ASEF's LINGUA COMICA program on comics aims to promote the building of new relationships between Asians and Europeans in this field by relating their common concerns and aspirations through each other's eyes. Focusing more on the creative process than on the "artistic product," the project has been designed as a learning experience and an opportunity for professional development.
So far 26 emerging comic artists have taken part in the LINGUA COMICA from the following countries in Asia and Europe: China, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Poland, Spain, The Netherlands, Vietnam and U.K.
In its first two editions LINGUA COMICA was facilitated by internationally renowned comic artists and lecturers as Paul Gravett (U.K.), Sarnath Banerjee (India), Gerald Gorridge (France) and Johnny Lau (Singapore), and has been supported and monitored by a high-level number of resource people and guest lecturers, amongst them Benoit Peeters (Belgium), Kosei Ono (Japan), Igort Tuveri (Italy) and Titus Ackermann (Germany).
For the third installment of LINGUA COMICA in 2008, ASEF will collaborate with the Kyoto International Manga Museum, an institution created in 2006 under a joint initiative by the city of Kyoto and Kyoto Seika University. LINGUA COMICA 3 will gather 14 to 16 emerging comic artists from ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) countries for a two-month online collaboration through comics and eight intense days in Kyoto, Japan.
Collaborative work in residency basis, workshops, panels and exhibitions will be part of the program. A team of Asia-Europe comic experts will facilitate and monitor the project. The organizers expect these activities will enhance interest in more comic artists in developing projects with an Asia-Europe dimension and will promote the creation of new relevant collaborative work. LINGUA COMICA wants as well to give the emerging comic artists the opportunity of an international cultural and artistic learning experience and a professional development.
ASEF and MM intend to foster that focusing on two types of work and collaborations in two phases:
PHASE 1: Asia-Europe Collaboratory -- An artistic project (Asia-Europe Collaboratory) running from September 1-November 1. The artists will be paired by a committee of Asia-Europe comic experts and will be given several relevant topics to start the collaboration.
PHASE 2: Artists Residency-Workshop-Exhibition (Kyoto, Japan) -- The work of the pairs online during September and October will be finalized in Kyoto, Japan during a four-day residence at the Kyoto Seika University campus at Eizankaku, near Kyoto. After the residency, the artists will be involved in other activities like workshops, panel discussions and visits.
The end of the project will be marked by the showcase of the works produced, with the inauguration of a two-months length exhibition of the collaborations by the selected comic artists at the Kyoto International Manga Museum and the production of a publication.
Through these collaborations hopefully new networks of creators, artists, writers, publishers, editors and commentators will be fostered and comic artists will feel encouraged to embark on future opportunities for multilateral Asia-Europe collaborations. Innovative tools of communication and fresh and diverse approaches to cooperation will be introduced for the artists' works.
