The Storytellers
Join me, Shazeera Zawawi as we embark on a fascinating journey with a diverse cast of storytellers ; from authors to social activists and documentary filmmakers to data artists. In each episode, we dive into their unique crafts, exploring their thoughts and approaches that make a compelling narrative, regardless of the medium.
How does a playwright build tension that we can apply to a dynamic dashboard? What can a photographer teach us about highlighting key insights in a complex dataset? How does a musician's use of rhythm inform the pacing of a data-driven presentation?
Through insightful interviews, practical takeaways, and a spirit of curious inquiry, The Storytellers aim to inspire and equip you to transform raw data into impactful, memorable, and human-centered stories. Whether you're a data professional looking to elevate your visualizations, a creative seeking new perspectives, or simply someone who appreciates a good story, this podcast is for you.
The Storytellers
The Basel Art Summer Camp 2026 Pt.1 : The Ladies Who Want to Make Art Affordable & Accessible
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
I was at the Basel Art Summer Camp this year, thanks to the opportunity to be part of the Ladies' Night Show and what an experience it was! In this episode, I sit down with Monica Ray Scott, Tayla Bastion, and Tanisha Raj, the visionary women behind the summer camp that celebrate emerging artists and budding art collectors.
Together, they shared their mission and motivation in driving the Summer Camp ; creating inclusive spaces for emerging artists, and making art accessible and affordable during the Art Basel. Whether you are an aspiring creator or someone curious about starting your own art collection, this conversation offers an inspiring roadmap on how to engage with art beyond the gallery walls and how these wonderful amazing souls create a space for emerging storytellers, organisers and collectors to thrive in the art world.
Check out more about the Art Summer Camp here and on Instagram at @thebaselartsummercamp.
You can also connect with my wonderful guests on Instagram:
Monica Ray Scott - @monicainmuseums
Tayla Bastion - @_tayzie_
Tanisha Raj - @carvedbytanisha
I hope you enjoy this first part of my adventure! More are coming soon!
I'm so happy to be with the anchors, the person behind the Basel Art Summer Camp, Monica and Taylor. And I want them to explain a bit more about this wonderful initiative that Monica started, and now will be continued by Taylor. So, uh Monica, um, I would love to learn more about you and also your inspiration of creating this space for the storytellers. Sounds good.
SPEAKER_06Um, so I think I need to start by saying I have a day job where I do all sorts of other wonderful, interesting, cool things. But we're gonna put that in brackets for the moment. So I'm just talking about the Basel Latzummer camp, which started as like a hobby and a side project, but because for me there was something missing in the art world. And that was a space to share silly stories. Um, so it started with a TikTok account where if you've seen my TikToks, I just speak with my eyes and my mouth, like a little filter, and I tell silly stories about the art world, ask questions, share things that I've seen. So I'm sort of semi-anonymous. If you want to find me, you can find me. But I sort of have a nice little barrier and a little bit of anonymity that allowed me to be a little bit of a cheeky version of myself, a little bit more brave, because I was never someone that was very out there or very public. So I think TikTok helped me start sharing my story, my take on the art world, but with a nice little bit of filter and a mask to sort of protect me under the wood.
SPEAKER_05How wonderful. And this is um to me very inspiring because it seems like, and this is my first uh first time attending the puzzle uh art camp. Um and I realize that a lot of people in the community they're not necessarily very, you know, on the front or very um assertive, quite shy like me, or or quite reserved as well. And so I find it really interesting that you create this space for people who have stories and and and work to share with the world so that others can find them and reach out to understand their work better. So, but how how do you put together such a huge initiative project, right? Like this platform, you gather all the storytellers, and I've spoken to some of them. Um how do you put together all of this and and make it happen?
SPEAKER_06And I think that goes, that's the way the transition happens from TikTok to the real world. So I met all these amazing people online in the online world. Yeah. Yes, the internet is crazy and creepy, but also the algorithm brings you to the right people. So suddenly I was connected with all these interesting, smart, exciting, ambitious people who were doing really cool things, um, which is why I then started the Basel Art Summer Camp, where they can actually come in person and live in Basel for a week and experience this crazy time in this crazy city and just hang out and share their stories.
SPEAKER_05What was the first response though to the whole cam? Are people, you know, skeptical or they were?
SPEAKER_06I still don't know about it. Three years in, people are still coming, like, what is this? What are you doing? So I think again, we still have a lot more to do when it comes to sharing the story, but there's always, I think you notice it when people come in the door, there's a bit of a sigh of relief. And they're like, I love that. And they can relax.
SPEAKER_02And I felt that also when interviewing artists, like, because I stand out to me, I like reached out personally to someone artists, and like the man that didn't answer, and I can totally understand, like, I probably wouldn't answer. Like, it sounds scammy. Hi, we're gonna pay for you to come to bars or like that sounds like the biggest bullshit ever. Hell and and the few that did answer, like, oh, can you tell me more? Do I have to pay? Like, you know, so people are wary, and so but once they I think because of Monica's strong online presence, if people dig a little bit, they see how legit um our projects and our ambitions are, at least. And so I think the fact that it's so community-based is what draws people in continuously.
