Material Conversations

GAS Collective
Curator-in-Residence
April – September, 2026
NAMARA | projects

Material Conversations is a curatorial research project that explores materials as a shared ground for knowledge exchange and alternative models of collaboration among curators, artists, art businesses, and communities. The project is conducted by GAS Collective (Gizem Candan and Steffi Sin Tung Ng) and builds on their ongoing interests in sustainable curatorial cycles and material recirculation.

Taking the material research and process-based practices of four artists–Michelle Peraza, Elena Kirby and Masumi Rodriguez, and Howsem Huang–as an entry point, GAS will develop a publication that inquires into how these knowledges can be put into tangible conversations and transformed into exhibition-making strategies for curators as well as creative solutions for other arts practitioners and a wider community use.

GAS considers curating as a collaborative action in which the curator is an active contributor in exhibition-making, creating a space for mutual learning, support, and growth both for the artists and the public. Artists’ material knowledges serves as the nexus to explore curators’ role in materials and materiality.Why should curators care? How can they learn from artists and mobilize their artistic and technical material strategies to exhibition design? What (new) material kinships might emerge between curators and artists?

Material Conversations aims to move beyond the traditional, one-off model of collaboration between artists and curators towards a more reciprocal and sustainable ecosystem. This research hopes to serve as a shared resource that inspires a more circular framework for collaborative material research that can extend beyond the art world.

Public Programming: Curatorial Workshops

Natural paint-making with Michelle Peraza

In this workshop, Michelle Peraza demonstrated her gouache-making practice using ashes. We explored how to translate natural paint into sustainable vinyl and other exhibition-making strategies. Paint samples were given to each participant to try the colour on paper.

This workshop took place at Open Studio on Saturday, April 25, 2026.

Risograph Printing with Howsem Huang

In this workshop, Howsem Huang facilitated a risograph printing workshop centred on zine-making and collaging. Participants learned the fundamentals of risograph and how this knowledge can be applied to curatorial practice, from the making of exhibition brochures and other marketing materials to exploring new ways of printing with artists and photographers.

This workshop took place at San Cafe on Thursday, May 21, 2026.

Paper-making by using invasive plants with Masumi Rodriguez and Elena Kirby

In this workshop, Masumi Rodriguez and Elena Kirby shared their knowledge of using invasive plants to make paper. They discussed the inner workings of their paper-making processes, and explored the possibility of incorporating handmade paper into curatorial strategies. Participants created their own paper to take home.

This workshop took place at Open Studio on Thursday, June 25, 2026.