Statements for Discussion

• Art centers are apologetic expressions of achieved hegemony. Their expansion is a gentle form of cultural imperialism.
• Mutual understanding for the western means: "After having had overwhelming influence through politics and economy on you, we would like to know what domains are still resisting to our rules?"
•  The critically social compromised artist is a western enlightenment ideal the western are constantly looking for.
• The western love persecuted artists: The more an artist is being repressed, the higher it's work is being aprecciated. See Ai Wei Wei

Flores, Patrick : (2008) The Curatorial Turn in S.E.A. and the Afterlife of the Modern

Ushiroshoji Masahiro and Jim-Supangkat refer both to a post-modern age and art. But how is this aesthetic term -used to name an epoch too- understood? And even more notable is the "advent of a new kind of realism".

So the terms are being apropiated to speak about something new and different from the european history.
This attitude could also be explained by the events that the curators were attending.

The historical role of the curator in the non-aligned nations is resumed as folows:

[...]

Questions

1. Was the postmodern a postcolonial political expression, largely a critique of Western universalism and a desire for equivalent modernities through a series of conversions within the discourse of modernity itself and vernacular understandings of it?
2. Was the postmodern a post-avant-garde confirmation of the failure of art
3. Was the postmodern a rupture of the modern and the origin of the contemporary, a gap crossed by the artist-curator who has declared himself independent? Or did it ensure the continuity of the modern in light of the persistence of the political economy underlying the production of art and culture in the present validated by a biennale system of primarily Euro-American curators?

Catalogues of the first APT 1993 and the 4th Fukuoka Asian Art Show 1994

- I selected these catalogues to oppose the APT with the Fukuoka Asian Art Show, because they show different curatorial approaches and are especially comparably because of their temporal proximity

Foreword APT 1993 by Doug Hall (Director):

- APT = landmark exhibition, first great exhibition which focuses on the Asian Pacific region including Australia and New Zealand

è Australia sees itself through economical and political issues increasingly as part of this geopolitical region à cultural exchange and dialogue has to take place also in cultural and art issues

- “Australia’s interest in contemporary regional art is genuine and growing.” à changes in attitude and approach in Australian art practice (growing interest in Aboriginal art) in the last decades

è Museums showed in the past through static, historic exhibitions of Asian art not the real, contemporary changes which take place in the Asian art world

- National Committee founded by the gallery, which developed the curatorial philosophy and selection process.

- Curatorial philosophy: away from the western modernist tradition, forum for dialogue and exchange should be established through the APT

APT as facilitator for debate and ideas à no theme of the Triannal, no fixed curatorial position

- Selection process: Queensland art gallery members and experts from Australia were sent to the participating countries to talk to artists, writers, curators, academics, cultural institutions, to select artworks which are considered in their countries as important, not from the Australian point of view

Introduction APT 1993 by Caroline Turner (Deputy Director):

- 200 works by 76 artists from 12 countries and Hong Kong

- The title Asia-Pacific should not suggest a common cultural identity or a perceived homogeneity à instead suggests contexts for intraregional cooperation on political, economical and cultural issues

- In Australia is a growing awareness of its geographical proximity and developing relations with the countries of Asia à statement: Australia is no longer solely a Euro-Americentric-country

- Over two and a half year for research: exchange programs, selection process

- No theme of the Triennal à instead free exploring of the diversity of the Pacific-Asian countries, as well as concepts of identity, tradition and change

- Turner expresses the hope for a change in the further exhibitions: artists should not longer be selected under the category of their nation, further countries should be included

è This hope, which Turner points out, may be referred to Maravillas critic on the APT, which is, that the APT does too strongly emphasize the representation of nations in a panoramic view, like we know it from the world exhibitions

- Turner cites Apinam Poshyananda: “Cultural syncretism has been fundamental and contemporary art cannot be fully understood by looking through the windows of the Euro-American paradigm.” à new approach for interpreting art: decisive move away from the hegemony of major centers and a move to multi-polarity, equality

- Turner states: “The issues of colonialism are also very much in the past and it is the present and the future that engage intellectual debate and artistic endeavor.” à this statement may be also be suited to be referred to Maravillas critics that the APT does present the own, Australian point of view in too neutral ways, not enough dealing with postcolonial issues

Foreword in the catalogue of the 4^th Asian Art Show, Fukuoka 1994 by Kuwahara Keiichi (President of the Art Show, Mayor of Fukuoka City)

- “The shows represented the first attempt anywhere in the world to focus on, and introduce, contemporary Asian art in a comprehensive way.”

