Having established a foothold after three editions, the time for change is ripe with CHECK-IN 2024. For this edition, Ian Tee, Associate Editor, took the lead in restructuring the format and setting the intentions behind the stories. The tweaks made to the sections for CHECK-IN 2024 hone in on key areas of interest without being bound to specific topics. It also allows for the mixing of different types of stories, whether they are thematic essays, interviews, or opinion pieces. More broadly, the new categories articulate a refined editorial direction for A&M as we ruminate on processes, spaces, networks and markets.
CHECK-IN 2024 opens with “From the Studio”,
which features essays by and interviews with artists. The decision to start with the artist’s voice underscores the central place artists have in this project, even though various important roles and stakeholders may revolve around them. The section closes with Aung Ko’s essay on the Thuyédan Village Art Project (2007-2013), a significant artist initiative he organised with his partner, the artist Nge Lay in rural Myanmar. The piece was originally written during the project’s run, but published for the first time here.
This establishes a smooth transition into the segment “Holding Space”,
which contemplates the idea of art and its publics. Leslie de Chavez, Tessa Maria Guazon, and Putra Hidayatullah write about the strategies they developed nurturing public engagement and artistic literacy. Essays by Regina De Rozario and Sadiah Boonstra address public and museum spaces as contested zones. Regina questions the notion of public art and its capacity to carry minor narratives, while Sadiah discusses the systemic and policy issues in repatriation.
In “Beyond Southeast Asia”, we profile transnational practices as well as ones we admire from outside the region. As the section title suggests, it is a call to think beyond the geographical boundaries and find alignments based on shared histories, research interests, and issues. “Business Practices” zooms in on two specific aspects of the art ecosystem: media and art fairs. Inviting contributors to reflect on running art publications and media companies is a reflexive exercise to encourage more transparency around their operations.
CHECK-IN 2024 is a collection of stories as told through inspiring individuals we have interacted with in the past year. We aim for longevity in the content we commission and create, and hope that this publication is of value for current and future students, practitioners and researchers.
Each contribution is edited by Ian and Nadya Wang. Sharrona Valezka took care of the publication layout, and Nabila Giovanna W looked after the “Fresh Faces”entries. (Ian, Nadya, Sharrona and Nabila)
Art & Market (A&M) is a multimedia platform that presents specialist content on Southeast Asian art, featuring its community’s artistic, curatorial and business practices.