Of Being Present. Of Time. Of /Shi.

Mona Kriegler, the current director of Goethe-Instiut Myanmar, was told by a colleague before she arrived to Myanmar that, “Cultural work is impossible right now in Myanmar,” she shared during her opening speech of /Shi exhibition at Goethe-Institut Auditorium on 12th November 2022. Unbeknownst to the colleague perhaps is that Myanmar artists have always created under any daunting circumstances they have been put under (e.g Myanmar Artist Htein Lin who created art from his prison cell during his confinement.). I think it’s interesting how the nowadays perspective of “cultural work” seems to be associated with works which end results might be art fairs, exhibitions and gatherings that involve champagne glass clinking and elitist art critique as one walks through the art space. Despite the glaring unfavorable circumstances, Myanmar artists have continued creating in their own spaces and /Shi exhibition became an evidence of continued cultural work that is possible in Myanmar.

Ponsan Tain, Htein Lin, 2005 via Asia Center Japan Foundation.

/Shi Exhibition Banner via Myanm/art Facebook Page.

According to the /Shi guidebook, “/Shi is an art exhibition in the city of Yangon, Myanmar. /Shi is on for 44 days from 12 November 2022 to 12 January 2023.” It is based on the bus routes, the backbone of Yangon’s DNA and includes 40+ artworks from 50+ artists spreaded across 7 venues in the city. /Shi curatorial team keeps the city in mind while curating. /Shi, not only takes place in dubbed “exhibition spaces”, where traditionally artworks are seen, but also in “home” and “public” spaces. Partnering up with Doh Eain, an initiative in Yangon committed to restoring heritage spaces, and Ayatharkhan, a cafe and a gathering spot in Yangon, /Shi wanted to showcase art in unconventional spaces, intending to establish a closer connection with a larger Yangon public that does not concern about art. On top of its exhibitions, /Shi programs also include screenings, music shows, artist talks and an art writing open call, which intends to give the endangered art writers in Myanmar a space to reflect about /Shi and Myanmar art scene at large. With its ambitious programming, /Shi has marked itself as an important milestone in exhibition-making history in Myanmar since the double crisis in 2020 and 2021 respectively hugely curbed the ability of the art community to gather and exchange. 

Official Images from Goethe Institut Myanmar Facebook Page, Myanm/art Gallery & 31 Curation.

In retrospect, it is important to note that /Shi is not the first cultural event in Myanmar since the double crisis. There have been countless online and physical exhibitions happening in Myanmar. Artists, curators, cultural workers, and their audience have tried various methods to stay connected with each other. Facebook was the most popular makeshift art exhibition space for the Myanmar art community due to its free and easy accessibility, with performance art exhibitions and photography exhibitions in video forms (New Zero Art space arranged performance art shows online. Contemporary photography gallery Myanmar Deitta arranged online photography exhibitions), and Facebook event page based art exhibitions (Art-Spaces-Us exhibition, April 2020). Gallery spaces rolled out occasional art exhibitions gradually since late 2021 with an attempt to re-establish connection with the remaining public in Myanmar. In this sense, /Shi is not an enabler, but an enabled. The continuing work of the Myanmar art community and their undying creative spirit made /Shi possible. However, what this exhibition showcases is the importance of keen partnerships the Myanmar art community, residing in a country with no systematic government or private support systems established, should keep with foreign cultural institutions. /Shi exhibition originates from the now two years in a row running Reconnect cultural grant initiated by Goethe-Institut, which was undoubtedly an essential help to struggling Myanmar artists, especially those who create contemporary artworks and struggle to sell in a mostly traditional art market. Money is the most essential resource for enabling. Not only was Goethe-Institut able to fund the projects, but also partially the exhibition. Partnership between the institution and local cultural workers resulted in /Shi exhibition that now acts as a melting pot of diverse creativity and dialogues - an important part of art-making and reflecting. It also broadcasted a much needed louder voice to the outside that cultural work in Myanmar still continues, be it in big or smaller scales. 

Of being present. As the first large scale exhibition in Myanmar since 2020, /Shi successfully captured the happenings of the Myanmar art scene in the last two years. From the discussion about the impacts of covid in Myanmar, artists’ reflections of their mental states during the double crisis, exploring themes of togetherness to new media artworks that more artists have started to explore since the pandemic, the exhibition presented the shifting trajectory of artists’ interests in Myanmar. It is also perhaps an alarm to the traditional art market in Myanmar that forms of art-making have changed drastically over the years, and that these artists are here to stay and continue creating. On the other hand, it also highlighted the dire situation the contemporary artists in Myanmar face. The market does not demand these artists. Unless there are independent funds supporting them, they will not be able to continue their work. 

Of time. As the curatorial team mentioned the pressures of working under limited time to execute a large scale exhibition, some artists during the artist talks also expressed their need for more time to present the works better in the exhibition. /Shi has its challenges. Nevertheless, it is a satisfactory experience under Myanmar circumstances. /Shi was able to thread new narratives out of the unending time loop of violence and trauma Myanmar and its artists seem to be in. Its artworks exist outside of the categories and biases of what audiences come to expect from Myanmar artists and show that Myanmar artists are capable of more than trauma art despite the circumstances. 

Of /Shi. Despite some of the questionable quality of the artworks in the exhibition, /Shi is essential work during this time period. It also highlights the impactful work cultural institutions and local communities can do together. Cultural workers should not solely depend on institutional help, however, it is always helpful to think together “What more can be done collaboratively?” What kind of projects can be impactful for the artists to ensure that their lifeline is secure outside of exhibitions and occasional project fundings? These are perhaps the questions Goethe-Institut can continue to ask themselves in their continuing work with the Myanmar art community. It is more important than ever to ensure the safety and longevity of the art community, as despite the circumstances, we work, we create, we exist, we /Shi. 

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To view the full program of /shi exhibition, visit Goethe Institut Myanmar’s website.