Mapping Curatorial Discourse: Positioning Southeast Asian Women Photographers in Australian Galleries

Approached from the perspective of a curator, this research examines the curatorial methodologies used for exhibitions of the work of Southeast Asian women photographers in the Australian context. Focusing on the geo-cultural and gender positioning of the artist, the research utilises exhibition examples to investigate the power relations between the curator and the artist within a gallery setting. In 2020, I undertook the practice-led curatorial project Minstrel Kuik: she who has no self, a solo exhibition of Malaysian artist Minstrel Kuik, at Horsham Regional Art Gallery in Victoria. The exhibition highlights my own curatorial approach and provides insights into how curators may interpret an artist’s subjectivity. The research draws on literature from Southeast Asian and Australian art history, positionality and intersectional theory, and curatorial studies. Following the literature review and my own curated project, I extended my scope to include interviews with other Australian curators working with Southeast Asian artists (particularly in photography) to comprehend the current practices utilised in contemporary art exhibitions. By comparing and contrasting my own curatorial practices with other contemporary curators’ work in this field, the research maps current curatorial discourses and the impacts of these approaches on the presentation of Southeast Asian artists in Australian galleries. The analysis and outcomes of the research offer new insights which identify a tendency toward collaborative practices between artists and curators, emphasizing the use of positionality and intersectionality in curatorial approaches which recognise the diversity in women’s identities and practices.