Australia | 2021 1st Indian Ocean Craft Triennial in development

Updates from the curatorial team on the first Indian Ocean Craft Triennial. Sign up for the newsletter to learn more about the international engagement and planning in process for the first Indian Ocean Craft Triennial … due to take place in Perth, Western Australia (WA) in 2021.

A large part of the work has been about reaching out to the craft sector, both organisations and individuals, to build a collaborative framework for the Triennial. And a significant amount of time spent responding to the (frankly) astonishing levels of interest both in Western Australia, Australia and in Indian Ocean Rim countries as the network of art-craft-makers and supporters grows. 

As an independent group of curators, we value the support of the visual arts and craft community in the realisation of our vision to create and present superb exhibitions of craft based works that talk to and challenge the extraordinary times we live in.

'Curiosity and Rituals of the Everyday' is our overarching theme; expanded into areas of votive, adornment, utility and shelter. Importantly, the premise is under-pinned by global issues around sustainability, dispossession, reposession, industrialisation, and transforming technologies.

We plan to enable artist exchanges, residencies and collaborations where possible. You are encouraged to contact the team with a proposal if this is something of interest. Work also continues towards building an engaging conference, and a public program of workshops, artist talks, masterclasses and films to be held during the exhibition period of September to November 2021.

If you would like to send a proposal for this program, please contact the team. 

The desk research has been complemented by travel to local, regional and international art centres. The team has connected with artists in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Malaysia, Singapore and South Africa.