1993 APT1 Conference : Identity, tradition and change

2 after the end of the Second World War in the 40’s and amongst other things began to look at the newly adopted environment of their domicile and to them; South East Asia was a vibrant, enthralling experience and it began to try and, whether successfully or not, match the kind of pictorial and artistic baggage which they brought along with them from China, including infusions of western modernism from the School of Paris, also in China, and at that time the style and language, to the light environment and the pace in South East Asia. In that respect they went to Bali in 1952, a handful of them, in the belief that it is in Bali that one could come to sensually find the heart and the centre of the South East Asian cosmology and that work is a result of such ambitions and such artistic conceptions. Tang Da Wu’s performance in 1992, I will come back to that in a while, could be seen as a reflection on that also adopting what has already been established in Singapore and employing a now particularly street theatre of the dragon and lion dances in order to critique both practices that preceded as well his own position in that practice. I want to, primarily in my elaboration this morning, deal with the second, not because of my preference or partiality, but because that would give you a basis to enter into the works of the two artists represented in this exhibition, namely Chandrasekaran and Vincent Leow, because their practices emerged from strategies and ambitions which in a sense Tang Da Woo embodies, but prior to that I have certain prefatory remarks which I had great pleasure in noting down and I want to share the pleasure with you. You can keep the slides on. In the opening address by Richard Austin and Doug Hall inaugurating the Triennial I was amazed to hear of the resources that were garnered in order to make this event possible. I have no doubts of the persistent, persuasive yet dogged efforts that underline these triumphs and I mean specifically financial resources. That a country like Australia which is reported in the New CASUALIARTGALL.TPI 24 May 1994