Alumni Interview with Emma Reinhardt

What inspired you to travel abroad? 

It is becoming increasingly difficult to get your foot in the door of the professional art world. Any leg up you can get, you take. When I heard that there was an internship opportunity which would not only give me experience but international experience, I knew that I had to try my best to get it. My resume would flourish with that kind of experience on it. 

Why did you choose ArtBound Initiative’s program in Hong Kong? 

I chose Hong Kong because I was looking to go to London for graduate school after I graduated with my bachelor’s degree (I am currently working on my MFA in Curating at Goldsmiths). I knew that Hong Kong and the United Kingdom have very close ties and any British institution would greatly favor an application that included experience in Hong Kong. As for the specific program, it was the only one within my set of interests that was available at the time. 

What was your favorite part about Hong Kong? 

I love the efficiency of Hong Kong. The transit system is clean and prompt. I also thoroughly enjoyed how quickly I was able to form connections, thanks to the relatively small professional art world there. 

What made your internship experience extraordinary? 

I was given the same amount of responsibility as a regular employee. I wasn't treated like a child who didn't know anything. I was respected and that drove me to produce greater work. 

How did the local staff support you throughout your program? 

The only local staff at the time of my internship was the visa coordinator, who helped me through every step of my visa process to ensure that I would be able to work in the country during my time there. She was extremely helpful and vital to my experience. 

What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it? 

I stayed with a host family. I loved not being alone during that time. Having a support system around me when I woke up and when I went home made the experience far less lonely than it could have been. They even had a dog! 

Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like. 

I got up and looked across the bay to see the lush green mountains on Lantau Island. As I lived with a host family, I would often come downstairs to find a plate full of banana pancakes and fresh, local fruit waiting for me. I would walk down to the docks and board the ferry with people from all over the world speaking every language imaginable. After taking the ferry to Hong Kong island, I would switch to the MTR, the local underground system which runs seamlessly across the two islands and Kowloon. I would grab a pastry at the local bakery near my office and eat as I walked down the streets lined with the most colorful building I've ever seen.

I would spend most of the day at the office, working on conference plans and communicating with local organizations, surrounded by art the whole time. Many days, I would leave early with my bosses to go conduct interviews and meetings regarding our upcoming exhibition. Occasionally we would then attend a party thrown by an embassy or a gallery, where I would network with the best of the professional Hong Kong art world. In the evening, I would then go home to try a new local dish cooked by my host family.

Every day was very hot, with most days having a thunderstorm at some point. On weekends, I would hike up to the local waterfalls, to go swimming in the rock pools and enjoy the abundant nature that is always nearby in Hong Kong. 

What did you enjoy doing in your free time abroad? 

Mainly I read, as I did not have the money for much else. When I could, I met with friends of my host family and went swimming in the local waterfalls. On one occasion, I even went on a junk boat to go swimming in a bay a few miles from Hong Kong island. 

Would you recommend your program to other art students? Why? 

Yes. It gave me an opportunity when I didn't know where or how to start. 

What is one thing every future participant should know about your program? 

Be sure that you really want to do the internship that they suggest for you. In hindsight, the foundation I worked with was not for me, but the ABI program itself was wonderful. 

What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad? 

I wish I could have gotten a paid internship. My internship only covered my work-related transportation fees and nothing more. As the ABI program is a bit expensive, I did not feel comfortable asking my parents for more money to cover non-work-related experiences. I fear I did not get to experience the city as fully as I could have. 

How has your time abroad impacted your life? 

Traveling abroad was the first step towards me going abroad again. I have now been living in London for three months, and will continue to do so for the next few years. 

What do you feel the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is? 

Multiculturalism has been proven to benefit everyone, both professionally and personally. By getting out of the U.S., I experienced a more diverse narrative of how the art world operates and I believe that my curatorial practice now benefits from that understanding. 

What does meaningful travel mean to you? 

Meaningful travel enriches the places you visit. A major reason why I love Hong Kong is because I was given purpose while I was there.