Coinciding with the exhibition The Oceanic (until March 4, 2018)—featuring contributions by TBA21-Academy The Current Fellows from the first cycle of expeditions (2015-17) to Papua New Guinea, French Polynesia, and Fiji, and curated by Ute Meta Bauer—NTU CCA Singapore will present The Current Convening #3, in collaboration with TBA21-Academy, during Singapore Art Week 2018.

Convening #3 marks the culmination of TBA21-Academy The Current’s first cycle of expeditions, bringing together The Current Fellows; Fijian and other collaborators; thought leaders from diverse disciplines; local agencies and activist NGOs. Through roundtable discussions, talks, lectures, workshops, and performances, Convening #3 shares with a wider public the research and challenges inherent to a collective body of knowledge generated through the format of such expeditions. Convening #3, therefore, focuses on the modalities of exchange, addresses environmental urgencies, raises questions regarding responsibilities and ownership, and discusses whether rights of nature can equal human rights. Convening #3 provides a platform that invites discussion and reflection on how to engage in the future development of international law, policies, culture, and environmental education.

TBA21-Academy The Current Fellows at Convening #3: Atif Akin (Turkey/United States), artist and designer; Laura Anderson Barbata (Mexico/United States), artist; Dr Guigone Camus (France), anthropologist; Newell Harry (Australia), artist; Dr Kristy H. A. Kang (United States/Singapore), media artist, and Assistant Professor, School of Art, Design and Media, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; Dr PerMagnus Lindborg (Sweden/Singapore), composer, sound artist, and researcher; Armin Linke (Italy/Germany), photographer and filmmaker; Filipa Ramos (Portugal/United Kingdom), art writer, curator, and Editor-in-Chief, art-agenda; Lisa Rave (United Kingdom/Germany), artist; and Jegan Vincent de Paul (Sri Lanka/Canada), architect, artist, and NTU ADM/CCA Singapore PhD candidate.

The TBA21-Academy team will be joined by: Tarek Atoui (Lebanon/France), musician, composer, and sound artist; Barney Broomfield (United States), filmmaker; Dr Cynthia Chou (Singapore/United States), Professor, Department of Anthropology, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, University of Iowa, United States; Andrew Foran (Australia/Fiji), Head, Pacific Centre for Environmental Governance, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Suva, Fiji; Taholo Kami (Tonga/Fiji), Special Advisor, Pacific Partnerships and International Civil Society, COP23 Presidency Secretariat of the Fijian government; Dr Cresantia (Frances) Koya Vaka’uta (Fiji), Director, Oceania Centre for Arts, Culture and Pacific Studies & Pacific Heritage Hub, UNESCO Faculty of Arts, Law and Education, The University of the South Pacific, Fiji; Dr Hervé Raimana Lallemant-Moe (French Polynesia), Law Department, University of French Polynesia, Tahiti; Dr Sandor Mulsow (Chile/Jamaica), Director, Office of Environmental Management and Mineral Resources, United Nations International Seabed Authority, Kingston, Jamaica; Rasmus Nielsen (Denmark), artist, SUPERFLEX; Lucy Orta (United Kingdom/France), artist, and Professor and Chair of Art and Environment, University of the Arts London, United Kingdom; Maureen Penjueli (Fiji), Coordinator, Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG); Chief Roko Sau (Fiji), Paramount Chief of Totoya Islands; Joey Tau (Fiji), media and campaign officer, Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG); and others.

Convening #3 has been conceived by Markus Reymann, Director of TBA21-Academy; Stefanie Hessler, Curator of TBA21-Academy; and Professor Ute Meta Bauer, Founding Director of NTU CCA Singapore, and expedition leader of The Current’s first cycle.

Coordination for NTU CCA Singapore: Samantha Leong, Executive, Conference, Workshops and Archive; and Magdalena Magiera, Curator, Outreach and Education

Guest-of-Honour during reception on 26 January 2018:
Masagos Zulkifli, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources of Singapore