a micro arts festival in the most unique places
MICRO GALLERIES LIVE
Our Flagship Initiative
MG Live works closely with a community to reclaim disused and forgotten spaces and reactivate them as open-air galleries that are free and accessible to the local community. Bringing together international and local artists, the festival features work that aims to celebrate the community and kindle visionary solutions, be a catalyst for placemaking, and a creative playground for community.
Micro Galleries aims to demonstrate that art is for everyone and can have a positive impact on a community; that art does not have to only be presented in galleries and theatres, but can break out of these spaces and ingrain itself into the public; that everyone can have ownership and involvement in the creation and appreciation of art work, and that art can help makes lives richer, facilitate deeper conversations and can invite a range of perspectives into our social, political and environmental conversations.
Micro Galleries aims to demonstrate that art is for everyone and can have a positive impact on a community; that art does not have to only be presented in galleries and theatres, but can break out of these spaces and ingrain itself into the public; that everyone can have ownership and involvement in the creation and appreciation of art work, and that art can help makes lives richer, facilitate deeper conversations and can invite a range of perspectives into our social, political and environmental conversations.
14 days
Live Works, Open-Air Galleries, Positive Disruptions and Engagements.
100+ artists
From around the world contributing a diverse range of work including experimental, interdisciplinary, new media, visual, sound, text and performance.
8 festivals
Across 4 continents, over 10 years.
1.9 million
Artists, participants and online engagements.
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I am drawn to working with Micro Galleries because they are a fierce and fearless activator of public space—creating shared experiences in the places we live in together.
Open-Air Galleries
We fuse fine and street art into the urban-scape, crating a labyrinth of public art galleries on the street, free and accessible to all.
Live Weekend
A curated weekend full of live, new media, installations and experimental works,
Artist Residency
Select MG Live participating artists do a deep-dive into a local/global issue in an incubator-style environment, and create a public response.
Workshops
Free workshops for the community led by MG Live participating artists.
Tours
Free tours of the open-air galleries in the local language and English are presented by local historians/artists/performance artists as a way for visitors and local community to find new and accessible ways into the works.
Think Tanks
MG convenes think tank grups to address local and global issues on a deeper level.
A few highlight reels
Micro Galleries Live, Kathmandu
This was our most dynamic micro festival yet! Twining through the ancient streets of Patan, in the Kathmandu Valley, Micro Galleries and Kaalo 101 presented over 100 creatives from over 27 different countries, all who explored this year's theme "Empower!"
Micro Galleries Live, Wan Chai
Wan Chai was one of the first developed areas of HK; home to fisherman who stayed close to the local temple it soon became a hot bed for fringe dwellers, a place for soldiers to drink and play, and the area most renowned for sex workers in HK.
Micro Galleries Live, Jakarta
Over 50 artists/collectives/initiatives from 20 different countries in the incredibly dynamic kampung of Jl. Kebon Nanas 1. Gritty lanes and rubbish-filled fields became colourful playgrounds for the artists and community, where we all came together to paste, paint, project and perform.
Micro Galleries Live, Nowra
Micro Galleries (Nowra) presented 40 artists/collectives/initiatives in total participate, with total of 141 individual artists contributing an estimated 646 individual pieces of artwork to the public for free. 8kg of wallpaper glue, 1000 sheets of paper, 3km² covered, 2 iPhones dropped in glue.
How it works
We Select a Space
Either a community approaches us or we invite a community to work together with us. This is usually at least 9 months before our festival date.
We Select a Theme
Each MG Festival has its own theme that connects local issues with a global conversation.
Partner Organisations
We do a callout for partner organisations and team members to join us in realising MG Live together. After all, they know the community and culture best!
Meet the Community
We spend a lot of time in the community we want to work in. We don't want to take over, we want to learn, share and grown together. At this stage, we meet with leaders, business, artists, neighbours of the community we will be working within and ask them what they want to see, explore and enjoy.
Identify Our Galleries
We work together with the local communities to identify the spaces and areas we will transform together.
Local Artist Callout
We shoutout to the entire host community for local artists to bring their practice, knowledge and ideas to our festival.
Curate the Space
We take all our MG Collective and local artworks and curate them throughout the open-air galleries in a way that will take the community on a cool creative journey.
Curate the Live Works
We come up with an incredible opening weekend full of live works, including liver performances, talks, screenings, projection art, night tours, artisan markets and a massive micro opening night!
Artist Residency
2 weeks before opening night we all converge on the community we have been working with, and we kick things off with an incubator-style artist residency within the community.
Production Week
1 week before the opening night, we install all of the works. There is live painting, workshops, artist talks and loads of late nights and cups of coffee with the community.
Opening Night
A roaming series of live works, projections, performances, music, food, community.
Live Weekend
All our team, artists and live works in action along with tours of the festival and its artworks.
Collapse
This stuff is HARD WORK! But we love it, the people and artists we work with, the communities that teach us so much and the online following that give us loads of love.
Take a micro look...
Micro Galleries in Your Town
Feel your town needs a little shake up and some positive social change? Contact us! If we can't get there, we can introduce you to our latest project – Micro Galleries IN A BOX.
Our most recent Micro Galleries in Kathmandu!
If you're keen to make change in your community, let us know. We are always open to new partnerships and possibilities!
The Down-Low on How We Are Aiming Up-High
Here's some inside-goss on what people are saying about what we do.
Bridging Gaps"There's a gap between society and art galleries, especially in the field of contemporary arts. Micro Galleries offers a bridge between society and contemporary arts in a very unique way."
Kianoush Ramezani, Caroonist, Iran/France
Art Matters"I believe projects like this show that that art matters in our daily life and contributes a big amount to improving the public's lives - not to mention the amazingly wonderful supportive of artist community Micro Galleries builds and engages in in each country. As an artist I feel truly excited and inspired by Micro Galleries."
Ika Vantiani, Collage Artist, Indonesia
Enabling Communities"Please do it again! We loved every bit of it, it was exciting, refreshing and renewing. Thank you Micro Galleries for enabling a community to get so excited about making, viewing and thinking about art. Weeks later people are still making very positive
comments to me about the event."
Daniel Jones, Artist, Australia
Learn and Be Open-minded"People in my town want the world to learn about and be open minded about South African townships; to learn about how Langa is growing and to help prevent things that are overpowering my community. Our art can help this."
Feni Chulumanco, Artist, South Africa
Join the Team!
We are a team of highly skilled volunteer creatives from around the world, striving to curate a better future. If you are interested in joining the ranks, sharing your skills, developing capacity for those in vulnerable spaces and joining our tribe, shout out!