Culture360 – the webmagazine of the Asia-Europe Foundation – has just published my piece on independent curators bridging Asia and Europe (and also other parts of the world) through contemporary art.
I have met these three incredible women in several occasions; they are doing a very important and necessary work, filling gaps in understanding across cultures. Their practice and professional rigour inspires me greatly.
Read More
CoBo Social has just published an interview with one of my favorite Singaporean artists, Gerald Leow. We did the interview this past June, at the time he exhibited his latest series “I am Time Grown Old To Destroy the World” at Chan+Hori gallery in Singapore.
Here is the link to the interview
Read More
We kick off the new year with the publication of an interview I did some time ago with ceramic artist Vipoo Srivilasa for CoBo Social. His work explores the similarities between the cultures of his native Thailand and his adoptive home, Australia. Vipoo’s art is playful and profound– as well as being highly collectible.
Here is the link to the interview
Read More
Art Republik Issue 17 is just out. You will find there my article on collectorship in Cambodia, where I have interviewed curator Reaksmey Yean, dancer and collector Sophiline Cheam Shapiro and artist Sophal Neak, discussing the concept on building an art collection in a country where the art infrastructure is still absent.
Here is the link to the pdf version of the piece
Read More
I have interviewed Palestinian artist Rana Samara for Middle East Monitor. Rana is a highly inquisitive, courageous and determined woman. These characteristics propelled her to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Fine Art as a mother of three children from a conservative background. Her passion for art has led her to a two-year MA in Fine Art at Northwestern University, Chicago.
The backbone of Rana’s work are conversations with women about gender and intimate relations. Her latest series of work called “Intimate Space”, was presented by Ramallah’s at Art Dubai 2017 and put the spotlight on the depth and complexity of the research of Palestinian artist.
Here is the link to the interview
Read More
I feel today the MAXXI Museum in Rome is the one contemporary art institution who is really nailing it in the Eternal City. The multifaceted and highly political show “Home Beirut: Sounding the Neighbors” is proof of that. The exhibition focuses on Beirut artists representing city’s development and destiny, and introducing the local artistic scene to a European public.
This show is the third chapter of the “Mediterranean Trilogy” through which the MAXXI has been examining the interaction between the artistic communities of Europe and the Middle East. The aim is prompting the birth of a new trans-Mediterranean culture, critically important for the global landscape of artistic creation.
The show presented 30 artists, architects, filmmakers, musicians, dancers, researchers, activists negotiating between critical reflections of recent history of conflicts, through archiving and re-enacting memories, and prospection of the future, through attempts of urban transformation and global outreaching.
Here is the link to the review
Read More
The webmagazine Middle East Monitor has just published my article called: Palestine’s first female-run cookery school is ‘a labour of love’. The piece is based on an interview with artist Beatrice Catanzaro about the Bait Al Karama, the first Women’s Centre in the heart of the Old City of Nablus, which combines a culinary social enterprise with art and cultural activities.
The space was established to support the social and economic needs of women in the Old City struggling in the aftermath of the occupation, and to draw international attention to Nablus as a place of art and culture.
Read More
Singaporean artist Ho Tzu Nyen has a new show at the Berlin gallery Michael Janssen, called No Man II. In this interview for CoBo, I spoke with him about his process, his conception of his characters as empty shells, and his love for books. Ho Tzu Nyen’s work and ideas are endlessly fascinating for me.
Here is the link to the interview
Read More
CoBo has just published my new piece titled “5 Singaporean artists working with the theme of Bureaucracy”. Researching the Singaporean art system and the artists’ practice, I noticed the emergence of this set of preoccupations with organisation, repetition, boredom, archiving, censorship, procedures, rules – which definitely dismantles the romantic idea of the artist as we conceived it. Bureaucracy is so pervasive in society such as the Singaporean one, that becomes not only a conditio sine qua non for art to be happening, but also a subject in itself to reflect on. This article features artists Jack Tan, Terry Wee, Zihan Loo, Lim Tzay-Chuen and Lai Yu Tong.
Read More
Third collaboration with the magazine Art Republik, which has just published my article on Epic Arts Cambodia. This is an outstanding art space in Kampot empowering disabled individuals through art. For this piece I spoke with Epic Arts co-director Sokny Onn.
Here is the link to the pdf version of the article
Here is the link to Art Republik’s website
Read More
CoBo has just published my interview with gallerist Audrey Yeo, director of Yeo Workshop in Singapore. I realized the interview a few months ago and it was greatly inspiring to talk with such an important igniter of the Singaporean art scene.
Here is the link to the interview
Read More
Art bars and restaurants come in all shapes and sizes; you can go from contemplating art integrated with the café design, to walking into a conceptual artwork. For CoBo Social I looked at some of the most interesting bars and restaurant around the world founded and operated by artists.
Read More
Naima Morelli is an arts writer and journalist specialized in contemporary art from Asia-Pacific and the MENA region.
She has written for the Financial Times, Al-Jazeera, The Art Newspaper, ArtAsiaPacific, Internazionale and Il Manifesto, among others, and she is a regular contributor to Plural Art Mag, Middle East Monitor and Middle East Eye as well as writing curatorial texts for galleries.
She is the author of three books on Southeast Asian contemporary art.
Reach out: contact [at] naimamorelli.com
