tingan ying 鄞廷安
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[Good, night

self-learning]

Research projcet (2023)

Curatorial practice, Cross-disciplinary, Body politics

Not unlike the German context, Night self-learning is a common high school activity in East Asia. It means ‘self-administered learning in the evenings,’ yet it always implies a hint of teacher and peer pressure. Often nobody (including the teachers) wanted to stay that late, but we all subscribed to it, somehow. It often reformed itself into small groups of chitchats after a certain hour. Each group had their own topic such as manga, pop stars, extracurricular reads or gossip. I remember that I loved chatting between different groups. Looking back, that’s maybe the first book-club I’ve ever participated in.

What is a good night self-learning, then? By retrieving one of the early schooling experiences, and reclaiming the autonomy of self-schooling, I wish to find a new methodology of schooling, which objects to any hegemony. Instead, I aim to endorse a participatory, facilitated, safe space for identity politics conversations as opposed to the instrumentalization of the politics of representation. This space invites migrant artists to outside of institutional settings.

[Good, night self-learning] proposes a new archetype of weaving of exchange, conversing and support and eventually creates a platform particularly for East/Southeast Asian artists who share the interest of deconstructing the internalised hegemonic gaze that creators from non-European backgrounds are subjected to. Furthermore, the platform would continuously be active as a framework that supports future cross-disciplinary collaborations.

The project consists of two major components: bi-weekly gatherings for artists with East/Southeast Asian backgrounds, and my research on facilitation in contemporary dance. I will curate and facilitate a series of events. From migrant artists to migrant artists, it aims to create a platform that advances cross-disciplinary dialogues and collaborations with heightened political awareness outside of institutions.

Funding partners