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On Reciprocity 25/26

On Reciprocity 25/26

On Reciprocity 2.0: An Exhibition in Transit

An exhibition that does not settle.

Set along a staircase above a kopitiam, this chapter unfolds through fragments, encounters, and field notes gathered in movement. What began as a journey across cities and conversations now returns as an evolving reciprocal archive.

Photographs, annotations, documentation, and traces from On Reciprocity 1.0 and 2.0 are brought into relation here. Not as a conclusion, but as a pause. A space to reflect on how community, climate, and cultural practice intersect across geographies.

This is not a fixed display. It is an exhibition in transit, continuing to shift, respond, and deepen over time.

The Reciprocal Archive from On Reciprocity 2.0 will open to the public for the first time on the 7th and 8th. Wendy Teo will be present to host and share more about the journey behind the work.

More programme announcements will follow in April, including outreach events and conversations at the space.

Please note: the exhibition is closed on Mondays.

📍 Think and Tink
1a, 230, Jalan Ang Cheng Ho
Kuching 93100
Sarawak, Malaysia

🗓 1 March – 31 June 2026

Climb the stairs above the kopitiam. Engage with the archive. Be part of how this work continues to evolve.

Our Climate Glossary
MYR 100.00

In Bornean culture, baskets are vessels of survival, memory, and resistance. Often regarded as the community’s first weapon, baskets hold a symbolic power. The act of weaving brings threads together, transforming them into something that can carry and protect. In this book, the basket appears as a recurring visual element, echoing the spirit of collective holding.

This ethos of weaving also shapes the structure of Our Climate Glossary, a publication that brings together over 40 writings by more than 30 contributors, reflecting on reciprocity in relation to the environment and human experience. Some texts emerged from the On Reciprocity programme by the Borneo Laboratory; a three-week international exchange that took place in Sarawak in early 2025. Others were written independently, yet speak to similar concerns.

The contributions take many forms—essays, poems, fragments, and some undefined—touching on themes such as climate conditions, ancestral knowledge, memory, and place. Yet, this glossary does not aim to define, rather to open. It is an evolving document of relation, that is between human, land, biodiversity, and possible futures.

‘Our Climate Glossary’ publication exhibition - ‘The Reading Common’ will be hosted as part of the special feature of 2025 ICAD (Indonesia Contemporary Art and Design Festival) at Grandkemang Hotel.

On Reciprocity is a collaborative inquiry into how we might reimagine relationships—between humans, non-humans, and the more-than-human world—through practices of care, imagination, and deep listening. Initiated through a cross-cultural workshop and residency, it brought together artists, designers, healers, and community organizers from over 14 countries to collectively explore what it means to be in reciprocal relation. Across rituals, improvisations, storytelling, and embodied practices, the group created a safe, liminal space—where presence, vulnerability, and emergence could unfold. Rooted in ancestral knowledge and somatic intelligence, On Reciprocity offers not answers, but questions: How can we hold space for both grief and joy? What can disaster teach us about care? And how do we co-create healing beyond the human? This is not a conclusion, but a beginning—an invitation to listen, remember, and imagine otherwise.

On Reciprocity Collective Curatorial Statement

Exhibition period: 7th March 2025 – 7th June 2025

The exhibition is supported by Yayasan Hasanah, Malaysia.

The collective exhibition organized by Borneo Laboratory invites reflection on the ways we eat, learn, create, imagine, repair, and upcycle.

Featuring objects and arranged displays generated as outcomes of the On Reciprocity workshop and seminars held from 14th to 22nd February at Think & Tink, the exhibition seeks to create a contemplative journey—one that encourages us to reflect on our past and present relationships with food, knowledge, presence, and crisis.

