Owen Leong

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Owen Leong

Participating Project	Exchange Residency Program (Creators from abroad)
Activity Based	Australia
Period	2009.8 - 2009.10

Purpose of the residency

During my visit to Tokyo Wonder Site, I hope to make a valuable contribution to my host organisation and the community. Making contact with such a diverse and talented group of artists-in-residence at TWS will be deeply rewarding and inspirational. The residency will be an excellent opportunity to build mentoring relationships, exchange ideas and skills-share with other artists. I also hope to fully immerse myself in Tokyo's world-class galleries and museums.

Plan during the residency

Exchange Residency Program 2009, Invitation (Melbourne) During my residency at Tokyo Wonder Site, I will conduct research on the history of the body and performance in contemporary Japanese art. I hope to then develop a new series of photographic portraits based on my research into the subcultures of Tokyo.

Achivements of the residency
The Major objective of my residency was to research and produce new work. The initial research phase was highly successful, with an intense period at the start involving research at libraries, visits to specific museums and galleries, and participating in a butoh workshop provided me with first-hand experience of one of Japan's most radical performance art forms.
Another objective of my residency was to make a valuable contribution to my host organisation and the community. This was successful because TWS was focused on its strong public programs. These included giving artist talks, workshops and open studio days, in which creators-in-residence were invited to present. During my stay I delivered 5 talks at TWS to a diverse audience including school teachers, art students, residency staff, and artists. I also exhibited my work in 2 open studios and made connections with general visitors, engaged with local artists, and networked with curators to discuss my practice in the context of Australian contemporary art.
In addition to giving talks, I was interviewed for a Korean arts television program. This program was scheduled to air in Korea in September 2009 and discussed the TWS residency, my work, and what I hoped to achieve there. The program also featured excerpts from my video artwork 'Milk Ring'. Through my own connections, I was also invited to give an artist talk and run a workshop at Tokyo International School (TIS). The TIS student body is comprised of children of important international diplomats and government officials from around the world. This was an excellent experience and the students enjoyed my presentation and workshop. They were intelligent, articulate and able to engage at a high level with contemporary art.

Outcome of the exchange
The most significant aspect of this residency was the time, space, facilites and support to create new work. The major outcome as a result of my residency was the production of an installation and a new series of photographic artworks.
Another significant outcome of the residency was the opportunity to conduct research at libraries, tap into local knowledge, and access books difficult to find outside of Tokyo. Through my research, I gained exposure to new artists dealing with themes of skin, traditional and contemporary tattoo art, and　 transformation. I was able to track down and purchase exhibition catalogues for 'Goth: Reality of the Departed World' (featuring Ricky Swallow, Dr Lakra and Pyuupiru) and 'Heavy Light: recent photography and video from Japan'. The books, materials and resources I collected will inform my practice for years to come.
With the assistance of TWS staff, and following suggestions from colleagues in Australia and Japan, I was able to tap into and connect with a wide range of people from the Japanese art scene. I was fortunate to meet important curators such as Michiko Kasahara, Chief Curator, Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography; Kenjiro Hosaka, Assistant Curator, The National Museum of Modern Art; and Takashi Azumaya, Artistic Director, Busan Biennale 2010.
I appreciated the opportunities to connect with many artists including Dinh Q. Lê, renowned Vietnamese-American artist and TWS creator-in-residence; Yuken Teruya, Japanese-American artist and TWS creator-in-residence; and Akira the Hustler, famous Japanese artist and activist, who also agreed to be part of my photographic art project.
I also enjoyed the opportunity to attend contemporary art fairs. I visited Tokyo Photo 2009, the inaugural edition of this art fair, which presented the most exciting trends in contemporary Japanese photography, which also had a special section devoted to American photographic art. I also visited ULTRA02, an art fair for emerging directors and their new galleries, where I met many young directors, artists and collectors.
Through my research, I made contact with Japanese artists working with the body and photography, identity and transformation. Pyuupiru is an established artist who has exhibited at the Yokohama Triennale and Yokohama Museum of Art. Haruka Yamada is an emerging artist who I met at her first solo exhibition. I interviewed both artists for Peril, an online Asian-Australian arts and culture magazine for which I am the visual arts editor. Upon my return to Australia, the issue of Peril that features my interviews with both artists was launched on 3 December 2009 at the Sidney Myer Asia Centre, with the support of Asialink and the Australia Council.
During my residency, I also initiated contact between Tokyo Wonder Site and the Tokyo International School. TWS was keen to expand their program and teachers at TIS were seeking more international artists to deliver artist talks. I introduced staff from the two organisations to facilitate future exchange and encourage possibilities for future artists talks and workshops for the students.
Before the end of my residency there was also discussion with TWS staff of a future exhibition in Tokyo in 2010, featuring all the resident artists from the past financial year. If this project goes ahead, I will send back the work I created during my residency, to be included in the exhibition.

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