Writer and curator, Ben Valentine, will talk about how alternative art spaces are used for creative and free expression for artists in Southeast Asia. He will focus on several sites he’s encountered, especially in Vietnam and Cambodia, but also Myanmar and online communities.
In conjunction with his talk Valentine will show art pieces from four artists:
–Ying Miao, Chinese net artist, – http://thedeadpixelofmyeye.com/
–Lim Sokchanlina, Cambodian, video, “Urban Street Night Club,” (2013)
–Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai, Vietnamese, video or digital prints, Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai, from her “Day By Day” project dealing with Vietnamese living in Cambodia.
–Nge Lay, Myanmar,
“The power of art rests in its serious consideration and respect of the alternative, the outsider perspectives and platforms so necessary for society,” says Valentine. “In an increasingly interconnected world redefining itself within a neoliberal economy, where authoritarian governments can be internationally lauded for financial successes, these outsider voices are vitally important, yet go largely unheard.”

About Ben Valentine

Ben Valentine is an independent writer and curator studying how technology, media, and politics intersect around the world. He’s written and spoken for SXSW, Salon, SFAQ, Hyperallergic, and The New Inquiry, to name a few. Valentine organized several exhibitions on networked culture, including the World’s First Tumblr Art Symposium, with Hyperallergic at 319 Scholes, in Brooklyn; and Unmasking the Network for A Simple Collective, in San Francisco. He’s helped non-profits and arts organizations on three continents with marketing, bolster their online presence, and organize public events.