SPEAKER_05I want to build Annette's question on what you just said about it's interesting. The some of the first questions people ask is, do I have to pay? It's like the cost question always is significant when it comes to art, right? And how do we make it accessible? On top of that, you are feeling Monica's shoes this year. So, do you want to share a bit about that as well?
SPEAKER_02Um, so I'm Taylor. I took over Basil at Summer Camp this year from Monica, and along with Tanisha who's in this conversation, but I can't not um uh talk about her. We we brought all these artists together and and put on this amazing week. Um I also have a a day job, a boring day job, but my passion is really in creating
Making art accessible at Art Basel
SPEAKER_02exhibitions and bringing people together. Um so this was like the perfect opportunity for me when Monica reached out last year. I think it's really important to talk about money and budget in the context of Basel Art Summer Camp and Art Basel, because that was kind of part of the initiative was making it accessible. Accessible because no one not all of us have a million two hundred million to spend on art. Um, but so many of us love art. Um and I grew up with not very many accesses to art. And so I think it was something that really like touched me that you know, knowing that anyone can be a collector, knowing anyone can meet an artist and buy real art and not just you know a print that you found in a decoration shop. Um the money I totally understand because we a we target young artists. So they often early in their career, I mean, one of our artists sold their first painting ever here. So, you know, we need such great views, but also it just shows like how how how fresh these artists are. And so you can understand that them being young, maybe still somewhat students, probably have like a part-time job trying to make ends meet from their art. An experience like this can seem scary because it costs money, and Switzerland costs money. Oh, yeah. Um, so I find it totally fair that they've asked that question. To be totally transparent, we make no money off of this. It's basically self-funded. The money we make from sales of the art is we reinvested. That's what helps us bring the artists out every year. Um, so it's not it's not a money-making scheme. The whole goal is we reinvest our money in the artists and their experience and providing a platform for them to discover art buzz or to meet professionals, to talk about their art, to get their first sales. Um so yes, money is an important part. For now, we're self-funded. Hopefully, as we grow, we can get some outside funding, we can get some support, which would allow us to just further support the artists that we bring in.
SPEAKER_05Um but yeah, I think that's it. That's amazing. Amazing because what I'm hearing from both of you is that this initiative comes from the heart. It's from your passion for for art. And um it's just inspiring me more uh about you know, about storytelling, about storytelling through art. And um I also have a question about young artists, right? Because let's say young by age. I mean, I've met some of the artists, uh Daisy, for instance, she's 23. Oh my god, but her work is great, is it's wonderful. I wonder what about um painters or artists who are not necessarily young, but they're just young in the industry, you know, they're just trying to make their mark in the industry.
SPEAKER_02When I say young artists, I am meaning young in their career or young in their trajectory, right? Not age-wise. We do have very age young artists, right? But it's not only for a young public, it's for people who are a starting point in their career, I'd say.
SPEAKER_06I also really like the term emerging artists, and I know it applies to people, again, who are emerging in their career. Yes. So it doesn't tie to age. And I like applying that word as well to organizers. Like we're emerging organizers in the art world. We don't come with 10 years of gallery experience. I also like the word for collectors, because I feel like today you're either a collector or you're not. But there's a whole, I think emerging collectors should become a thing. Like no matter how old you are, you can start collecting art. And I think that's something we try to do with the camp of, you know, there's stuff that's between like little postcards that are between five and ten francs, like small pieces that people can get. But then also, you know, original works that are, you know, between 300 and 500 francs. And no matter where you are in your collecting journey, regardless of your age, you can call yourself a collector. And I think the word emerging is maybe a nicer one to put on it all. Oh, I love that.
SPEAKER_05Um I feel that for now, even as someone who just participated in her first uh art, uh, art cam ever. And I really enjoy, I have to say, I've been, you know, immersing myself in in you know, in a lot of the activities. Um I think this yes, I think the the conversation around how to be this emerging collector is the conversation that we never have a lot. A lot of it is not happening, right? We're just focusing on the artists, which is also rightly important and you know, needed. But I felt maybe it's good to start discussing and educating people.
SPEAKER_02We had a talk on it last year, and I I I shifted it towards the artists this year because I wanted to try something, you know, change a little bit. But definitely we have to dive more into this.
SPEAKER_06Uh but I also think that's how we complement each other. Like Tay and Tanisha are very focused on the artist experience and have really like evolved that beyond what I could ever do. Like it's tidy, it's nice. They've looked at how to price, how to pitch your work. Right. Every artist could pitch their work within 30 seconds. Absolutely amazing. Like everyone's become a public speaker,
Creating the experience for artist and collectors together
SPEAKER_06and we talked about this before of we're all like introverti, ambiverti types they all pitched. So I think it was really important that Tay and Tanisha focused on the artist experience. And I have that thing inside me of like, we need to also work on the collector experience and show everyone who's not a part of Art Basel, Basel that they can also be a part of Basel. Um, and I think we're as we continue collaborating, we can have those two tracks and they they run parallel. And then you have a great artist experience, and emerging artists can come to Basel and have an amazing time, sell their first works, and emerging collectors can come and enjoy Art Basel without all the pressure and start buying their first works. I love that.
