The Rejoinders is a brand new network between India and Wales which seeks to explore the collaborative process, the visual arts and ‘in between’ spaces.
This project will bring together creative and critical collaborators from Mumbai in India and Cardiff and the UK from a variety of practices, including fine art, graphic design, web design, sound recording, and geography.
Together they will explore visual art practices, and develop a collaborative curatorial model which can be adopted by the wider arts sector. They will share their findings and discussions, which will include visual and audio content, on a newly created online platform that will be launched at the end of September 2017.
In May 2017, two artists from Mumbai came to Wales to meet with other members of the Rejoinders group. Together they identified starting points for research and discussed intersecting narratives. Lots of tea, cake and chats, as well as visits to arts organisations, studios and galleries across Wales helped the visiting artists to gain a better understanding of the ecology of the arts in Wales.
The Rejoinders research groups will continue to work with local artists and arts organisations in Wales and India to create a series of events from February 2018 onwards, which will include artist’s exchange visits between India and Wales.
Two members of The Rejoinders group explain the importance of collaboration
Jess Mathews, curator/producer and lecturer in fine art:
Our project is built around innovation, collaboration and true exchange, trying to find a new set of criteria to work from... if we do what we already know and can comprehend, then that in a way is failing... this project is only interesting to the research group if we arrive at points where we don’t know, or are unfamiliar... One of my key concerns curatorially is investing in something that is genuine, it has to be new and steeped in collaboration.
Amanda Colbourne, Evaluation Consultant:
Anyone participating in the research group will be bringing a whole lot more to the table in terms of creativity and thinking than just their cultural background and their birth place... Trust, respect and equality are the bedrock for real partnership leading to collaboration.
This project is part of India Wales, a joint initiative between Wales Arts International and the British Council that supports artistic collaboration and exchange between creative professionals and arts organisations in Wales and India. Find out more about India Wales