- In the 1990s the interest in Asian art in Japan is spreading (art shows since 1980)

- Pioneer role of the event à contemporary Asian art should be experienced in the future on an ordinary basis, not as an special event

- Theme of the 4^th Asian Art Show: “Realism as an Attitude” à artists’ awareness of social issues and everyday reality

- Show presents workshops, performances, works-in-progress of artists taking part in the exhibition

- “The exhibition explores a unique form of expression in Asia that lies outside of the ordinary framework of art, art museums and exhibitions”

Essay in the catalogue from Ushiroshoji Masahiro, Curator of the Fukuoka Art Museum

- Structure: 18 countries, including Japan, 130 works by 48 artists (fewer works and artists, but more countries represented than in APT)

è The goal of the 4^th Asian art show is not to exhibit works from as many Asian artists as possible. Instead the artists and their works are specially selected on the basis of a theme that clearly manifests the current Asian art scene, “Realism as an Attitude” which is dived in six categories: society as reality; nation, nationality, and history; the city and consumption; the image of the community; the natural environment; and intimations of violenceà other curatorial concept than at the APT, where no theme, and no fixed curatorial position is imposed on the exhibition

è There is also a change within the concept of the Asian Art Shows in Fukuoka: 1^st art show: introduce as many artists as possible from each Asian country; 2^nd art show: trends taking place among young Asian artists; 3^rd art show: theme “Symbolic visions in contemporary Asian life”, manifesting anti-formalist tendencies in Asia

- Historical background of the chosen theme: change through the end of the cold war, new global order, political changes in Asian country, strong economic growth within the region, especially in South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore.

è Side effects of economic and political changes: urbanization, industrialization, destruction of the environment, endangerment of the traditional value systems within village communities, disparity between rich and poor, the confuse of the beginning information age, crisis of the nation states (ethnic tensions)

- New role of contemporary art to reflect on these problems without the use of Western forms and of indigenous traditional forms

è The theme “Realism as an Attitude” expressed through the increasing new forms of conceptual art, installations and performances

Weibel, Peter : (2007) Thermocline of Art. New Asian Waves (Questions)

Thermocline of Art. New Asian Waves (ZKM, 15th Jun. - 21st Oct. 2007)Editorial

attempt to document impact of glob. on contemp. art | aims to discover a new geography of art prod. caract. by glob. expansion. | a survey on art revolut. in asia | Q: How is the contemp. art today understood in instit. in different cult.s? | Q: How does its exhibition practice differ from that of 'modern art'? | Q: Is 'Modernism' synonymous to Western hegemony and ideology of modern at large? | How's modernism represented in global art? | Does global art practice substantially change the concept of contemp. vs. modern art? | Q: Does the modern 'high/low' differenciation survive in present day culture? | [...]

Niklas Luhmann | "Only in difference does identity come about. Following it's own logic, this system of diff. prod. and exercises exclusion, [...] culture of the western world based upon exclusion" p. 9-10

The 'white cube', the 'white art' needs to be deconstructed in order to 'remap' the cult. cartography from the viewpoint of colonial criticism.

How do we legitimize art history and how ist art constructed - which are the rules and criteria?
Which 'turn' will follow the 'linguistic ~' (Rorty, 1967) or the 'iconic ~' (Burda/Maar, 2004)?

Belting | non-western contemporary art is post-historic and post-ethnic art.

Wonil Rhee (art. director of Media City Seoul Biennale, co-curator of 2006 Shanghai Biennale)

Buddensieg, Andrea : (2006) The Global Challenge

Workshop at ZKM |
Art is in a process of globalization <--> museums as official institutions of a city or state still work on a local scale.

New project of ZKM: Observing the changes in museum policies in the era of so-called "global art".

Discussion in the ZKM Cube with Peter Weibel. 3 questions are imposed:
1. Does art deserve and enjoy a definition as something universal? Do all societies have art? What does universalism mean or has meant in the last century?
--> answers: universalim has different meaning in different places and different times.
2. What does the notion of contemporary art mean?
--> in Western art, contemp. art = period, outside the west, contemp. art = goes beyond the modern, new audiences for art are created
3. How can be understood the paradoxical reactions of re-nationalization and re-ethnicization of local art production in the face of an enforced globalization?

Vogelsang, Irina : Art Market Bubble of Contemporary Indonesian Art

https://olat.server.uni-frankfurt.de/olat/auth/1%3A2%3A2003212312%3A4%3A0%3Aserv%3Ax/Irina%20Vogelsang%2C%20Art%20Market%20Bubble%20Cont%20IndonArt0001.pdf


2007-2008 Boom-years (indian, russian, chinese collectors entered), Western arttraders entered China:

Presentation

Regional Biennales and new Art Centers in Asia. Similarities between the APT and the FT (Part1)

Text 1: Caroline Turner: Cultural Transformations in the Asia-Pacific - The Asia-Pacific-Triennial and the Fukuoka-Triennale compared

There is a dynamic shift in the exhibition practice of contemporary art in the Asian region: the concept of a recurring, international exhibition, the Triennale/ Biennale has been especially embraced in the region in the last decades (earliest Triennales/Biennales in Asia: The Indian Triennale, in New Delhi, founded in 1986, The Asian Art Biennale in Bangladesh, founded in 1981)

What is “Asia-Pacific-Culture”?

• Problematic term, because there is no cultural homogeneity in the region.
•  In the 1990s: rising significance of interregional groupings through political and economic issues. 
• “Asia has been a form of discourse”, a construct to counterpoint the “West” or ”Europe”.

