GLOBAL CENTRE FOR DRAWING

The concept of 5 Places (1) proceeds from the notion of mobility, unpredictability and interchangeability brought about in networks challenged through curatorial and artist’s dialogue. The first phase of the project involves 5 venues around the world, which curate 2 artists who will then be shown in the venues of the other 4 places – but not in their own. “Place” refers to the geographical location, and in each context the gallery or display space will add its own unique voice to the dialogue between artists – and also carried over from one venue to another. Depending on the space and programming schedules, the exhibitions can be 2 person shows or an accumulation of works up to a single show of 8 artists. In the initial phase artists are likely to be shown as national duos, however, as the dialogue with place develops, as active agents in the project, artists will be able to collaborate with different combinations and interplays of ideas cross-nationally. Engaging in this creative conversation between artists, 5 Places will attempt to investigate different partnership models and collaborative possibilities of institutional scale, public-private practice, and academic practice. 5 Places exhibitions will also intervene and connect with local contexts such as festivals or publication/commissioning programs. The development of 5 Places will progress to develop experience of working in global partnership and will further longer term programming relationships; a publication and a website will be included in the legacy.

Authored and Curated by Tony Trehy and Irene Barberis © In association with Metasenta Pty. Ltd and the Bury Art Museum

(1) In 2006, I met Irene Barberis at an international conference at the Mori Museum in Tokyo on the mobility of the artist in the 21st Century. In 2007, we met again in Manchester: she via Chicago on route to Dubai and Hong Kong; me just back from Budapest and Köln on route to Reykjavik. Observing that artist mobility was frequently a misnomer for an international appropriative currency of artists by dominant institutions and academies, during that Manchester meeting we agreed on my concept to investigate how to privilege artistic and curatorial mobility. This concept is 5 Places

Collaborative exhibitions: Bury Art Museum and Metasenta Pty. Ltd.

Exhibitions Bury Art Museum: Curated by Dr. Irene Barberis
20th January – 9th April 2011
Breathe, - Mike Parr and Irene Barberis

Asia Triennial Manchester, Bury Art Museum: Curated by Dr. Irene Barberis
1st October – 19th November  2011
Places: two artists, - Tam wai Ping, Dinu Li.

Exhibitions Langford120, Melbourne: Curated Tony Trehy, Ditrector Bury Art Museum
5 Places, Melbourne,  - Stephen Miller and Magnus Quaife.