOP Projects (until May 23).
