Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts announces Exchange Program Artists

The Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts has revealed which artists will be joining the Asia Pacific Exchange Program, which is connecting Australian artists with the Taipei Artist Village in Taiwan and the Grey Project in Singapore.

The Australian contingent consists of Aaqila and Samuel Beilby. Aaqila is a Malaysian-Australian artist and writer whose practice investigates questions of identity and gender through the lens of the Malaysian diaspora, and is currently involved with the Pari Ari P2P Ngariung exchange in Indonesia.

Beilby is a Perth-based artist working with innovative art approaches to interrogate contemporary engagements with the digital realm and the impacts of new technologies, having exhibited at The Lobby, Goolugatup Heathcote, Artlaab, and UWA’s Cullity Gallery.

These artists will be spending time in Singapore and Taipei from April to June. In exchange, Taiwanese artist Yen Tzu Chang and Singaporean artist Moses Tan will be undertaking a residency in WA in January to March and June to August respectively. According to PICA, this will involve “collaborations with the WA-based arts community and institutions, sparking conversations, and the opportunity to engage with the artistic output of our regional neighbours”.

Chang’s works straddle the line between programming and art, creating soundscapes and performances to combine philosophical inquiries and scientific discourse, and has undertaken residencies both at home and across Europe, having performed at Ars Electronica Festival, roBOt 08 Festival, Digital Design Weekend in London, and Most Wanted: Music in Berlin.

Tan has a practice based on queer theory, using drawing, video and installation art to explore queer theory, with a particular interest in how shame and melancholia inform personal narratives. The artist has exhibited in Singapore, Hong Kong, the USA, Germany, and at the 4A Centre for Contemporary Art in Sydney.

“PICA is committed to supporting artists at all stages of their career and providing space to develop their practice. The exchange will not only offer opportunities here at PICA, but we will facilitate collaborations and connections with our regional neighbours,” says PICA Acting Director Georgia Malone.

For more information, visit PICA’s website here.