Collectives, Community and Culture

Presented as part of NGV Melbourne Art Book Fair in May 2024 and curated by Sabina McKenna and Victory Nwabu-Ekeoma, this panel discussion featured conversations between Mahalla Collective, Saluhan and Bia Zine.

“Often designed to reject individualistic and hierachical nature of the mainstream arts sector, collectives have been likened to a type of family unit. They replicate the habits of kinship and provide a sense of solidarity and understanding among like minded creatives.

These family-like groups often testify to a shared lived experience. Because people of colour can be systematically denies access to certain spaces — including galleries, museums and publishing houses — they instead forge creative communities to cultivate opportunities of their own. Foregrounding urgency and agency within their work, and bringing people together as a means of resistance.”

Panel participants: Catherine Ortega-Sandow, Majed Fayad, MJ Flamiano, Lara Köse

Produced and hosted by: Sabina McKenna and Victory Nwabu-Ekeoma

Photography: Andrew Wilton