Dunedin Art and Fashion Exhibition – Yu Gallery, Shanghai, May 2017
Introduction
Enterprise Dunedin has been invited to install an exhibition of Dunedin Art and Fashion in the Yu Gallery in Shanghai in May 2017. The exhibition is an opportunity to:
· Facilitate export opportunities for Dunedin businesses,
· Develop international connections for Dunedin artists and designers,
· Promote the high quality education available in Fashion at the School of Design and at the School of Art at the Otago Polytechnic,
· Promote Dunedin as a creative city internationally.
Yu Gallery is part of the Yu Yuan Gardens precinct in the Huangpu District of Shanghai. Yu Yuan Garden is the big sister of Lan Yuan, Dunedin's Chinese Garden. It is one of the most visited attractions in all of China with an estimated 6 million visitors a year. This is a significant invitation and even more so that we have been offered the gallery for the whole month. It comes about from the many years of building strong friendships on many levels as a sister city. We want to take a strong show to honour this friendship and to represent Dunedin proudly.
How to get involved and about the Gallery
We are seeking Dunedin based or significantly-connected to Dunedin artists and designers to present at Yu Gallery. A call for proposals will be made on 23 January 2017closing on 7 February 2017.
Interested artists should be at a stage of their career where international opportunities are useful and feasible next step in their development. While full details will be provided on 23 January 2017 interested artists will need to demonstrate:
· How the Shanghai exhibition fits with their career plans
· The applicant has the capacity to professionally manage exports including packaging and freight, supply work to order, international payments, tax and other tariffs.
· Support of a dealer, agent or similar to represent the artist
Freight will be the greatest cost in the project and as a result we will favour visual artworks and fashion that are easily freighted. Proposals will be simple word documents and should include images of your work. The proposals will be assessed by an independent panel of respected arts and fashion educators and curators.
The gallery is set up like a Museum in that all work is displayed behind glass in cabinets that are about 3m wide by 2m high and 60cm deep. The gallery itself is kept dimly lit whilst the works are spotlighted. Your proposal will describe how you would make great use of a space like this.
The gallery is two stories with approximately 30 booths around the perimeter of both floors. We anticipate between 15-18 artists and designers will use one, two or three at the most of these booths depending on the nature and strength of their work. The selected artists and designers will provide a small collection of work to fit these spaces, more than one piece but not a collection of say 10 to 12 large works. Your proposal will describe how the work you are submitting work together.
Selected Proposals
Selected artists will need to provide written information on their business, proposed work and quality images in print ready files for use in catalogues and online by 24 February 2017. Further guidance will be provided. Your work will be ready for packaging and freight by 1 April 2017. Artists will need to be available to work with us during March and April to prepare promotional material and similar in-gallery activities.
We will manage freight and installation of the exhibition as well as the preparation and design of exhibition collateral and promotions. At this point there may be some cost to the artist for freight but we are continuing to work to have this funded fully.
Friends of Dunedin in Huangpu District and Shanghai Municipal government will help promote the exhibition through media, social media and distribution of promotional materials in Shanghai.
We will work with experienced agents to introduce the show to dealers and other potential business partners in Shanghai in order to facilitate introductions to the Dunedin artists and designers in the show.
Sales will not take place in the gallery or through the gallery but interested buyers and collectors will be connected to the artists and designers directly or to their dealers and managers.
Unselected Proposals
This will be just one of on-going opportunities working with our Sister City and UNESCO Creative City networks to support Dunedin artists, designers and other creatives achieve international exposure. Proposals not selected for the Yu Gardens exhibition are welcome to resubmit for the future events.
What Next?
Email the project managers, Antony Deaker or Margo Barton to register your interest in the project, seek advice or ask questions. We will circulate and publish application forms in January.
antony.deaker@dcc.govt.nz
MargoB@op.ac.nz
Ara Toi Project Coordinator, Enterprise Dunedin Group
Dunedin City Council
50 The Octagon, Dunedin; P O Box 5045, Moray Place, Dunedin 9058, New Zealand
Telephone: 03 474 3585
Mobile: 0275 896 643
Email: Antony.Deaker@dcc.govt.nz
