Varsha Nair

Varsha Nair from Bangkok, Judy Freya Sibayan from Manila, Sara Haq from London, Karla Sachse from Berlin, Maryrose Cobarrubias Mendoza from Los Angeles and Sue Hajdu from Saigon developed an unprecedented exhibition impressive in the total number of artists involved (ten from each city), the number of images exhibited (600 images), and with the least possible resources.

This network of 6 artists in 6 cities explored the possibilities of curating entirely through the net, one exhibition of 600 city-images by 60 individuals - artists, photographers, architects and graphic designers. A set of 600 black and white digital images were reproduced by each city and exhibited simultaneously in June 2005 in several cities/galleries around the world.

600 Images/60 Artists/6 Curators/6 Cities: Bangkok/Berlin/London/Los Angeles/Manila/Saigontakes advantage of cyberspace as a dematerialized and democratic space allowing for 1) borderless crossings 2) freedom from the tyranny of real space and real objects 3) digital information to be rhizomatically transmitted, trafficked, circulated and networked to all parts of the world and 4) great speed of access amongst a vast number of actors who live in different localities but are connected intensely via the net.

Eventually, what this project involves are individuals, not nations; restaurant/cafe galleries, not super-museums; the production and circulation of only social and culture capital not economic capital. It does not define places and spaces as in the binary notions of the local and the international; centers and peripheries. Thus, no hierarchy of power is established or maintained. All 6 cities are local. All 6 cities are centers.

Project initiated by: Judy Freya Sibayan.