We have had one incredible week of visitors, conversations, inspiring exchanges and a few good meals. Thanks to everyone who participated in the Educational Workshop at the National University of Art and Culture, the Panel Discussion on Archiving, and the Digital Archiving Workshop. We will be posting photos, video and more information soon. Stay tuned!
Mobile Library is sponsored by Foundation for the Arts Initiative and Mr. and Mrs. Serge Pun.
At the University of Art and Culture – Yangon. We were fortunate enough to have as our hosts U Myat Tun Aung, Director of Painting Department, U Thit Lun Soe, Director of Sculpture Department, and U Kyaw Oo, the Rector of the entire University. We were so honored to have an audience of so many teachers and students from all different departments. Even the Headmaster of the State School of Fine Arts brought a group of students for the morning speeches and reception.
Here’s how it went down:
– Ribbon Cutting with Nathalie Johnston (MARCA) and U Kyaw Oo (Rector – NUAC)
– Flood of students enter hall where U Kyaw Oo speaks about knowledge and skill and how one completes the other; Nathalie introduces the project and how it came to be, David (MARCA Librarian) speaks on street art and culture, and Khin Zaw Latt goes over how MARCA came into being and why the students should use the books for inspiration.
– Students and teachers enjoy food, drinks and the books! See album for an overview in images. More to come!
Mobile Library is sponsored by Foundation for the Arts Initiative and Mr. and Mrs. Serge Pun.
AAA (Hong Kong) and MARCA (Myanmar) have teamed up to bring Myanmar the third edition of the Open Edit: Mobile Library project, generously funded by the Foundation for the Arts Initiative (FfAI).
MARCA has received over 500 books, which we are furiously cataloging and translating short summaries, in order to create a program based around these books from Yangon to Mandalay and beyond. The program will run from November to March and so far, include the following collaborative partners:
University of Arts and Culture – Yangon
Dreamland – Alin Dagar Art School
More details to come!
In March 2014, we embarked on a research trip with Susanna Chung, the Head of Learning and Participation at Asia Art Archive. It was during that trip we were told that MARCA has been asked to partner with AAA in the Open Edit: Mobile Library project. Myanmar will be the third country where the Mobile Library has been implemented. The first two were Vietnam and Sri Lanka. You can read more about the previous projects here.
In keeping with the objectives of both MARCA and AAA, we decided to meet a range of professionals, both inside and outside of the arts. Journalists from PEN Myanmar, directors from private art schools, art educators from the University of Fine Arts in Yangon and Mandalay, artists, art students, school and library managers, non-government organizations, international cultural institutions, and filmmakers and musicians.
These photos are just a sampling of the amazing experiences we had meeting so many intelligent, magnanimous professionals interested in education and creativity. We are currently putting together an outline of what this Mobile Library project will aim to achieve and share it with you as we plan the programming.
In February, we hosted a performance artist (Htoo Lwin Myo) and screened a documentary film on performance art (The Artist is Present with Marina Abramovic) We are slowly introducing screenings and presenting opportunities for conversations, to prepare the archive to open fully by the end of this year.
We are on Facebook! Here in Myanmar, Facebook is one of the easiest ways to reach a larger audience of artists and creative folks, so we started with that and will continue here and there to update you with photos, archive, progress, and workshop dates!
Books donated by artist Nina Rodin for the MARCA reference library.
MARCA | Myanmar Art Resource Center and Archive 