“As we think about the increasingly diverse and non-centric nature of artists communities and collectives.  Due to the nomadic nature of artists, continuity within an artist collective can be challenging.  The pandemic in 2020 put that to the test for several years.  As artists resume their nomadic ways participating in exhibitions, events, and artist residencies, we believe it to be a fitting time to explore the experiences of artist collectives from various parts of the world.  The focus of the conversations will be two fold.  The first will center around how small, self-funded, non-site specific artist collectives and communities come into existence, how to nurture their existence, and how to develop networks and resources to sustain these collectives and communities.  The second will focus on individual experiences of artist collectives and communities of all sizes in order to develop an exchange of ideas about the nature and purposes of artists with the aim of developing new strategies to cultivate and maintain these vital seeds of creativity.“

This event was inspired by conversations between artists Sara Elggren, Anders Häger Jönson, and ourselves in 2024.

This event was inspired by conversations between artists Sara Elggren, Anders Häger Jönson, and ourselves in 2024. Since 2012, I have been the founder and director, of Art Byte Critique. I started this collective with the simple idea of finding other artists to speak with regularly about working in the studio and finding our way through the world. As Art Byte Critique finds its way through the teenage years, there have been many ups and downs. As such, it seemed like a good time forgo going it alone and to bring together other collectives and communities that we have had the fortune of connecting and working with over our 13 year history to share our stories, our successes, and our struggles with each other. It is also an opportunity for each of us to reflect on the work we have done over the years and think about how we move forward. - Arthur Huang

The conversations took place with Art Byte Critique, Launch Pad Gallery, Rice Brewing Sisters Club, Shiro Oni Studio, and Sara Elggren / Anders Häger Jönson on Saturday, October 18th from 14:00 - 17:00 in Tokyo.

We are currently reviewing the transcript of the conversations and will share the details of our conversations in late 2026.