Zoe Bhatt
Curatorial Practice and Key Projects
Zoe Batt—a curator, writer, and educator—whose work connects contemporary Southeast Asian art with the international context and with issues of historical memory, community, and cultural dialogue.
Zoe Batt is a curator, writer, and educator who works between Chiang Mai, Thailand, and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. She is known for her projects across Southeast Asia and on the international art scene. Her practice centers on historical reflection, community engagement, and supporting artists and curators.
For Batt, the exhibition is not only an event, but also the environment, the connections, the conversations, and the institutional conditions in which art emerges and exists.
Zoe Batt’s curatorial practice centers on building critically thinking and historically aware artistic communities, as well as stimulating dialogue among cultures of the «Global South.» She investigates how traditions and customs transform under the influence of colonialism, religious conflict, and ideological extremism. She pays particular attention to relationships, networks, and informal artistic environments. Her texts and editorial projects have been published by Hatje Cantz, Routledge, and Sternberg Press.
The exhibition featured artist-run groups and collectives, including Nhà Sàn Collective, Gang of Five, Group of 10, Salon Natasha, and others. A standout piece was Nhà Sàn Collective’s installation, «82 131 39» (2017). It is an exact replica of the kitchen table where the collective members regularly gathered to discuss art and prepare food. This object clearly illustrates the exhibition’s concept: informal, «domestic» spaces and friendships can be just as crucial to artistic practice as gallery spaces.