SPEAKER_05I I I love how the CAM, the Art Summer CAM, is trying to sort of, you know, look at both experience from both sides, the artists and the collectors, and um and in directly educating people as well about the importance of collecting art. It's not just um an activity that is status-driven. It should not be, because I am someone who's for art for the mass. And I use art to uh express my opinion about social issues. And so this really resonates with me so much, you know, and I think that this is a wonderful, wonderful um effort by by both of you. And I see the harmony as well, which is so so so wonderful between two women.
SPEAKER_02Um, but then uh what might be some of the challenges and putting together this I would say in the context of what we're talking about, telling our story, how do we share our story? Um, us being young in a very well-established uh week. Um, you know, finding our place and finding the place to tell our story and and to be able to share the stories of our artists is very challenging, especially with our limited funds, of course. Um so I think it's just uh we need to keep working on sharing our stories to people who can support us, getting people to share the story for us. Um and that's that's how we'll keep going. Excellent.
SPEAKER_06And Monica, do you fully agree with that? And like, you know, we talk so much, we teach the artists how to pitch. Maybe we should need our industry, and like, you know, what how do we stand for? How do we make the message crisp and clear? Right. And I remember Tay asked me, so we had a mini onboarding, but because she was here last year, she basically had her onboarding. Right. One of the first questions was because the first half of the setting up, so we start sort of in January, December, January, we start thinking about it, and we recruit the artists. And then there's the switch that happens when the artists are all set. And I remember Tay asking me, like Monica, when do you switch the comms from call for artists to hey, come and collect art? And that switch is hard in our comms.
SPEAKER_02Because we have to do that. Exactly. We go from targeting artists to targeting audiences. And so in one space, we have to find the way to bring them together and not just, you know, while we're targeting our artists, how do we not, you know, push away the audience, vice versa? How in targeting the audience do we not push away the artists? And like Monica said, it's a very drastic switch from one to the other.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02But I think that that ties into, you know, how do we frame our story? How do we how do we piece the pieces of the story together to make it a cohesive? I think the the the phrase making art accessible touches both sides of the spectrum.
SPEAKER_05Um that is yeah, that is the core of it. And there's a lot of heart um and and emotion in in the work that is produced. And I I work with data. Even when I work with data, I I always emphasize on the importance of empathy and heart in the storytelling, because behind every data, there's a human being, and behind every of this work, there's also this human story.
SPEAKER_06If you walk in the room upstairs, joy is one of the first words that comes to mind. And that's the one word I would want to keep beyond.
SPEAKER_02Exactly. And that's what we that's why the interview process is also so important, is because at the end of the day, we have eight artists leaving together in a room for a week, you know? It's not just about the art, it's not just about what do I like, what does Tanisha like, what does Monica like? It's does this person, will this person fit in with a group? Is this person willing to learn? Is this person willing to share? And do we like the art, of course? You know, I think And can we have fun? Exactly. Do they want to come engage in this experience?
Building connection through stories
SPEAKER_02And you know, there's some people that just from photos, we're like, okay, maybe. And then in meeting them, we're like, absolutely. Now that I've seen you, I understand you, I understand your art. And that's what we like, we've shared with them is that the more you're here, the more you're talking with people, the more you are sharing your story, yeah, the more people connect with your story because they can like the art. But if they have the art and the story, that I mean, I could probably say without looking at the books, 90% of what we sell is from people connecting to the artist and not just the art.
SPEAKER_05I love that. This is what I get from the talk this morning as well in a networking do's and don'ts. Exactly. Right? Be nice.
SPEAKER_04That's one human human decency.
SPEAKER_05Human decency. I love that because um I do have this expectation. Like, what is a do's and don'ts? And then that is the biggest message I get out of it.
SPEAKER_02At the end of the day, just be nice. You never know.
SPEAKER_05And even don't just be nice because you be kind. Exactly. Be kind, be kind and be authentic. That's another thing I get from the talk this morning as well. Be authentic. People can tell. Yeah. People can tell you if you're faking. Oh wonderful. So I have a great time talking to both of you. And um, before I sort of conclude our very short but sweet conversation, what would you like to tell the audience and the listener about your camp for the next for next year? Of course.
SPEAKER_02Um, we're gonna continue sharing our emerging artist stories. We're gonna continue reaching out to emerging collectors. Um please follow us and support us as much as you can. Share our story, share your story with us. Um, the more our community grows, the more we can help our community. Um, which we had to do that.
SPEAKER_06Agree. We also like we have big visions to travel. I currently live in the US, so obviously Art Basel, Miami could be the next prototype. Um and again, Miami is sort of where I saw the joy back in Art Basel, which is why that would be nice. I also think there's so many brand collaborations we could do with brands that want to share their story. For example, like Loop the Earplug brand. Like we're at a hostel. How fun would that be to collaborate with that type of a brand? So we're looking for partners, um, like Dispatch Divorcee that shared your stories yesterday, but partners, brands, organizations that want to share the same story. And I think there's so much we can do there.