Exhibitors List: Yuanchun Diao, China | Jennie Suddick, Canada | Mieke Renders, Sweden, Belgium | Lynn-Sayers McHattie, Scotland | Maya, Indonesia | Dr. Ingo Schöningh, Germany | Mai Huyền Chi, Vietnam | Wishulada Pantanuvong, Thailand | Jerrey David Aguilar, Philippines | Sophie Jerram, New Zealand | Khin Thet Htar Latt, Myanmar | Pham Minh Duc, Vietnam | Anang Saptoto, Indonesia | Amanda Ariawan, Indonesia | Rose Nordin, United Kingdom | Joanne Nathaniel, Malaysia

Facilitators List: Wendy Teo, Malaysia | Tham Chung Seng, Malaysia | Nathanie Ngu, Malaysia | Jane Chang, Malaysia | Kuik Yi Xuan, Malaysia | Zi Yan Liu, China

Seminar Series

Seminar 1: Politics of Food, Plating the Wild 4.0, led by Marian Chin (Malaysia)

Seminar 2: Ritual of Book Making, led by Jennie Suddick (Canada) and Rose Nordin (United Kingdom)

Seminar 3: Disaster Theatre, led by Sophie Jerram (New Zealand), Mai Huyền Chi (Vietnam) and Zi Yan Liu(China), together with Unimas FACA department students

Seminar 4: Union of Publications, led by Zi Yan Liu (China) and Rose Nordin (United Kingdom)

Seminar 5: Conversation with Culturans (Mexico GET Partner)

Seminar 6: Politics of Material, led by Anang Saptoto (Indonesia), Pham Minh Duc (Vietnam), Wishulada Pantanuvong (Thailand), Joanne Nathaniel (Malaysia), Khin Thet Htar Latt (Myanmar), Kuik Yi Xuan (Malaysia),

Seminar 7: Politics of Climatic Narratives, led by Sophie Jerram (New Zealand), Mai Huyền Chi (Vietnam) Mieke Renders (Sweden, Belgium) and Zi Yan Liu(China)

Seminar 8: Final Review, participated by everyone

About the Program: 2025 "On Reciprocity"

On Reciprocity is a transformative program organised by Borneo Laboratory that invites changemakers, cultural practitioners, researchers, and storytellers to delve into the concept of reciprocity as a guiding principle for collaboration, community-building, and environmental stewardship.

Rooted in the idea that reciprocity is the foundation of balanced relationships—between people, cultures, and ecosystems—the program serves as a platform to explore how reciprocal practices can inform and inspire new ways of thinking, working, and living.

At its heart, On Reciprocity emphasizes collective wisdom and action, bringing together diverse voices to share experiences and insights from their unique landscapes. It seeks to amplify the stories of reciprocity from both tangible and intangible perspectives, fostering a deeper understanding of its transformative potential.

The program comprises:

  • Workshops: (14th –18th February, 2025): Collaborative spaces for reflection, sharing, and co-creating projects that embody the essence of reciprocity.

  • A Multimedia Exhibition: (Starting 7th March, 2025): Expanding selected stories into dynamic, interactive forms to engage wider audiences.

  • A Series of Seminars: (14th –7th March, 2025): Public seminars featuring thought-provoking perspectives from changemakers across the region.

Through these interconnected components, On Reciprocity aims to create a ripple effect of shared knowledge and action, inspiring participants and audiences alike to embrace reciprocity as a tool for positive change.

Meaning of Reciprocity

In either the workshop or publication of On Reciprocity, the concept of reciprocity is explored as a multifaceted principle, deeply rooted in human, cultural, and ecological relationships. The workshop aims to unpack the diverse interpretations and applications of reciprocity across landscapes and practices. Here are the dimensions of reciprocity we aim to highlight

 By exploring these expanded meanings of reciprocity, the workshop seeks to:

  • Foster deeper reflections on personal and collective practices of reciprocity.

  • Inspire actionable ideas for building sustainable and equitable systems.

  • Provide tools and stories that participants can bring back to their communities, fostering a culture of reciprocity in varied contexts.

This multifaceted exploration ensures that reciprocity is not only understood as a concept but also practiced as a transformative force for building more connected, caring, and resilient communities.

On Reciprocity Open Call Briefing Session recorded on 18th of December, 2024

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