Crossing and blurring the lines between artistic endeavour and managing exhibitions, Ivan Alexander Francis Gabriel has become an important and very engaging fixture of the local art scene.
By Marc de Faoite
Ivan Alexander Francis Gabriel is disarmingly effusive and passionate, qualities that stand him in good stead as he guides visitors through ‘LangUR: Building Bridge Between Our Worlds’ the latest of a series of art exhibitions he has curated over the past four years.
He recently spoke to Penang Art District about his varied career path, which includes teaching, stage performances, sculpture, and most recently—organising exhibitions showcasing art work by his contemporaries.
Gabriel giving a curatorial walkthrough of LangUR. Photo courtesy of Ivan Gabriel.
Read more: Giving Voice to the Langurs through Arts
PAD: What prompted you to make this leap from creator to curator?
Ivan: I made an art bucket list of things that I would personally love to see, in Penang specifically, comprised of concepts and themes concerning contemporary issues. My initial idea was to pitch these ideas to galleries and/or curators. But when I shared some of my ideas, a friend asked, “Why don’t you do it yourself?’’ That question became the unintentional push I needed in order to a pursue a path I never expected would be mine.
Initially the leap from producing art to curating exhibitions appeared to be an incredibly drastic one to me, but I came to the realisation that they are in fact similar.
Gabriel showing his artwork, The Malayan Tiger, to Tun Dr Siti Hasmah. Photo courtesy of Ivan Gabriel.
Storytelling: The common link
PAD: What drives the exhibitions you curate?
Ivan: My approach has always been the same for everything that I’ve done, whether performing, or visual arts or curatorial work—and that is storytelling. When stories are told, connections are sparked, and there is something incredibly human about that.
We learn and discover through lived experiences and stories; we understand many aspects of life, including social norms. For centuries, stories have been used to pass on knowledge, and when important teachings are embedded in a story, we embrace that information uniquely because we tend to remember the underlying emotions in a story, rather than the actual elements of that story. Stories make learning effective. We tend to remember and process information better when we hear or read a story, because narratives reach deep into our psyche and provide a deeper understanding of concepts, thoughts, and ideas.
I look at producing artworks/curating exhibitions as an act of opening a door. I aim to communicate that not only does art matter, but it can be powerfully transforming and engaging.
When a story moves us, we are motivated to take action. And, I take actions in my curatorial work specifically, by bringing forth contemporary issues, especially those important to Malaysians. This is rather apparent in some of the exhibitions I’ve curated during the past two years, notably with BELANG (in conjunction with the Save Our Malayan Tiger Campaign), BOXED IN (tackling issues deemed taboo), and LangUR (highlighting their endangered status).
Gabriel at the BELANG exhibition. Photo courtesy of Opalyn Mok.
Challenging norms through narrative in socially-engaged art.
PAD: You spoke about creating a narrative or telling a story through your exhibitions during the Langur tour; is this the same for all the exhibitions you curate?
Ivan: Creating a narrative in my curatorial work is definitely something I intentionally set out to do, though the process is not rigid. There have been times where the curatorial narrative led to me researching artists who would fit the exhibition, whereas, other times I’ve had to come up with a concept inspired by the artists’ works and their respective rationales. There are so many nuances and different elements involved that it became my preference not to have a particular formula. But it’s vital to have an honest and open dialogue with the artists in order to respect their creative processes, ideas, and intentions. Then there is the ever-constant consideration of the audience in my curatorial processes.
The word curator is derived from the Latin word, cura which means to take care of. I don’t take the meaning, nor my role as a curator lightly. Given that I am also an artist myself, a lot of personal care is involved in the process.
Gabriel curated ‘Nasir Nadzir, In Remembrance: A Celebration of His Life and Artistic Journey’ to honour his friend and fellow artist, Nasir Nadzir, who passed away due to Covid-19 complications in January 2021. Poster by Kenny Ng.
Read more: https://penangartdistrict.com/nasir-nadzir-a-life-cut-short-by-covid-19/
When I spoke to Ivan, he had just finished teaching an online English lesson. I asked him how his curation work tied in with his role as a teacher, but also as an actor.
PAD: How does this relate to your background as a teacher and as an actor?
Ivan: Being a teacher, I think about how I am communicating my lessons to my students. As an actor, I think about how I am communicating the story to the public. It’s all intertwined and interconnected, which is why I believe that my disciplines, though seemingly different at first glance, are all cut from the same cloth. On certain occasions I have inadvertently created a bit of theatre in some of the exhibitions I’ve curated. The way spotlights are displayed in the gallery is akin to how lighting plays a role in theatre. Like actors on a stage, some artworks create their own dialogues with each other. I’ve learned to embrace the different hats that I wear. After all, they’re all worn on the same head.
Born in Dublin, Marc de Faoite is a freelance writer and editor based in Malaysia since 2007. His short stories, articles, and book reviews have been published both in print and online. Tropical Madness, a collection of his short stories, was longlisted for the 2014 Frank O’Connor International Short Story Prize.
Cover photo courtesy of Wise Media.