The Key to A Successful Collaboration: A Conversation with Artist Sizhu Li and Curator Jacqueline Saragoza McGilvray
Get insights into the curatorial process and how curators collaborate with artists (and vice versa!).
Sizhu Li: Moonment: Finding A Way, the exhibition currently on view at Contemporary at Blue Star in San Antonio, TX, is a collaboration between two Immigrant Artist Mentoring Program alumni: Jacqueline (Jack) Saragoza McGilvray (IAP Mentor: San Antonio ‘24) and Sizhu Li (IAP Mentee: NYC ‘18).
We asked Saragoza McGilvray, as the Curator and Exhibitions Director at Contemporary Blue Star, what they consider when planning for exhibitions, and asked both IAP alumni what makes for a successful collaboration between curators and artists. Read on for more on how they found each other, why Contemporary chose to present Sizhu’s work, and how they collaborate and problem-solve together.
New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA): Jack, tell us about the exhibition Sizhu Li: Moonment: Finding A Way currently on view at Contemporary Blue Star until May 4, 2025. Why did you choose to present Sizhu’s work at Contemporary?
Jacqueline Saragoza McGilvray (JSM): Sizhu’s exhibition Moonment: Finding A Way features new site-specific, kinetic installations by Sizhu Li and continues her exploration of aluminum as a sculptural and poetic form. The namesake installation Moonment consisting of three waves and a metaphorical heart was first developed by Sizhu in 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, Sizhu reflected upon the poem Gazing at the Moon, Longing from Afar by Tang Dynasty poet and politician Zhang Jiuling. Moonment is built on the idea that as we gaze towards the moon, we can connect to those we love across space and time. It invites participants to consider a cosmic and metaphysical experience of time.
Sizhu’s interventions in the Contemporary’s Main Gallery consist of three core installations, the aforementioned Moonment, Finding A Way, and Dividing Lines. Her kinetic installation Finding A Way responds cleverly to the inner workings of the building. The existing pipes that travel through the building converge with a sculptural network of pipes, moving the eye around the gallery and supporting the kinetic waves that drift from wall to wall.
In the work Dividing Lines, one of Sizhu’s waves is impeded by a black, metal fence. This dividing structure, its rigid and dark form, feels in conflict with the wave. Dividing Lines is the artist’s response to making work in South Texas and the narratives that dominate public understanding of Texas as well as issues affecting families and communities of the region. The themes of distance, longing, love, and separation present in the entire Moonment series are acutely felt through the symbol of the fence.
I chose Sizhu’s work to be a part of our exhibition program because of my initial reaction and connection to it. I found her work mesmerizing and playful while being poetic and earnest. I didn’t initially know when I would invite her to exhibit or what work we would show, but I saved her portfolio as an artist I definitely wanted to work with.
New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA): Tell us more about your curatorial planning process.
JSM: As I approach planning our exhibitions years out, I consider a lot of variables and goals and one key method I have is to develop a broad theme and approach for the year that will provide throughlines and an interconnected experience for gallery visitors.
Our exhibition program features 6-8 exhibitions a year, which also includes guest curated projects. Although the spaces and shows are distinct, the galleries are very connected and in close proximity. When planning 2025, I felt I wanted to push back against the inundation of information our lives are currently saturated with (being chronically online, etc.), and the emotional, mental, and cultural impacts of this state of being. I reflected on the knowledge that we would be entering a new presidential administration, and no matter the outcome, there would be fatigue and division. Thus, I wanted to present exhibitions that created a space where visitors could be present in the moment in our galleries in visceral, felt ways, where they might have a reengaged awareness in their bodies, and where we could critique and engage with the present conditions of our time while also finding respite and wonder, even joy.
Sizhu work offers all of this! I love how it is a visual work, it is a site-specific installation, it is a sound piece. Parts of it are visually obstructed but can be heard and require you to walk around the space. The rhythmic beating “heart” reminds us to feel our own heartbeat. It’s seemingly modest, industrial materials are present in a minimal and direct manner and hide their complex mechanics. The artworks move and visitors move. I could go on!
NYFA: How did you first connect?
Sizhu Li (SL): I first found out about this opportunity while researching institutions in Texas that might be interested in exhibiting my touring project, Moonment, particularly venues near water. A friend of mine, who had lived in San Antonio, mentioned the Contemporary at Blue Star to me before. So, when I came across the opportunity, I applied immediately.
JSM: As Sizhu said, she applied to one of our open call opportunities in 2022. We offer these calls every couple of years (next one opening in 2026!) and it is one of the ways I identify artists for our exhibitions program, for both solo and group exhibitions. We received 300 applicants to that call and Sizhu’s work immediately stood out as one of the best.
Her work being kinetic and installation based, it can be a challenge to document this kind of work. Her application had really thorough documentation and I suspected the work would have an even greater impact in person than could be communicated through documentation.
I’ll also point out Sizhu realized the installation in 2025 but the application was in 2022. Sizhu’s practice is so inventive I could imagine she would be excited to create something in our space. That is a part of what I am assessing from portfolios, imagining an exhibition that will happen a year to three in the future.
NYFA: Please share with us how you collaborate together. What makes the collaboration a success? What were some challenges? How did you find a solution?
SL: Our collaboration developed organically, much like the dynamic between most curators and artists. We did meetings and emails as needed before the on-site installation, and once in the gallery, we worked very closely together to bring the project to life.
