How did this grant contribute to the realization of your project in regard to artistic exchange, local cultural development and/or the promotion of cultural diversity?

The Roberto Cimetta Fund—Valletta 2018 Mobility Grant enabled me to travel to Malta to attend the Curatorial School of Valletta 2018, European Capital of Culture. Themed “Researching Curatorial Practices,” the Curatorial School consisted of a one-week intensive program of guest lectures as well as collaborative research and exhibition making in the context of the local culture of Valletta. I participated in a workshop titled “Curating the Place and the Social: Art as Production of Public Domain,” led by the esteemed curator Fulya Erdemci. A group of artists, art historians, curators, and urban planners, we collaboratively researched the diverse architectures, sedimented histories, and local communities that constitute Valletta. At the heart of our workshop was the challenge of thinking the role of art in public space against exclusionary narratives of urban development, gentrification, and the filtered gaze of tourism. By studying Valletta in situ, we examined the ways in which spaces can be re-envisioned and appropriated—especially by art and curating—to produce alternate organizations of the public domain that highlight the plurality of the city’s communities and places.

How does exchange, networking and international contacts contribute to the development of your artistic and cultural project?

International networks of collaboration and exchange are crucial for becoming a culturally literate and politically informed artistic practitioner. Cross-cultural dialogue is an integral form of education—it not only strengthens artistic ideas, but also contributes to a deeper understanding of the world we inhabit. At the Curatorial School, the conversations I had with the international participants expanded my frames of reference and refined my understanding of Valletta. I am currently working on formalizing my experiences in Malta into a piece of writing.

Can you elaborate on the learning and knowledge you have gained and shared throughout this experience?

Through attending the Curatorial School of Valletta 2018, I not only learned about contemporary debates in curatorial research from renowned curators, but also came to experience and learn from Valletta by thinking through questions of curating in relation to the city’s local communities and diverse spaces. I was fortunate to get to know and work with a very creative group of cultural practitioners from both Malta and across Europe, which led to stimulating exchanges of ideas and a sense of belonging to a broader artistic community.

Please indicate a link to your current work (website/facebook page)

https://artandarchaeology.princeton.edu/people/students/carlos-kong