SPEAKER_05Lovely. Thank you so much, Monique Laura for joining me on my conversation and all the best with the Art Summer Cam. And I really, really have a great time. See you next year. See you next year. How was I so happy and so proud to be with uh two of the anchors, the most important person behind the Basel Art Summer Cam, Monica and Taylor. And I don't want to, you know, talk more than I should because I want them to have the space to explain a bit more about this wonderful initiative that Monica started and now will be continued by Taylor. So I want Taylor, uh Monica. Um I would love to learn more about you and also your inspiration of creating this space for the storytellers. Sounds good.
SPEAKER_06Um, so I think I need to start by saying I have a day job where I do all sorts of other wonderful, interesting, cool things. But we're gonna put that in brackets for the moment. So I'm just talking about the Baselat Summer Camp, which started as like a hobby and a side project, but because for me there was something missing in the art world. And that was a space to share silly stories. Um, so it started with a TikTok account where if you've seen my TikToks, I just speak with my eyes and my mouth, like a little filter, and I tell silly stories about the art world, ask questions, share things that I've seen. So I'm sort of semi-anonymous. If you want to find me, you can find me. But I sort of have a nice little barrier and a little bit of anonymity that allowed me to be a little bit of a cheeky version of myself, a little bit more brave, because I was never someone that was very out there or very public. So I think TikTok helped me start sharing my story, my take on the art world, but with a nice little bit of filter and a mask to sort of protect me under the wood.
SPEAKER_05Oh, wonderful. And this is um, to me, very inspiring because it seems like, and this is my first uh first time attending the puzzle uh art camp. Um, and I realize that a lot of people in the community, they're not necessarily very, you know, on the front or very um assertive, quite shy like me, or or quite reserved as well. And so I find it really interesting that you create this space for people who have stories and and and work to share with the world so that others can find them and reach out to understand their work better. So, but how how do you put together such a huge initiative project, right? Like this platform, you gather all the storytellers, and I've spoken to some of them. Yeah. Um, how do you put together all of this and and make it happen?
SPEAKER_06And I think that goes, that's where the transition happens from TikTok to the real world. So I met all these amazing people online in the online world. Yeah. Yes, the internet is crazy and creepy, but also the algorithm brings you to the right people. So suddenly I was connected with all these interesting, smart, exciting, ambitious people who were doing doing really cool things, um, which is why I then started the Basel Art Summer Camp, where they can actually come in person and live in Basel for a week and experience this crazy time in this crazy city and just hang out and share their stories.
SPEAKER_05What was the first response still to the whole thing? Ham. Are people, you know, skeptical or they were still don't know about us.
SPEAKER_06Three years in, people are still coming, like, what is this? What are you doing? So I think again, we still have a lot more to do when it comes to sharing the story, but there's always I think you notice it when people come in the door, there's a bit of a sigh of relief. And they're like, I love that. And they can relax.
SPEAKER_02And I felt that also when interviewing artists, like, because I sent out to me, I like reached out personally to someone artists. And like the man that didn't answer, and I can totally understand, like, uh probably wouldn't answer. Like it sounds scammy. Hi, we're gonna pay for you to come to bars or talk about like that sounds like the biggest bullshit ever. Hell um and and the few that did answer, like, oh, can you tell me more? Do I have to pay? Like, you know, so people are wary, and so but once they I think because of Monica's strong online presence, if people dig a little bit, they see how legit um our projects and our ambitions are. Yeah. And so I think the fact that it's so community-based is what draws people in continuously.
SPEAKER_05I want to build the next question on what you just said about it's interesting. The some of the first question people ask is, do I have to pay? It's like the cost question always is significant when it comes to art, right? And how do we make it accessible? Um, and on top of that, as well, you are feeling Monica's shoes this year. So, do you want to share a bit about that as well?
SPEAKER_06Um introduce yourself. Yes. Oh my god, so it's a very similar accent. Same person told us.
SPEAKER_05I'm not a very great host, uh host for a podcast, apparently, Shazira. No, I please do, just because how comfortable we are. Yes. Monica talked about herself and just led into questions. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. You know, we're we're we're freestyling here, uh, as usual.
SPEAKER_02Um, I'm Taylor. I took over Basil's summer camp this year from Monica, and along with Tanisha, who isn't in this conversation, but I can't not um uh talk about her. We we brought all these artists together and and put on this amazing week. Um I also have a a day job, a boring day job, but my passion is really in creating exhibitions and bringing people together. Um, so this was like the perfect opportunity for me when Monica reached out last year. Um and so now can you say your questions again?
SPEAKER_05Because Oh, okay, no problem. No problem at all. No, no, no, it's good. So um I was asking about uh the fact that you know when people come first time when they see this and they say, Do I have to pay? So the whole question of cost. And it's interesting, perhaps I see how one of the aims of having this cam and bringing all these emergent artists is also to make art accessible and affordable, which I think is super important. And uh yeah, and then could you elaborate more on how this is, you know, this is really helping the new emerging artists and storytellers as well, making their mark in the industry.
