About IASKA
   
 
 

The International Art Space Kellerberrin Australia (IASKA) is a groundbreaking art organisation based on a unique idea: to run a cutting-edge program of residencies, site-specific projects and exhibitions, touring exhibitions, educational programs and mentoring programs by distinguished contemporary artists in a remote rural community.

IASKA’s gallery and studio space are located in the small town of Kellerberrin, 210 kilometers east of Perth, in the heart of the Western Australian Wheatbelt. Each year IASKA invites several artists from Australia and overseas to live and work in Kellerberrin or other rural centres for periods of up to three months, interacting with the community and developing original artworks based on their experience of the place and people.

IASKA offers artists an opportunity to work for an extended period of time in a social environment that is quite different from the urban milieu that is the usual context of production and distribution of the contemporary arts. This new experience provides artists with a major stimulus to experiment with new ideas, approaches and modes of production, encouraging artists to rethink and renegotiate their role in such unfamiliar social contexts. It also invites communities to be receptive to creative practices that don’t conform to traditional expectations.

New works created by artists during their stay are presented at IASKA at the end of each residency. Every two years IASKA organises a large national touring exhibition featuring a selection of works produced by the artists in residence, which is then showcased to a diverse range of audiences in metropolitan and regional centres around Australia.

Artists are invited to participate in projects focusing on distinctive rationales or themes. Individual projects are incorporated within a structured framework of closely inter-related activities.

The four components of the program are:

Residencies and site-specific projects
Each year IASKA invites several artists from Australia and overseas to work and live in a rural community with the view to developing locally specific projects. Artists interact with the community through both informal daily contact and organised activities. Local residents often directly participate in the research and development of artistic projects.
 Touring Exhibtions
Every two years IASKA organises a large national touring exhibition featuring a selection of works produced by our artists in residence. These touring shows enable us to present the results of the program we create in rural Western Australia to a diverse range of audiences in metropolitan and regional centers around Australia. In addition to this touring program IASKA’s projects are also re-presented to metropolitan audiences through one-off arrangements with venue such as PICA, the John Curtin Gallery and the Gallery of Western Australia.
 Youth and Education Program
All artists in residence contribute to our youth program. IASKA employs a youth officer to work with artists to develop art workshops for rural students and youths. These are hands-on, project-based activities that are conducted after extensive discussions with principals and teachers of the participating schools or the co-ordinators of local youth organisations. The program introduces students and young people to a great range of innovative ideas stemming from the diverse cultural and artistic backgrounds of the participating artists.
 Mentoring
Established artists also contribute to our mentoring scheme for emerging artists. The scheme is based on the concept of organising opportunities for established and emerging artists to live and work together for short periods to develop research projects and participate in a cross-generational and cross-cultural exchange of ideas and experiences.