The gathering of selected curators in Perth over 10 days – the IOTA Curatorium – has resulted in a collective result – the theme to guide the exhibitions and programs for the next IOTA in 2027:
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE OCEAN, YOU SEE THE SKY
When you look deeply at one element, you encounter another.
This in-between space mirrors the world of craft: a threshold between tradition and innovation, body and spirit, local knowledge and global exchange.
Craft is intercultural and often being remixed. Here, unity is not sameness but interconnection; every element shapes and is shaped by another.
The Indian Ocean is a space of plurality, where local and global, tradition and innovation, individual and collective are reflected.
[N. B. A full theme description and provocation will be published in early 2026.]
Pictured, back row left -right: Sharmila Wood (Australia), Catriona Maddocks (Malaysia), Zali Morgan (Australia), Ignatia Nilu (Indonesia), Jimmy Ogonga (Kenya).
Pictured, front row left -right: Jude van der Merwe & Carola Akindele-Obe (IOTA co-founders), Nim Niyomsin (Thailand), Shaleen Wadhwana (India), Kallol Datta (India).
Photo by Ezra Alcantra.
The IOTA Curatorium is supported by the IOTA Ambassadors, The Western Australian Government, Creative Australia, The Centre for Australia-India Relations, The ASEAN-Australia Centre and the Forrest Research Foundation.