The Second Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art exhibition catalogue (APT2)

Issues in Contemporary Art in the Asia-Pacific Region Today David Williams Australian cultural institutions involved in exhibitions, artist and academic exchange with Asian countries are increasingly being asked-why Asia and why now? The questions also relate to the political debate about changes in policies and priorities and to fundamental shifts in trade patterns now dominated by Asian markets.The presence of Asian artists and art exhibitions in Australia, and Australian artists and exhibitions in Asia, are among the most visible manifestations of cultural relationships in this context. Speaking at a recent forum at the Canberra School of Art (Australian National University), Dr Fazal Risvi observed that over the past century, there have been three periods of intense interest in Asia by Western countries. 1 The first, during the Victorian era at the height of colonial domination, saw a passion for the exotic and a curiosity in the Orient which was to significantly influence art, design, music, literature and the avant-garde. The second period followed World War 11, decolonisation and the spread of communism in the late 1940s and 1950s. In this case, Western powers anticipating threats to peace and the possibility of regional conflicts felt the need to know more about the Asian situation. They established various kinds of area studies, academic centres, scholarships and personnel exchanges in order to establish friendly relations between East and West. The third period, unlike the temporary nature of the first two, is likely to be far more enduring. It is the period in which we are living now and relates to irrevocable global demographic and economic changes. This has resulted in new kinds of relationships which are developing because of ease of travel, and changed attitudes and outlooks required for trading success in the areas of tourism, education, information technology and other service industries. In this increasingly global situation, coming to terms with an understanding of ourselves, new ways of response and new kinds of relations are being explored, and Fazal Risvi questions whether it is possible to be monocultural in today's world. Contemporary art has become an important means of exploring these relationships and assisting understanding. Art has always provided a window into the ways in which societies see themselves, and represents a touchstone about values, identity and systems of meanings; in particular, often unrecorded political situations, gender and class structures, and bureaucratic arrangements. The opportunity to experience contemporary art from the Asia-Pacific region, including Australia, represents an important antidote to the stereotypes which often serve to conceal prejudices. Cultural globalisation is a major issue for contemporary art, and contemporary artists represent an important element in developing an enhanced understanding of it. 44 j CURATORIAL ESSAYS EAST ASIA In many respects, the work of contemporary artists is uncomfortable. It can result in imagery and representations which deal with the problems associated with rapid economic development, materialistic values, pragmatism, and political processes which may be corrupt and self– serving-to the disadvantage of various sectors of society. This is often the case with visual artists working throughout Asia and the Pacific where the artist has assumed the role of chronicler and critic. Power relationships, sex and sexuality, environmental concerns, spirituality, kinship and tradition are recurring themes in the work of Asia– Pacific artists. It is the intensity and integrity of the work in these areas with which audiences often feel a close affinity and appreciation. The invitation to artists from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan has added a further lively dimension to the 1996 Asia-Pacific Triennial. In the context of world– wide speculation about the evolving relationship between mainland China and Taiwan, and China's resumption of Hong Kong Island and the New Territories in July 1997, the Triennial presents a timely opportunity to consider the work of selected artists from the three countries. While artists, writers and critics in South-East Asian countries now work and write with a new confidence in the integrity of visual arts development in a post– colonial era, artists in Hong Kong and Taiwan are also contemplating their future in the context of their relationship with China, a situation which has no equivalent. For them, the visual arts have developed against the particular historical and political background of each place, and the social and cultural effects of modernism as it relates to them. In Taiwan, a specific colonial history and political shifts of power have impeded relationships with Australia until recent times. All of this and the story of art in Taiwan is documented elsewhere. 2 While individual Australian artists have initiated contact on an ad hoe basis with artists in Taiwan, the University of Wollongong initiative to establish cultural connections with the Taipei Fine Arts Museum (TFAM) represents an important new threshold in Australia-Taiwan cultural relations. The major exhibition 'Identities: Art from Australia, Contemporary Australian Art to Taiwan' organised by the University, was shown at the TFAM from December 1993 to February 1994. The exchange exhibition 'Arttaiwan: The Contemporary Art of Taiwan' was organised by TFAM and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, in association with the University of Wollongong and toured in Australia during 1995.This exchange has secured a strong basis for an ongoing relationship, and it is in this context that the work of selection for the Second Asia-Pacific Triennial has been undertaken. Selections for the Asia-Pacific Triennial are predicated on collaborative arrangements and the need to connect with appropriate infrastructures. In this case, the decade of development of the Taiwan visual arts infrastructure has also played a crucial role in nurturing the sophistication and confidence of individual artists, many of whom have received graduate education in Europe, Japan and the United States.The institutional developments, together with the artist collectives such as IT Park Gallery in Taipei and New Phase Art Space in Tainan, and a very active commercial art gallery sector which has also played an important role in promoting contemporary art, have all been important in assisting the Triennial process. In the south of Taiwan, a strong dedication by local artists to this area has seen the emergence of a robust, spontaneous regional style, which often identifies with nature and natural materials. The work of these artists conveys an intimacy and feeling for place which is exemplified by the narra– tive in the work of Lee Ming-Tse. The work included in the Asia-Pacific Triennial is simultaneously naive, culturally sophisticated, and a devastating commentary on the effects of urbanisation and industrialisation on Taiwan. In the north, the dominance of Taipei began with its relative proximity to Japan and the location of the Nationalist Government operations after 1949. The establishment of major cultural institutions such as the National Institute of the Arts and the Taipei Fine Arts Museum (the first public art museum dedicated to the collection, exhibition and research of modern art) have transformed the cultural scene in the last decade. However, while their role has been significant, TFAM and the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Art in the south have operated under the jurisdiction of municipal governments and to that extent, have been subject to political pressures and the representation of special interest groups. The outcomes have not always been in the best interests of the autonomous development of contemporary art. Understanding the visual arts in Taiwan also requires acknowledgment of another major development in the 1980s which saw the establishment of various arts groups led mainly by artists returning from over– seas. Their international experience and information inspired a younger generation of artists to look for new possibilities in their work and this artistic consciousness was accelerated dramatically by the lifting of martial law in July 1987. This new generation of artists has risen to the challenge of revitalising Taiwan's human spirit by drawing on inner resources and new confidence to produce an intellectual focus for the visual arts. Narrative elements, retold political histories, critical comment on a fast-moving materialistic world and a compelling directness