SPEAKER_02I think it's really important to talk about money and budget in the context of Basel Art Summer Camp and Art Basel because that was kind of part of the initiative was making it accessible. Accessible because no, not all of us have a million, two hundred million to spend on art. Um, but so many of us love art. Um and I grew up with not very many accesses to art. And so I think it was something that really like touched me that you know, knowing that anyone can be a good actor, knowing anyone can meet an artist and buy real art and not just, you know, a print that you found in a decoration shop. Um the money I totally understand because we ate we target young artists. So they often early in their career. I mean, one of our artists sold their first painting ever here. So, you know, we need such great news because it just shows like how how how fresh these artists are. And so you can understand that them being young, maybe still somewhat students, probably have like a part-time job trying to make ends meet from their art. An experience like this can seem scary because it costs money. In Switzerland, it costs money. Oh, yeah. Um, so I find it totally fair that they've asked that question. To be totally transparent, we make no money off of this. It's basically self-funded. The money we make from sales of the art is we reinvested. That's what helps us bring the artist out every year. Um, so it's not it's not a money-making scheme. The whole goal is we reinvest our money in the artists and their experience and providing a platform for them to discover art buzzword, to meet professionals, to talk about their art, to get their first sales. Um so yes, money is an important part. For now, we're self-funded. Hopefully, as we grow, we can get some outside funding, we can get some support, which would allow us to just further support the artists that we bring in.
SPEAKER_05Um but yeah, I think that's it. That's amazing. Amazing because what I'm hearing from both of you is that this initiative comes from the heart. It's from your passion for for art. And um it's just inspiring me more uh about you know, about storytelling, about storytelling through art. And um I also have a question about young artists, right? Because let's say young by age. I mean, I've met some of the artists, uh Daisy, for instance, she's 23. Oh my god, but her work is great, is it's wonderful. I wonder what about um painters or artists who are not necessarily young, but they're just young in the industry, you know, they're just trying to make their mark in the industry. What do you think about it?
SPEAKER_02When I say young artists, I am meaning young in their career or young in their trajectory, not age-wise.
Who are the emerging artists, organisers and collectors?
SPEAKER_02We do have very age young artists. Right. But it's not only for a young public, it's for people who are a starting point in their career, I'd say.
SPEAKER_06I also really like the term emerging artists, and I know it applies to people, again, who are emerging in their career. Yes. So it doesn't tie to age. And I like applying that word as well to organizers. Like we're emerging organizers in the art world. We don't come with 10 years of gallery experience. I also like the word for collectors, because I feel like today you're either a collector or you're not. But there's a whole, I think emerging collectors should become a thing. Like no matter how old you are, you can start collecting art. And I think that's something we try to do with the camp of, you know, there's stuff that's between like little postcards that are between five and ten francs, like small pieces that people can get. But then also, you know, original works that are, you know, between 300 and 500 francs. And no matter where you are in your collecting journey, regardless of your age, you can call yourself a collector. And I think the word emerging is maybe a nicer one to put on it all. Oh, I love that.
SPEAKER_05Um I feel that for now, even as someone who just participated in her first art uh art camp ever, and I really enjoy, I have to say, I've been, you know, immersing myself in in you know, in a lot of the activities. Um I think this yes, I think the the conversation around how to be this emerging collector is the conversation that we never have a lot. A lot of it is not happening, right? We're just focusing on the artist, which is also rightly important and you know, needed. But I felt maybe it's good to start discussing and educating people.
SPEAKER_02We had a talk on it last year, and I I I shifted it towards the artists this year because I wanted to try something, you know, change. But definitely we have to dive more into this.
SPEAKER_06Uh but I always think that's how we complement each other. Like Tay and Tanisha are very focused on the artist experience and have really like evolved that beyond what I could ever do. Like it's tidy, it's nice. They've looked at how to price, how to pitch your work. Right. Every artist could pitch their work within 30 seconds. Absolutely amazing. Like everyone's become a public speaker, and we talked about this before of we're all like introverti, ambiverti types they all pitched. So I think it was really important that Tay and Tanisha focused on the artist experience. And I have that thing inside me of like, we need to also work on the collector experience and show everyone who's not a part of Art Basel, Basel that they can also be a part of Basel. Um, and I think as we continue collaborating, we can have those two tracks and they they run parallel. And then you have a great artist experience, and emerging artists can come to Basel and have an amazing time, sell their first works, and emerging collectors can come and enjoy Art Basel without all the pressure and start buying their first works. I love that.
SPEAKER_05I I I love how the CAM, the Art Summer CAM, is trying to sort of, you know, look at both experience from both sides, the artists and the collectors, and um and in directly educating people as well about the importance of collecting art. It's not just um an activity that is status-driven. It should not be, because I am someone who's for art for the mass. And I use art to uh express my opinion about social issues. And so this really resonates with me so much, you know, and I think that this is a wonderful, wonderful um effort by by both of you. And I see the harmony as well, which is so so so wonderful between two powerful women. Um, but then uh what might be some of the challenges and putting together this? Because it sounds great and wonderful, but what is the backstory? Like, if you could name one of the challenges that you face in putting this together, and uh if you can tell me as well, the challenge still stays or not?