From my perspective as an artist, the key to a successful collaboration lies in professionalism, a shared sincerity toward art, and a mutual appreciation for similar aesthetics and values. These elements foster smooth communication and deep trust, allowing me to fully focus on the work without concerns. It is truly fortunate to work with a curator who deeply understands my work, inspires and fully supports me and the exhibition moves further at every stage.
One challenge with site-specific installations is that the gallery becomes an extension of the studio. Building the work on-site means unpredictable things happen, and with the opening just days away, it was both exciting and stressful. But every time a problem came up, having open conversations with Jack and the skillful install team made all the difference. We were always on the same page and we found the best solution at the moment. I always felt fully supported during the entire exhibition install period, which created the best environment and energy for a successful exhibition.
JSM: As a curator I approach collaboration from a role of support. I try to understand the artist’s ideas, practice, skill set, and goals for the exhibition holistically, so I can prepare our whole team to realize the project.
I consider how I can help the artist contextualize their work in new ways to expand its dialogs and audience that will still feel true to their vision, while being a space to lend my curatorial voice. I also remain open that they might say no and try not to hold any ideas as too precious.
I think what makes a collaboration a success is open communication, working first to understand the expectations, contributions, and level of support all parties can bring and establish we are working towards the shared goal of realizing a great exhibition. Respecting everyone’s roles and efforts is vital to having a healthy working team.
As Sizhu expressed, challenges are a given! With contemporary art the art is often brand new. We are often the first space where a work is being exhibited, or in Sizhu’s case the work is made in the gallery and the gallery becomes the artist’s studio.
Knowing challenges will happen, one of my solutions before they even arise is to give ourselves time. Add time for mistakes to happen. We think through and plan out our workflow and tasks for an installation and then we add time for things to go wrong or for new ideas to develop in situ.
I have been working on exhibitions at the Contemporary since 2014 and have seen so many artists’ working methods. I used to try to predict everything an artist might need and everything that could go wrong, inevitably something unpredictable would happen, and sometimes an artist would be frustrated.
When I shifted my mode of thinking to understanding the gallery as a studio, it didn’t feel like I was failing and I could help artists better to not get hung up on challenges but to move forward to find solutions, just like we do in the studio. We also have such a great team with a wide set of material skills and experience. So finding solutions often means trusting the expertise of others above your own opinions.
Lastly, snacks, rest, and taking breaks together. I try to make the artists, the preparators, and the team feel taken care of and be accessible to them to talk through challenges.
NYFA: What advice would you give to immigrant artists who are looking for opportunities to present their work?
SL: I would suggest being open-minded and look for opportunities beyond the city where you are based or you are familiar. Don’t be shy to send an email to someone who might be interested in your work or to follow up on an open call. Lastly, be hardworking with an open heart, regardless of the outcome.
JSM: My advice is to both look for opportunities like open calls, but also to make your own opportunities through community. Artists throughout their careers create their own opportunities by banding together with fellow artists, finding a space, and putting on an exhibition. That is how the Contemporary at Blue Star started!
Also, build relationships, and opportunities will develop over time through those. Invite curators for studio visits simply to get to know your work and be curious about the projects they are developing. Many things happen in art on a more relational than transactional basis.
Invest most of your time and energy into making your work, mastering your medium, developing your voice and vision. The work being strong is a must for opportunities to be seized.
Lastly, there are many curators open to being challenged by materials, methods, etc. that are unfamiliar to them. As immigrant artists, trust in the aesthetics, craft, history, and visual cultures that have made you who you are as an artist and influenced you.
About Contemporary at Blue Star
Founded by artists and grown from a grassroots art exhibition in 1986, the Contemporary is the first and longest-running nonprofit space for contemporary art in San Antonio. The Contemporary arose from the need to provide a platform for the work and ideas of contemporary artists. In the years since its inception, its programs have grown, activating positive change in the art community and community-at-large. As an artist-centric, educational, forward-thinking, inclusive institution that strives to exceed expectations, over 18M residents and cultural tourists experience contemporary art with the Contemporary each year through our exhibitions, public art projects, and education programs.
About Sizhu Li
Sizhu Li is a Chinese-born kinetic installation artist. She recently relocated to the Houston-Galveston region of Texas from New York. She holds a BFA degree from Central Academy of Fine Arts and an MFA degree from Maryland Institute College of Art with the Toby Devan Lewis Fellowship. Having lived and worked on two different continents, Li has developed a unique visual language of immersive kinetic art to illustrate her understandings of human nature and the universe. Li has exhibited her works at Staten Island Museum, Morris Museum, Attleboro Arts Museum, Spring/Break, Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Flux Factory, Governors Island Art Fair & Public Art Project, Baltimore–Washington International Airport, and Chashama Gallery. Since 2020, her pandemic-inspired touring project Moonment has been well-received at Alabama Contemporary Art Center, Missouri State University, Maryland HoCo Arts Council, Viborg Kunsthal, Denmark, and most recently at the Contemporary at Blue Star.
– Ya Yun Teng, Program Officer, Immigrant Artist Program
This post is part of the Immigrant Artist Program Newsletter. Subscribe to this free monthly e-mail for artist’s features, opportunities, and events. Learn more about NYFA Immigrant Artist Mentoring Program.