Womanifesto

The Womanifesto collective came together in Bangkok in the late 1990s to fulfill the need for an inclusive, creative and open-ended art platform for artists from Southeast Asia. It was primarily set up as an independent project run by women, and is now a globally recognized entity, involving multiple art forms and artists from all over the world. One of the coordinators, VARSHA NAIR, shares her experience of this movement and its evolution with VANESSA PATEL.

- VANESSA PATEL

Q: The Womanifesto collective has members who are artists, poets, writers, and activists, with the outcome based on shared experiences and dialogue exchanges. So, has it been more about the gathering and feeling of community that it has engendered rather than the creative work produced?

VN: Yes, absolutely. Always, we have brought what we would like to present, to exhibit, to talk about-it was never curated. It was not only about the artwork, but about what led to that artwork and how we arrived at that point. It has also been very much about the ethos of caring for and supporting each other. For the second event, one artist was short of money and everyone pitched in to support her.

With funding for projects from sponsors, we have retained our autonomy for decision-making, e.g., how big their logo is on posters and catalogues, and where it is placed. These are important decisions that came out of our conversations about running Womanifesto.

We don't ask our members to register; no one has to pay money to belong. We don't exclude people. If somebody reaches out to us with interest, we engage with them and invite them if there is an exhibition coming up. Also, we don't limit ourselves to exhibitions; we have diverse ways of engagement.

Our first project was on a farm, involving the local community; the second was a very big exhibition in a public park. We didn't want to be based in the center and limit our output to having exhibitions only.

Q: How often did you gather for these collaborative events?

VN: Every two years. As artists we are also the organizers, and we have our own lives. After an event, there's a lot of follow up. Then you need another year to realize another event.