SPEAKER_02I mean I would say in the context of what we're talking about, telling our story, how do we share our story? Um, us being young in a very well-established uh week, um, you know, finding our place and finding the place to tell our story and and to be able to share the stories of our artists is very challenging, especially with our limited funds, of course. Um so I think it's just uh we need to keep working on sharing our stories to people who can support us, getting people to share the story for us. Um and that's that's how we'll keep going.
SPEAKER_05Excellent.
SPEAKER_06And Monica, do you fully agree with that? And like, you know, we talk so much, we teach the artists how to pitch. Maybe we should eat our end dog school and like, you know, what do we stand for? How do we make the message crisp and clear? Right. And I remember Tay asked me, so we had a mini onboarding, but because she was here last year, she basically had her onboarding. Right. One of the first questions was because the first half of the setting up, so we start sort of in January, December, January, we start thinking about it and we recruit the artists. And then there's the switch that happens when the artists are all set. And I remember Tay asking me, like Monica, when do you switch the comms from call for artists to hey, come and collect art? And that switch is hard in our comms.
SPEAKER_02Because we have to do exactly we go from targeting artists to targeting audiences. And so in one space, we have to find the way to bring them together and not just, you know, while we targeting our artists, how do we not, you know, push away the audience, vice versa? How in targeting the audience do we not push away the artists? And like Monica said, it's a very drastic switch from one to the other. But I think that that ties into, you know, to how do we frame our story? How do we how do we piece the pieces of the story together to make it a cohesive?
SPEAKER_05I can imagine how challenging that is because then you have to, yeah, how do you frame the narrative as well? That that fits the artists and then bringing the narrative as well to, I mean the messages to I think the the the phrase making art accessible touches both sides of the spectrum. Um Yeah, no, no, it's true, it's true. I think that is yeah, that is the core of it. And I feel a lot of there's a lot of heart um and and emotion in in the work that is produced as well for the artists here. I mean, all the artists. And I I work with data, that's me, but even when I work with data, I I always emphasize on the importance of empathy and heart in the storytelling, because behind every data, there's a human being, and behind every of this work, there's also this human story.
SPEAKER_06Joy. I mean, I think you saw with everyone with your beautiful performance yesterday, like sharing very deep, personal, vulnerable stories. And at the same time, we can all laugh and have joy. And if you walk in the room upstairs, joy is one of the first words that comes to mind. And that's the one word I would want to keep beyond.
SPEAKER_02Exactly. And that's what we that's why the interview process is also so important, is because at the end of the day, we have eight artists leaving together in a room for a week, you know? So it's it's not just about the art, it's not just about what do I like, what does Tanisha like, what does Monica like? It's does this person, will this person fit in with a group? Is this person willing to learn? Is this person willing to share? And do we like the art, of course? You know,
What does it take to be part of the BASC as an artist?
SPEAKER_02that's it. But I think And can they have fun? Exactly. Do they want to have fun? Engage in this experience. And you know, there's some people that just from photos, we're like, okay, maybe. And then in meeting them, we're like, absolutely. Now that I've seen you, I understand you, I understand your art. And that's what we like, we've shared with them is that the more you're here, the more you're talking with people, the more you are sharing your story, yeah, the more people connect with your story because they can like the art. But if they have the art and the story, that I mean, I could probably say without looking at the books, 90% of what we sell is from people connecting to the artist and not just the art.
SPEAKER_05I love that. This is what I get from the talk this morning as well in a networking do's and don'ts. Exactly, right? Be nice.
SPEAKER_04That's one of human decency.
SPEAKER_05Human decency. I love that because um I do have this expectation. Like, what is a do's and don'ts? And then that is the biggest message I get out of it.
SPEAKER_02At the end of the day, just be nice. You never know. And even don't just be nice because you be kind.
SPEAKER_05Exactly. Be kind, be kind and be authentic. That's another thing I get from the talk this morning as well. Be authentic. You can tell you're faking. Oh wonderful. So I have a great time talking to both of you. And um, before I sort of conclude our very short but sweet conversation, what would you like to tell the audience and the listener about your camp for the next for next year? Of course.
SPEAKER_02Um, we're gonna continue sharing our emerging artist stories. We're gonna continue reaching out to emerging collectors. Um please follow us and support us as much as you can. Share our story, share your story with us. Um, the more our community grows, the more we can help our community. Um, would you have to add?
SPEAKER_06Agree. We also like we have big visions to travel. I currently live in the US, so obviously Art Basel, Miami could be the next prototype. Um and again, Miami is sort of where I saw the joy back in Art Basel, which is why that would be nice. I also think there's so many brand collaborations we could do with brands that want to share their story. For example, like Loop the Earplug brand. Like we're at a hostel. How fun would that be to collaborate with that type of a brand? So we're looking for partners, um, like Dispatch Divorce that shared your stories yesterday, but partners, brands, organizations that want to share the same story. And I think there's so much we can do there.
