SAF x ASAP Curatorial Research Fellowship 2023

ABOUT

Art South Asia Project (ASAP) and Serendipity Arts have come together to support a curatorial fellowship program for a diasporic South Asian curator living in the UK. The primary aim of this program is to establish cross-continental connections between South Asia and the UK, which will facilitate the exchange of knowledge and the growth of the research field in both regions.
This three-month fellowship is designed to offer a unique opportunity for the selected curator to develop their research interests and curatorial vision. The program will encourage the fellow to develop a research project, and curate an exhibition or program that reflects their research findings. This initiative will also provide the selected curator with a platform to showcase their work, broaden their professional network, and contribute to the cultural exchange between South Asia and the UK.
This project is supported by Faizal and Shabana Foundation.

DURATION

3 months: August - October

INTAKE

1 Fellow

CURATORIAL FELLOW

About the fellow
Shalmali Shetty, a curator, artist and writer working between India and the UK. Shetty completed a BVA in Painting from the Faculty of Fine Arts from Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda (2015), an MA in Arts and Aesthetics from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi (2017). Furthermore, she has completed a Masters of Letters in Curatorial Practice (Contemporary Art) from the Glasgow School of Art (2020), supported by the Charles Wallace India Trust Scholarship. Shetty's research interests included themes of archives, memories, hauntology, oral histories, and speculative ideas around prophecies, oracles and imagined futures, extending her focus through the familiar framework of India, the wider Global South and its neo-colonial relationship to the West.

 

About the Proposed Project
Shetty intends to use the three-month fellowship period to research, engage and connect with diasporic artists based in the UK working on themes of transoceanic histories and spectral memories associated with landscapes to bring together a series of artist moving images and writings to structure the exhibition. Her curatorial project will coalesce her backgrounds in art practice and theory.

Website: Shalmali Shetty
Social Media: Instagram

PROVISIONS

  • ASAP will support the selected candidate with subsequent research by connecting them with academics, artists, curators, art historians and others based in the UK and other spaces in South Asia (including Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka).
  • The selected candidate will be given a fellowship fee of £2,000.
  • A production budget and exhibition space will be provided for the developed project to be showcased at the Serendipity Arts Festival, Goa, in December 2023. The production boundaries will be discussed with the Fellow at a later stage.
  • Flight tickets and accommodation for 4 nights will be provided during the Festival in Goa.


OUTCOME

  • Over the course of the 3-month fellowship, the selected candidate will work with diaspora artists and/or artists/archives in the UK in order to produce an exhibition at the Serendipity Arts Festival in December 2023.
  • The exhibition must be envisioned in a manner such that it does not involve any international shipping of artworks via the institutions.
  • The exhibition can consist of material that can be reproduced in Goa or showcased in a digital format OR original artworks can be hand-carried by the Fellow or the artist at their own risk. If the Fellow chooses to work with an artist based in India, the shipping of the works within the country can be discussed.
  • The Fellow will give a talk/presentation about their project at the end of the fellowship in the UK.


DELIVERABLES

  • The Fellow must submit a developed exhibition proposal (including the exhibition design/scenography, curatorial note, etc.) in October for the Serendipity Arts Festival and work within the provided space and budget.
  • The Fellow will be expected to produce a final report on the project (upto 1000 words), documenting the exhibition's development, impact, and challenges by the end of January 2024.


TIMELINE

  • The deadline for applications is 7 July 2023.
  • The finalist will be selected and informed by mid July.
  • The Fellowship programme will commence on August 1, 2023 and end on October 31, 2023.
  • Serendipity Arts Festival, Goa - Dec 15 - 23, 2023. (Tentative travel dates of selected candidate: Dec 12 - 16, 2023)


ELIGIBILITY

  • Open to UK-based curators or researchers of South Asian descent, who are interested in the field of modern and contemporary South Asian visual and applied arts.
  • The Fellowship is open to candidates from the diasporas of Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
  • Open to curators working independently and within organisations.
  • Applicants must be 25 years of age or older.
  • 2+ years of hands-on curatorial or related experience is required.
  • The proposed project needs to be a newly conceived research proposal.


CRITERIA FOR SELECTION

  • The applicant should demonstrate the ability to write clearly and accessibly for general audiences.
  • The applicant should have proven experience of project managing an exhibition and coordinating budget and logistics.
  • The applicant should demonstrate existing relationships with artists from SA diaspora but the artists chosen by the applicant need not be limited to SA diaspora.


SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

  • Completed application form with basic contact information.
  • A brief biography and CV including details of educational background and relevant work experience.
  • Project proposal including a preliminary list of artists, curators, writers, etc. relevant to their project.
  • A Statement of Intent stating why the applicant is suited for this programme, what they would like to do during the programme, and how the experience is likely to contribute to their present practice/research.
  • A portfolio of the applicant’s past practice/research.


TERMS AND CONDITIONS

  • After the selection, the selected candidate shall sign a single contract with Serendipity Arts and ASAP to complete the selection process.
  • A monthly progress-tracking call will be scheduled between ASAP, Serendipity Arts, and the selected candidate.
  • The works selected for the exhibition should preferably be existing artworks rather than commissions.
  • The selected candidate should be available to travel to India in December for the exhibition set-up. The travel dates must be confirmed by the end of October.

FAQs

If I have less than 2 years of work experience in a curatorial role, am I eligible?
You are required to have 2 years of experience in curation OR a related field.
I will be travelling during the period of the fellowship, can I apply?
The Fellowship programme will allow for vacation leave provided that the work is completed within the given time.
Can the proposed project be based on a single artist?
Yes, the proposed project can be based on a single artist.
What should my portfolio include?
Your portfolio can include catalogues of past exhibitions; research papers/essays; etc.
Should the exhibition be limited to digital works?
No, you do not have to limit yourself to digital works while curating the exhibition, but you should keep in mind the reproducibility of the work for the exhibition in Goa.
Will there be an exhibition/outcome in the UK? Will I have to bring the same exhibition to India or can it change/develop?
Yes, the Fellow will be part of a talk around the fellowship towards the end of the programme. The details will be provided after the selection.