The Fukuoka Asian Art Triennale (Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, Japan)

The Asia-Pacific-Triennial (Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, Australia)

- Founded in 1999 (every 5 years), before called Asian Art Show, which began already in 1979/1980        - “located at the frontier of Asia” a geographical and wartime role  - Does not consider itself completely an Asian country, has ambivalent relationships        - Museum based exhibition        - Audience-centred and artist-driven exhibition        - Triennale in a provincial city, but considered a “natural gateway” to Asia

- Founded in 1993 (every 3 years) -  “located at the frontier of Asia” à geographical and through its history of white colonialism à does not see itself completely as an Asian country/ ambivalent relationships         - Museum based exhibition         - Audience-centred and artist-driven exhibition         - Triennal in provincial city, but “natural gateway” to Asia

E-Catalogue of the Bangladesh Biennale (2010), one of the earliest art shows of Contemporary Asian Art (founded in 1981)

http://www.bangladeshbiennale.org/book.html#/0

The Fukuoka Asian Art Museum - History of the Asian Art Shows

http://faam.city.fukuoka.lg.jp/eng/about/abt_history.html#b

Lee Weng Choy : Just that makes the Term "Globa-Local" so widely cited, yet so anoying?

Global-local "[...] signifies the further penetration of global capitalism into the local, then presents this local as authentic. "Global-local" reminds me of that other buzzword, "New Asia". These terms suggest an increasing conflation of arts and cultural discourse with the idiom of national -even "transnational"- turims boards."

Lee Weng Choy defines Singapore in terms probably lend from Baudrillard and Marx: "[...] like any other contemporary metropolis, [Singapore] is a hyperreal city of signs, allthough [...] the forces of late capitalism haven't been quite finalized the break between "reality" and "image"." but nonetheless having " [...] become a global-local hub or interzone."

The efforts of modernization in the arts are reflected in:
1989 the Advisory Council on Culture and the Arts led to creation of National Arts Council, the National Haritage Board, the Singapore Arts Museum and the Esplande arts center in order" to position Singapore as a key city in Asia" (Lee Yock Suan, Minister for Information and Arts).An arts scene had to be created. but "what will hold the arts back in the end?"

 Lee Weng Choy compares these efforts to the APT:

But there are also some remarks on the parallel historical or ansyncronicle phenomena that can't be found in Singapore, where everything would be planned
:

"Sanjay Krishan as written "how scaffolding seems the unchanging future in a city that sees itself in permant transition ... [it] is at once a symbol of the uglyness and the breathtaking energy of the desire for renewal or 'speed', the desire to change rapidly and without remorse."[8]

By leasing in 1985 the themepark (Haw Par Villa) created in 1935 plus the mentioned efforts Singapore also aims to reach World Class, term used by Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong in 1997 at the National Day Dinner. This terms is later ironically used by Lee Wen in his intallation World Class.


Contemporary art  would have found it's way to Singapore through performance art. Author mentions works by Lim Tzay Chuen and the boy asks... (evoking Duchamps Ready-Made principle the Singapore Art Museum changes in our perception by reducing it's size):

• The author also asserts that the term "Postmodern" not adequate anymore to describe globalization, but perhaps "shizo-chronic".

Turner , Caroline : Cultural transformations in the Asia-Pacific - The Asia Pacific Triennial and the Fukuoka Triennale Compared

To start her comparison she cites Wang Gungwu 

Maravillas, Francis : Cartographies of the Future

F Maravillas - Cartographies of the Future.pdf

APT (Asian Pacific Triennal) programaticly entitled: "Beyond the Future" at the QAG (Queensland Art Gallery) in Brisbane in 1999.
First edition 1993 entitled "Tradition and Change"
1996 "Present Encounters" 2nd exhib.

Cited Authors and Works (incomplet, randomly

Ai Wei Weiwas suddenly imprisoned in april 2011 and released after a few weeks, but put under house arrest and charged of fiscal offences. He teaches costantly in institutes around the globe.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2011/may/09/ai-weiwei-arrest-protest-exhibition
http://www.tagesschau.sf.tv/Nachrichten/Archiv/2012/01/06/Kultur/Klage-gegen-Ai-WeiWei-wird-gepruefthttp://www.spiegel.de/thema/ai_weiwei/


Wang Gungwu
Texts:
Wang explains why the ASEAN haven't consolidated yet - Asien bleibt weiter gespalten
- Foreword to http://www.amazon.es/Hua-Song-Stories-Chinese-Diaspora/dp/1592650430/ref=sr_1_3?s=foreign-books&ie=UTF8&qid=1321308022&sr=1-3
- In social studies perspectives http://books.google.de/books?id=luPdGpNVGQEC&lpg=RA1-PA16&ots=xi1zzS4BSK&dq=arthistorian%20%22Wang%20Gungwu%22&hl=es&pg=RA1-PA16#v=onepage&q=Wang%20Gungwu&f=false

Patrick Flores