Roshan Singh Mishra

A total of 24 modern and contemporary art museum professionals residing in 19 different cities have been awarded support to attend the CIMAM 2019 Annual Conference The 21st Century Art Museum: Is Context Everything? that will be held in Sydney, Australia 15–17 November 2019 hosted jointly by the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia.

Launched in 2005, CIMAM’s Travel Grant Program is designed to foster cooperation and cultural exchange between contemporary art curators and museums directors in emerging and developing economies and their counterparts in other regions of the world.

Roshan Singh Mishra's Conference Report

I would like to sincerely thank the Getty Foundation for awarding me this grant to attend the conference. I would also like to thank the CIMAM team who supported me since the day I applied to this program, and finally, I would like to thank Liz Ann Macgregor, director of the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, for hosting me and my fellow grantees at the conference. I would like to congratulate her on this successful CIMAM 2019 Annual Conference The 21st Century Art Museum: Is Context Everything?

I was very much impressed by the respect that was shown to the traditional custodians of the land, every speaker was repeating the same phrase, it was quite moving. This was I first such conference I attended of its kind, coming from a small museum from a small country, CIMAM conference was a platform for me with filled with immense opportunities.

Wesley Enoch's keynote was such an inspiring way to start the conference. It was extraordinary to hear about the knowledge of the indigenous people who owned the land and how they were connected with the water, land the sky. Hearing cases of curators, artists and individuals, such as Wanda Nanibush, Ngahiraka Mason, Lisa Reihana, Hannah Mathews and other case studies from the speakers from the indigenous background were very contextual, it was encouraging to hear from all of them and know how they were engaged and dedicated and how all of them were narrating the story from end to the larger communities.

The off-site tour was also carefully planned for all three days. Cultural walk to Redfern and visits to different art spaces added a bit more in-depth knowledge and experience the art and culture of aboriginals and the contemporary art scene of Sydney.

Being an artist myself, a curator and director of an institution, I felt that this conference was extremely fruitful and also very contextual for me from every angle. Within 3 days I have come back with so many positive vibes, new knowledge, new connection, and some possible new collaborations.

Being closely connected with the contemporary art world in Nepal and having such a rich history, traditions and culture in my country, this conference has tremendously encouraged me to work toward the endangered and indigenous culture I have in my own country. In the future, through our museum collection and contemporary art, I also hope to re-narrate and refine the art, craft, tradition and culture of our people so that the knowledge can be preserved and passed on to the next generation.

Finally, I would also like to congratulate Mami Kataoka for her appointment as the new president of CIMAM.