SPEAKER_05Lovely. Thank you so much, Monique Lau for joining me by conversation and all the best with the Art Summer Cam. And I really, really have a great time of chatting with us. See you next year. See you next year. So nice to have you. Thank you. Thanks for having me. Part of the podcast, and I had a great time as well enjoying the talk uh that you hosted this morning about the do send out. I'm buzzing actually with excitement. This particular episode is dedicated to my conversations with the artists and also the people behind um the can itself. Yes, tell me more about yourself.
SPEAKER_07Yes, so I'm
Tanisha - returning to the camp as a volunteer
SPEAKER_07an artist uh based in Lisbon right now. Originally born in Hong Kong, have roots from India, but lived in the US, Berlin, and not Lisbon. Uh so quite an international background. Um, and I actually started my um training or education and work in business. I was a management consultant, um graduated with a business degree and uh decided to focus on that as a career. Um, and about three years ago, I left the corporate world and decided to pour my energy and time and money into my art. Um I carve painted titles of MDF wood. It's a kind of sort of version of the printmaking process where you would have wood, uh wood or lino where you would first carve an image into that lino or wood, and then roll ink on it and make a print. And the print, the paper, is the final product printmaking, right? Um, but what I do is I I did that in university and I really didn't enjoy the printing. So I and I would always get so attached to the wood block, right? Like the matrix that with which you're printing from, I would get so attached to that original. And so I thought, what if I subvert this process and I first paint the wood and then carve and the final piece becomes the wood and there's no print of it. Each piece is entirely unique, and each stroke um for me, I use a lot of repetitive strokes in like abstract shapes, and for me it's a form of like meditation. Repetition is a form of meditation.
SPEAKER_05Oh wow, uh that's fascinating. I mean, um, I love when you say it about repetition as a meditation because I am a data analyst in a profession and it's all about again repetition, data, assistency, yeah, and what you did sounded very innovative. I mean, I haven't heard of it. But then um why do you return? I mean, you had I'm sure you have a great time the first in in your first year. Last year, yeah.
SPEAKER_07So I was an artist last year, um, and I actually was so hesitant to come. I was really not sure if I wanted to invest the money and the flight ticket and you know the expenses involved in being here. I was so grateful that they would cover the cost of the dorm. But I was still really hesitant. I was just thinking, I think my business brain naturally, right? I'm thinking in terms of numbers. And Monica was so lovely and like just convincing me, not by telling me I'm gonna sell work, but by telling me that it's so much more than that, that this experience for artists is much more than having a gall, like a tall-to-the gallery and selling work. We call it summer camp because it really is a summer camp, but like you go through trainings basically, right? Like we teach artists about how to pitch themselves, you practice that with the it starts off the week with the press tour kind of thing where we have invite the press a little bit early and they get to practice their skills that they've just learned in pitching yourself, you know, and then ending like with a closing night where they're you just see these women are like have just gone through this transformative experience, even just now or on Friday, and gosh, and just I'm so filled with like pride and emotions for these artists. I can't even talk about my experience last year because I'm like so in it right now. I had a great time, it was amazing. It changed my direction of energy as an artist, and I jumped on the opportunity to be a part. As soon as I found out Monica wasn't able to be here fully present to move to the US, it was a no-brainer that I would be involved in some capacity. I just figured out that the best way I can contribute is what we're calling like being in charge of the artist experience. So I'm here really to support them possible the knowledge and the stories that I've learned and experienced in my year and then bring it and make it better for them this year.
SPEAKER_05I want to share with you a story from one of the artists that I interviewed. Okay. Previously. One of the things that she mentioned as an outcome from this summer cam is confidence. Okay.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_05And I just want you to feel proud of the fact that she said how much she grew out of the experience.
SPEAKER_09Yeah.
SPEAKER_05And uh I think this this says a lot about the the the great impact that this summer cam had on the on this artist, this emerging artist, right? Exactly. Yeah. I thought artists tend to be very reserved, quiet, and just let the work talk for themselves. Exactly. Exactly. Yeah.
SPEAKER_07It's we started, I don't know if you've heard that early in the talk, but we were actually the this morning's um panel discussion started by saying that uh it's yeah, this this week is about like pitching yourself, talking about yourself and and selling yourself because nowadays I don't think that vision of an artist exists anymore, that version that like
Time is changing for the artists
SPEAKER_07Bohemian, like that the artwork speakers. Yeah, right. Yeah, yeah. Like that's not really true, I think. You probably have to be as as this person said this morning, a businesswoman. Yes, If you want to be an artist. Um and I think those are the exact skills that are lacking for emerging emerging artists. Like, I don't think that they're actually taught that. I didn't go to art school, okay? So I don't I didn't learn any art skill. Like, you know. Wow. Okay. This is a school actress. I had to, I was a I'm trained in a business way, and I have to learn how to be an artist. Um, and the artists that we have, I think, are a mix. But yeah, a lot of artists are trained as artists and they're phenomenal at what they do, but they need to learn the business skills that come with that. And I think this week brings those two things together really well.
