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