"ACC Grantees’ Voices" was held on June 30. Moderated by Mr. Meruro Washida, the event featured Haruko KUMAKURA (ACC 2025) and Souya HANDA (ACC 2024), who shared their ACC Fellowship experiences through a presentation with slides.

Based in Yogyakarta, Kumakura spent three months in Indonesia last year, centering her work on collaboration with a local art collective and conducting her research into art history and historical representation. [YS1.1]She explored various initiatives, such as citizens and researchers collaboratively examining and re-narrating state-constructed historical perspectives, the re-evaluation of female artists, and visits to the sites of community-rooted art collectives. She described this experience as an opportunity to critically re-examine her own approach to curation, which had centered on museums and exhibitions.

The ACC Fellowship offers grantees considerable flexibility during the fellowship period. Instead of making a detailed plan during her fellowship, she was able to gain far more insight than she had initially anticipated by building relationships with people and valuing chance encounters and conversations. She concluded her talk by noting that she had gained new questions and perspectives that would lead to her future activities.

Handa spent six months in the United States, based in New York, having research on the Manhattan Project and the contemporary art scene, while also surveying contemporary art trends, focusing on Asian artists. He not only conducted research that relates to his own artistic practice and curation, but also he tried to engage with a lot of artists and curators during his stay there. He highlighted how the network he built with ACC fellow grantees who also stayed in the United States at that time gave him a huge support.

Having experienced the real art scene in New York, he would be able to feel the vibrant atmosphere of the city as well as its current conditions and challenges. He also referred to how his views and ambitions had grown significantly through meetings with ACC fellows from around the world. He also highlighted that relationships with ACC fellows have continued even after the fellowship ended and that this is one of the most appealing aspects of the ACC Fellowship. In conclusion, he offered advice to those who considering applying for the ACC Fellowship, emphasizing the importance of improving their English skills and building networks in advance.


Cross Talk, Q&A

At the Cross Talk session, Mr. Meruro Washida joined and participants exchanged views on topics such as the relationship between curators and artists and the benefits of overseas fellowships.

Kumakura shared how her experiences in Indonesia prompted her to re-examine the nature of museums and curatorial practice, while highlighting the importance of building human relationships. Meanwhile, Handa talked about navigating the dual roles of artist and curator with a clear awareness of the specific responsibilities, noting that the networks established abroad have become invaluable assets that have paved the way for collaborative projects and new exhibitions after returning to Japan.

During the Q&A session, it was shared that the significance of the experience gained through the ACC Fellowship lies not only in the research findings themselves but also in how new perspectives, questions, and human connections develop into future creative and curatorial activities.

To conclude the event, we introduced ACC’s activities and Grant Programs to those who are considering applying in the future.


The Networking Reception
After the talk session, a networking reception was held in a warm and welcoming atmosphere, making the event a meaningful opportunity for participants to learn, connect, and exchange ideas. ACC alumni and the 2026 ACC grantees also joined the event, enriching conversations and connections within the ACC community.

We hope this event has deepened participants' understanding of the ACC Fellowship Programs and inspired new connections and future endeavors.