SPEAKER_05That's so cool because um this is uh one thing that I I really admire from from the interviews that I had with a lot of storytellers in general, because this podcast is really about me learning from different storytellers in different industries. And um I see those painters um, you know, as visual storytellers, yeah, conveying, you know, messages about what they want from the experience, from their worldview. And it's it's really interesting how as a storyteller sometimes you tend to forget about about yourself. You I mean, you just you just wanna, you know, like reach out and and sell, you know, that's the story that you wanted. Um But I am also I want to get back and circle back to your your kind of storytelling as well, because I asked this question to the other artists, I asked them who they are as a storyteller and um why is it important for them to tell their story. So if I would ask the same question to you, what would be your answer?
SPEAKER_07So there are two sides to this. One side is me as an artist and the technique that I describe to you. So there's um a big part of why I do what I do is um a story from my grandma. My grandma would sit and write a mantra in Sanskrit um again and again and again. Sri Krishna Shram Mala, just I take refuge in Lord Krishna. She would write this in her notebook again and it wasn't like once a day. It was she would fill pages and pages per day. This was towards the end when she had Alzheimer's and dementia, and this was just her thing that she did. She was quite devoted um religiously, and this was her way of showing that devotion and also calming her mind. I really didn't think much of this as a kid. It was just something that she did. Um, and I would observe and I would look at all these like you know, notebooks filled with every visit I took I went to her. Um, and then you know, fast forward got 20, 30 years, there's me now as an artist. And I when I first picked up this tool, this wood carving tool, I found myself repeating the same stroke again and again. Like I don't carve birds or or butterflies, like I don't carve um realistic objects or uh images. I I just repeat like the same simple stroke again and again to create uh patterns, basically. Right. Um, which I convert into this like Mahp or mandala. Um and I think that that's a it's
How does a storyteller support her peers at the ABSC?
SPEAKER_07a story, and now by way of me creating this form of art, I've now preserved the story of my grandma. And it's no longer like just a bunch of pages, a text. I I now think of her pages as art and my work as a continuation of that in a very different medium. Just to bring it back to Art Basil, is a lot of what I'm doing this week with the artists is telling stories of my experience and passing those stories and lessons on to them. And I think that's the most joy that I'm getting uh this week is to pass those stories and to um watch them grow and get that confidence.
SPEAKER_05That is a very beautiful um takeaway from what you said about how one storyteller is supporting the work of other storytellers. Sometimes I think that as a storyteller, you always see yourself as this autonomous individual that are spreading the joy in whatever format you choose, and you do it on your own.
SPEAKER_07Absolutely. Yeah. I mean, again, like this week, telling the stories of other artists, like when I'm when someone walks into the gallery space and I take them around and describe and explain all of the artists and what they do and why they do it. The joy that that brings me.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I also love um and thank you for sharing that. I think it's a such a beautiful personal story about your grandmother. So significant, the influence of people that they love, or you know, who they are, yeah, their roots, um, where they're from, their culture is informing their art. And this is something that is so strong throughout the summer camp. Yes. You like the heart and the you know, who I am as a as an artist that you're bringing into your art, that is very empowering.
SPEAKER_07And and learning that at an early stage in your career. And that's what's magical. Is I don't think a lot of artists get that opportunity or that environment where they're asked to those questions. Yeah. So they, you know, get to a point and know, oh, that's my story. It's often like way later. Or someone else will write it for them and they're like, oh yeah, I guess that's what I do. Yeah, yeah. It's okay. I can, yeah. But what we're doing here is really um encouraging them to think about that story, their story, early on in their career, knowing that it might evolve, of course. This is like, you know, one early version of it. But as you know, stories evolve. Stories can be rewritten and edited.
SPEAKER_05No, but uh, I think that giving them the the head start, you know, the kick start to the journey. Yeah. This is just a a lot of them are saying that this is a beginning. This is just, yeah. And that is that is beautiful.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, and that's how I felt last year, right? Like it wasn't even the beginning of my career. It was like actually was just a point that I was feeling a bit low when I came here last year. I hadn't sold anything in a while, and it it was like a jump start, you know, you jumpstart a car, like that's what this week felt like when I was here as an artist. Um, it jumped, it gave me like a full energy boost. And with that energy, then I could like move through the rest of the year. And so much has happened for me since.
SPEAKER_05What would be and your advice as a storyteller to other storytellers and about you know, the if they're interested to join the next summer camp?
SPEAKER_07Oh, that's a good question. Um maybe a little counterintuitive, but I would actually suggest storytellers to listen more. You know? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think a lot of what these girls are also doing, what I'm realizing is building or yeah, building a community and um growing your community and your your peer, like supporting your peers is about listening to what their needs are, their dreams, their hopes, their wishes, their fears. And if you listen to that, you're more likely to share or support from a more authentic place. And then that's when all of the juicy stories are gonna, you know, come to light. So yeah, listen.
SPEAKER_05Thank you, Tanisha, for filling my cup with your insights. Uh, I'm so happy to have this conversation with you, and I wish you all the best.
SPEAKER_07Thank you.
SPEAKER_05As an artist as well as you know, a very important person behind the summer campus.
SPEAKER_07Appreciate it so much.
SPEAKER_05Thank you so much. Take care. Thank you.
SPEAKER_07That's it. Great.
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