Founded in 2018,
Curatorial Practices in Asia (CPA) is a platform dedicated to shaping the narrative and charting the future course of curatorial practices across Asia and the Asian diaspora. Rather than merely examining these practices within specific historical periods or regions, CPA seeks to redefine them – challenging the conventional exhibition-centric paradigms in curatorial practices.
This year’s edition, titled
A Retreat for the Retreated, is collaborating with
Solitude: Loneliness and Freedom. The project is founded on the premise that loneliness, solitude, and self-imposed withdrawal are social phenomena that increasingly define our present era – and are especially significant within the artistic community. It approaches these complex, multi-layered themes through a transnational, multi-directional and discursive-artistic lens – including non-Western modes of perception and discourses.
The three-day retreat was organized by the
Rockbund Art Museum (RAM) and the Department of Culture and Education of the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany Shanghai, which is affiliated with the Goethe-Institut. It was hosted by both institutions and welcomed participants who have retreated to the fringes of established networks and exist within liminal spaces. The event brought together 13 alternative art spaces and artist collectives working across disciplines in visual culture and operating at the periphery of China’s major art centers. These diverse collectives and their extensive network often have no physical location, and yet they remain deeply rooted in their local communities, fostering solidarity that transcends physical and geographical boundaries.
On June 22, 2025, each space presented their work to the public in a Pecha Kucha format at RAM. While these collaboratives operated in different regions and often in isolation geographically, they were not necessarily lonely and enjoyed the freedom to choose what they wanted to write, what they wanted to engage in, and what they wanted to produce.
On the second day, everyone gathered at the Department of Culture and Education, where workshops led by Qiantai osf and Inter-Asia Woodcut Mapping created a space for sharing experiences, exchanging methodologies, and trading strategies. On the final day, participants met at a bathhouse retreat for informal discussions to reflect on and build upon insights from the previous two days. The retreat aimed to enable participants to envision new possibilities for collaboration and support networks.
Collaborators:
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Joni Zhu
Curator, Head of Programs and Initiatives
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Jenny Jiaying Chen
Independent Curator, Writer
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Tintin Zhao
Public Programs Assistant, Rockbund Art Museum
Partners:
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The Rockbund Art Museum (RAM), established in 2010 in Shanghai, is a non-profit contemporary art institution housed in a restored 1933 art deco building. Renowned for its innovative curatorial approach, RAM fosters cross-cultural dialogue through exhibitions, research, and experimental programs. Embracing “archipelago thinking,” it connects artistic communities across Asia and beyond, aiming to address global challenges and reimagine contemporary art practices.
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Huìsuǒ is a hybrid space co-founded by multiple artists. As a community café, it is managed by artist and coffee roaster Zhao Yang. As a non-profit art institution, its exhibitions and programs are freely proposed, organized, curated, and led by artists through an open nomination process.
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Founded by Chen Yifei, Fang Zheng, and Sun Yifei, Jasagala is an evolving art collective inspired by a a term used in the construction industry in the Henan region that symbolizes unity. It fosters interdisciplinary collaboration through exhibitions, festivals, and seminars, while its online platform promotes open-source sharing, artistic exchange, and community support.
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Launched in 2017 by Feng Junhua and Pan He, Folded Room is a cross-regional initiative connecting youth communities through events, documentation, and spatial practices. Its Traffic Radio and OnNomad projects explore mobility, local experiences, and boundary-crossing collaboration across cities like Jakarta, Tokyo, and Shanghai.
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Founded in 2024 by Miao musician DieelGuik, KHONGT HSET is a cross-cultural bookstore in Guiyang that champions minority and intercultural voices. Alongside books, it hosts salons, exhibitions, and performances, while preserving traditional culture and fostering inclusive public life.
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First published in 2022, Chengguan Azhi is a local publication that centers on youth culture in provincial towns. In 2023, it launched an offline practice space called “muinn-khau,” dedicated to exploring how young people can imagine, live, create, and build communities in county towns.
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Na Zhi Xiao He Bian is currently active in Tianjin but is not based in one specific location. It develops mobile spaces according to actual needs and attempts to build a dynamic network of public activities. It is not restricted by formal membership and promotes creative work through self-organized groups.
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Qiantai_osf is an artist-run public space in Guangzhou, founded in December 2022. Located within a residential neighborhood, it has hosted over 160 events, serving as a vibrant platform where creative, social, and everyday practices can connect, experiment, and interact.
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Founded in 2021 by young artists in the Yangtze River Delta, The Delta INST is a contemporary art platform that is redefining Chinese art in a global context. Through projects like Delta LOUNGE, GODOWN, and Delta International Studio, it promotes self-organized practices, resource sharing, and cross-border collaboration.
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Shanzhai MFA is a grassroots, interdisciplinary art education project inspired by the spirit of “shanzhai” (imitation and subversion). Launched in 2023, it offers free, small-scale sessions across China, promoting non-elite, non-specialized learning and promoting a global network of unconventional artists.
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Kindergarten without Walls is a community-based education program in Haikou’s Binlianxincun that supports migrant children through daily companionship, creative learning, and long-term care. Since 2019, it has welcomed over 150 children, engaged over 100 collaborators, and hosted nearly 500 events in homes, public spaces, and its base at Banban Grocery Store. Projects include workshops, film screenings, a children’s choir, and self-published collections of oral poems.
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Xianjing is an independent youth space centered around Vortex – a black house – and fueled by music, caffeine, alcohol, and raw energy. It serves as a creative lab for the unclassifiable, a haven for the impractical, and a home for the loud, the lonely, and the lost.
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Launched in 2024, Puncture is a writing-led initiative that responds to Hangzhou’s evolving art scene. It challenges institutional norms by fostering critical dialogue, experimental projects, and playful, non-academic writing. Through intimate gatherings and publications, it creates space for reflection, speculation, and connection among contemporary art practitioners.
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Founded in 2024 and located on Beijing’s Gulou West Street, Xiaozu is an artist-run space that is dedicated to emerging artistic practices. It has a particular interest in liveness, immediacy, and collectivity and hosts exhibitions, performances, and live events.
