Lumbung Assembly 09 March 2021

When the second day of the assembly began, FAFSWAG, a collective based in New Zealand got their turn for the introduction. It is one of the new lumbung members.

Hi, everyone. I am Moe Laga. I am a performance artist, also an actress.

I am Felencia. I am a transwoman from Samoa. I am of some lineage to German and Chinese. I am a performance artist. Been in FAFSWAG since 2013. Besides art, I have finance background, in a bank.

Hi, I am Elyssia Wilson from the village of Tomakatonga. I am an artist. I pronounce my creative practice, a performance-based artist. Mostly live performance. I have a cultural background. I have been starting podcasts on women of color. I have been with FAFSWAG since the beginning.

Hi, I am Ilioloau, an American born New Zealand. I have been in FAFSWAG since beginning. I’m working in fashion design.

Hi, I am Tanu. Thank you for documenta fifteen, allowing us for being part of this exciting event. I am from one of the villages in Samoa. I am an interdisciplinary artis, queer living in diaspora. I am one of the youngest nominees for the art award in New Zealand.

I am Nahore, a Polynesian transwoman. I am a performance artist. I also do modelling. I have been in FAFSWAG in 2012/13. I feel nervous. Is there anymore from FAFSWAG?

Yeah, Hi, I am Laren.  I am someone Chinese. I am in my last year of high school. I am a new member of FAFSWAG.

Soon afterward, Tanu took over. Thank you. I have given time to everybody to introduce themselves. The tool we use are six different layers. It is almost seven years of operating. We’re happy to share more information. 25 minutes we have to summarize how we as a collective politically engage. The inherent identity as indigenous queer. That’s very nature as a political statement. Also, the destructive narrative by colonialism. There’re messages in the video we are uploading. If you have time, it would be cool to watch. A collection of artists’ activities. other than colonial narrative, also to see what survival look like for queer. I think the biggest to achievement for us to have joy to be together. It creates like a tapestry, a community. Seven years to have incredible career as a collective. To amplify our voices. We see a deep colonial context of poverty. We also try to connect with other indigenous people in the world.

Falencia: I think FAFSWAG with the awareness that there’s a lack of representation. We are as a woman of color.

Elyss: community like us often has lack of resources. To try to make journey a lot easier. To occupy … I think that’s been an important collective practice. We work in very high trust. When you are making it, how would I describe it, like a warm hug. It’s nice to have support and safety.

Tim: In relation to art, we love each other. To create connections to each other. It’s a really hard 12 months for everyone. To give space for each other. It’s been very nice. With various backgrounds. To show our connection and what we produce without making it secret.

Tanu: There’s a lot of issues of indigenous people. There’s a kind of calling to create knowledge of ordinary people. We recognize the damage operating has on secret relationships. The idea of productivity for the art world. It was an incredible way what we are doing. A specific nine islands still criminalize the  (sound issue) Never has our political leaders to lobby to the government to reform the law. In the country where we are coming from, we are not allowed to be what we are. In the last couple years, we are learning to live for other generations.

[FAFSWAG then screened a video entitled: “Where is your gratitude?”]

Kate Adam:

We have people working in studios. They’re all here working. This is quite a neuroethical zoom. I’ll start with a screen show. Project Art Works. It is a collective in England. We are European. We are raised, being in experience world. We do workshops on studio-based. We do the exhibition. We make films. We have archives. Photograph. Massive database. We’ve been around for about 20 years. We are more into structurally a collective based where more people can involve. This is care and advocacy. We do one-to-one support to navigate the social support system. Support collectives’ peers. We try to influence … social workers. We ran training. We’re going to show a video:

(A short profile video was played)

Kate: We show the picture of Carls, for public support. Sidharta is another studio artist trying to work in studio.

We have been together on this for about three years. He’s been describing it as something challenging from a lot of setting where he’s going from other people and his mother. He started by making incredible images. Also, in the show that what we do has the individual … sound issue..  around this mechanism, on the outside, we can actually make changes, to affect those different structures. I don’t know what the system is like. If they are ready to understand. If it does exist, it should allow people to have a good course of life. During Covid 19 we try hard as people face difficulties. We set up a studio for people who aren’t able to move. We started zooming. We talk a lot about practices and workshops. So, to create the idea we have to collaborate to make people understand.

It is a gallery based in London. So that’s what of the chances, to run workshop to bring organizations together. We make works with transcend. This profound sense of otherness. This is a special school. We also take that work into conferences. We talk a lot about how to create a more diverse presentations in art and communities. This exhibition is about his exhibition in life. It enables us to understand the experience of his life.

Walking through the gallery with artworks. Some waving hands. From Some artists were working. Paints on their dress. With maskers on their faces.

Art making is a conversation, a language, collecting artists. We working in a lot of different ways.

Ezter. Hi: It’s interesting to share lumbung with you, to share our bowl. We share our work with people with special needs. The idea of a collective is to share and become supportive to each other. This is a charter of rights.

Kate Adam: That’s kind of works we do increasingly on digital platforms. The opportunity to meet people and to share with lumbung is incredible. With those in Nairobi, in other part of the worlds. In showing the voices of the community can be heard internationally. We are totally interested.  Is there any question?

Tone: I’m super excited. Thanks for being here.

Kates: I think it is important if we work together. To support each other.

Anna: Hi everyone. I am an artist. I am one of a board members of project art works. Everybody is in work today. Because it is commonality. I like to make work about the UK disability culture. About the support system. How they feel practically. Thank you.

Farid: Thank you very much for hosting today. There are realization, the translation. Some speak in their mother tongues. The FAFSWAG with, at least, the language is important how you greet and address people. We have to work on it further. I just want to do check out. For the economy for tomorrow.

Gertrude: The economy is preparing. One thing to ask is to think. A long terms vision on lumbung. Super heavy. This also chance to think about it tomorrow. We’ll send email this afternoon.