The Sixth Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art

206 Minam Apang Scribbling with script 2009 There are a couple of things I wanted to address and lead the children to explore . . . to reflect on the geo-cultural diversity of the Asia Pacific region . . . to examine the forms of unfamiliar scripts like Chinese pictograms, the flowing curves of Farsi, [and] also something more familiar, like English, and look at them not as alphabets or words (‘A for apple’) but simply as forms. Amongst others, the two stylistic techniques I have used most significantly . . . are the use of text as visual texture (layered to resemble choppy waters or the creases of a rugged mountain-scape) and the use of accidental ink spills/markings to ‘carve out’ creatures and micro-narratives that people the larger image . . . The participants are invited to look upon alphabets and unfamiliar scripts simply as form, neutral of meaning (as I would the accidental markings) and by animating them, ascribe new meaning to them . . . I hope this exercise succeeds in demonstrating how delightful and full of potential the transformative nature of this process can be. — Minam Apang Minam Apang’s drawing activity for children reflects the artist’s interest in calligraphy, storytelling and exploring language in unexpected ways. Apang’s selection of words and characters is sourced from scripts from across Asia and the Pacific, triggering children’s imaginations and encouraging them to look at text from a different point of view. Engaging with ideas about visual perception, every child’s response to the scripts tells a different story. KR Minam Apang India b.1980 Childrens’ workshop, Scribbling with script 2009, Gallery of Modern Art Commissioned for APT6 / Courtesy: The artist / Photograph: Katie Bennett Kids’ APT artist projects