keyvan shovir art residency |
Bangkit/Arise Keluarga Besar
Bangkit/Arise is the first and only international public arts exchange and residency from the San Francisco Bay Area (possibly the United States) developed to include and support families. While CAMP co-directors Megan Wilson and Christopher Statton didn’t initially conceive of Bangkit/Arise as a residency and exchange inclusive of families, this expanded structure took shape through the initial curation and continued to evolve organically. The selection of the artists from the SF/Bay Area was based on the following considerations;
- Artists who had worked with and shown a strong commitment to CAMP and our community
- Artists who had shown a commitment to community building and social justice
- Artists who had spent time living and working in other countries/cultures
- Artists who had demonstrated a high level of dependability and follow-through
- Artists whose work is strong and thoughtful
- Artists whose work and practice is varied from one another
- A variety of aesthetic styles, approaches, and levels of experiences
Based on these considerations, the following artists were identified:
- Shaghayegh Cyrous
- Keyvan Shovir
- Kelly Ording
- Jet Martinez
- Jose Guerra Awe
- Christopher Statton
- Megan Wilson
While each of the artists was selected for their individual body of work, it was not by coincidence that six of the artists are also couples. When considering the overall project of Bangkit/Arise, the idea of artist families being able to share in the cultural exchange and contribute to a model for healthy and inclusive community-building through art and culture fit with the guiding principles of the project. In part this vision grew out of the relationship that Megan and subsequently Christopher has/have developed with co-organizer Nano Warsono, his partner/wife Deny, and their two children Affis and Vino over the years. It also speaks to the collective approach of the Yogyakarta arts community that operates as a large extended family — one that is not always in agreement; however one that for the most part always works to support one another.
The artists above were approached two and a half years ago with the project description and asked if they would like to be a part of Bangkit/Arise. All responded affirmatively. However, Kelly and Jet expressed that they would want to bring their two children to share in the experience and asked if that would be a problem. After some consideration, CAMP conveyed that while the organization could not purchase the additional plane tickets, the project was committed to including and supporting the Bangkit/Arise residency and exchange with and for families, including children.
This inclusive approach extended to the initial plan that Keyvan and Shaghayegh’s families would travel from Iran to Indonesia to see them in person for the first time in seven years. However, at that point none of us predicted that we would be facing the current xenophobic, anti-family climate that we find ourselves in with the Trump presidency and the ripples it has spread throughout the world. As a result, neither Shaghayegh, Keyvan, or their families are currently able to travel due to this geo-political impact. At the same time these political developments are dividing and destroying families, on a micro-level they have created an imbalance and absence for Bangkit/Arise. Shaghayegh and Keyvan were each selected for their ‘social practice’ approach to creating art and working with communities, which would have made a significant contribution to this current stage of the project. We look forward to Shaghayegh and Keyvan’s inclusion in the San Francisco phase with the Indonesian artists and subsequently returning to Yogyakarta with them in the coming year.
