Regional Biennales and New Centers Asia 1 Regional Biennales and New Centers Asia 1. Curatorial Discourses: Miriam Eckert 2. Art Centers in Asia: Felix Arias Hück Contemporary art of Southeast Asia: trajectories, practices, and artworlds WS 11/12

Curatorial Discourses “The curtain is about to close on Asia's modern age when learning from the ‘West’ was insisted upon as an absolute value. In keeping with this, the framework of the ‘modern period’ of Asian art is also being transcended. The advent of a new kind of realism proclaims the start of a new post-modern age in Asia.” Ushiroshoji Masahiro, the curator of the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum

Shift of the curatorial discourse in the 1990s Artists searched for new art formats: for example performances, installations and conceptual art new themes: changing reality of everyday life Curators searched for new, anti-euroamerican-centric approaches for interpreting art  Various terms: realist, postmodern, multimodern

Historical background End of the Cold War new political, social and economic questions breakdown of traditional communities  consumer society in urban regions emerged large economic growth  change in people’s surroundings and environmental problems

New forms of art and exhibition Triennales/Biennales: New platform for the Asian artists forum for dialogue and exchange on the newest themes and tendencies international attention charged by governmental funds Strengthened and shifted role of the curator

Concepts of Biennales/Triennales:The Fukuoka Asian Art Triennale – The Asia-Pacific Triennial Fukuoka Asian Art Museum Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane

Fukuoka Asian Art Show, founded in 1980, since 1999 Fukuoka Asian Art Triennale Asia-Pacific-Triennal in Brisbane, Australia, since 1994 Caroline Turner: Cultural Transformations in the Asia-Pacific: The Asia-Pacific-Triennal and the Fukuoka-Triennale compared Francis Maravillas: Cartographies of the Future: The Asia-Pacific-Triennials and the Curatorial Imaginary

Similarities “located at the frontier of Asia” Pioneers Museum based exhibitions Audience-centred and artist-driven exhibitions provincial cities Education programs/ community interaction with artists against Euroamerican art discourse

The 4th Fokuoka Asian Art Show 1994: Structure: 18 countries, including Japan, 130 works by 48 artists The 1st APT 1993: Structure: 12 countries and Hong Kong, including Australia, 200 works by 76 artists  much more artists and works are presented, but less countries then in The Fukuoka Asian Art Show which emphasizes more on the representation of poorer countries

Different curatorial approaches Fukuoka theme:“Realism as an Attitude”, divided 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 violence APT: no theme, no fixed curatorial position, “neutral point of view”, APT as an facilitator for debate and ideas

Asia-Pacific-Triennial growing awareness of geographical proximity and developing relations with the countries of Asia  Australia is no longer solely a Euro-Americentric-country forum for cultural exchange and dialogue within the Asian region audience education, inviting artists, co-curatorship , curatorial teams Search for a common context, issues of political power an human rights as common themes  critical point: Australia and the Asian region have very different political and social issues 1999: the APT was opened for artist not living in the Asian region  controversial discussion: too few opportunities of the artists within the region  change towards artist as global travelers

Fukuoka Asian Art Shows/ Triennales: overcome Japan’s traditional isolation from Asia Art Exchange program educational programs  an understanding of other cultures should be learnt within the local community recurrent themes: political and social tensions in the Asian countries, Japanese issues are rarely expressed

Critic on the APT (Maravillas) Through the APT Australia, at the geographical edge of the Asian-Pacific region, sets itself in a center position  “privileged curatorial subject” neutral self-positioning obscures own colonial history which is in large parts very different to the colonial history of other Asian countries, postcolonial issues are too less discussed within the APT

Maravillas: postcolonial issues are still relevant, the Asia-Pacific-Triennal obscures the ongoing relations of hierarchy and asymmetry in Australia’s contemporary relations with Asia Australia does not look at own art discourses, but as an spectator from outside at the other countries Critic on the country-based concept in which every country is represented by its artists  refers to European world exhibitions