Bag Factory Artists' Studios | What is this place? Notions on site

A group exhibition exploring the intricate relationship between space and place – comprising painting, drawing, prints, furniture design, textile art, and sculpture. As an investigation into practices of place-making through site-specific work, the exhibition aims to underscore the intrinsic connection between the creative energy artists carry and the unique identity Bag Factory has as a place.

The exhibition features commissioned pieces created under the Bag Factory’s 2023/4 Artwork Commissions programme, as well as works donated by resident artists since the institution’s inception in 1991. The commissioned artworks were initiated through an open call that emphasised themes of Bag Factory’s surrounding environment: Fordsburg’s multicultural social fabric, resilience, optimism, and play. The Bag Factory’s various residency programmes also attract artists through open calls – each considers different artist development priorities, essential to the institution’s mandate of fostering a culture of experimentation and collaboration. The visiting artists’ programme has connected over 200 international artists, researchers, and curators over the last three decades.

The commissioned and donated works, together, reflect the nuanced relationship between space and place – particularly how human intervention transforms spaces into places. Space is location, physical space, and geography; while place is what gives a space meaning, “personality” and a connection to a cultural or personal identity. Space is defined by an abstract scientific, mathematical, or measurable conception while place refers to the elaborated cultural meanings people invest in or attach to a specific site or locale. The open calls are, therefore, exercises in place-making: presenting to partner institutions, artists, and the public what the place’s priorities are and drawing in folks who align with these. What is this place? Notions on site questions how this adherence to institutions’ own idea of themselves impact the creative spirit and the work made at their spaces and for their places.
What is this place? challenges traditional notions on site-specificity, acknowledging that site-specific work today is more adaptable, often inspired by an ideology, mandate, or growing community rather than a fixed location or moment in time. The show engages in a broader conversation about the evolving nature of creating art in a specific context, citing curator and art historian Miwon Kwon’s critique of how the term has been diluted, leading to a need for redefinition.

This show runs from 24 February - 29 March 2024.