Beyond the Future: Papers from the Third Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art

It was interesting that the most optimistic expressions in the Second Asia-Pacific Trienn ial Conference were from the Pacific, which might have seemed the most vul nerable to western hegemonism . M ichael Mel argued that the authenticity of Papua New Guinea culture in fact lay in its capacity to absorb new influences and materials in a continual evolutionary 'process of d ialogue and negotiation'. Tom Mosby put the same argument in opposite terms, declaring that 'Torres Strait culture exists as a contradiction of the theory of evolution', in wh ich the weak are supposed to be supplanted by the strong . And Jonathon Mane-Wheoki proclaimed that 'indigen ism' was 'itself a globalism', and queried the relevance of theories of postcolonialism to a region in which the great majority had either never been colon ised ; or had never abandoned their l iberation struggles against colon ialism; or were still colon ised , like the First Peoples throughout the region ; or were themselves the descendants of colonisers, like the settler populations of Australia and New Zealand. Speakers challenged the concept of postcolon ial ism as appropriate to th is region; nor was Postmodernism necessarily appropriate. Martin Stuart-Fox doubted whether 'th is experience of modernity giving way to Postmodernism is one shared by Asian societies'. While speakers provided us with various nuanced approaches, significant parallels emerged , but also significant d ifferences within the region . The inevitabilty of a global society was questioned in the face of resistance to global isation on a local and regional basis; and speakers stressed the renewal of cultural traditions and the significance of the past to the future, in particular for indigenous peoples. In the next session of th is Conference, speakers will address the theme of 'Beyond the Future' and what it may mean in terms of the culture of th is region. In choosing this theme for our exhibition and Conference, in no sense did it relate to a l inear western concept of time. In many ways the theme of the Third Asia-Pacific Trienn ial is paradoxical and a return full circle to the issues raised in the first Triennial, of the place of tradition in contemporary art and society. For ind igenous peoples their past is their future. The theme also takes account of the concern of many artists in the reg ion today to contribute positively to their communities surviving the present and constructing new futures. The theme, like the exhibition , allows for the globally mobile nature of today's art, an examination of new media as in the Virtual Triennial, and the possibil ities for interd isciplinary approaches between visual art, music, architecture, popular culture and new technology. The theme also allows us to look forward to what art and exhibitions may be like next century. I n many ways, the Asia-Pacific Triennial occupies the interstices of borders and time, dreams and hopes, continuities, d iscontinu ities and uncertainties of a world changing before our eyes. Above all, this Conference, like this exhibition, is about a bel ief that art gives meaning and frequently inspiration to life and contributes to human survival and enrichment of the spirit. In the Introduction to the book Tradition and Change {Turner, Carol ine (ed . ) , Queensland Art Gallery, 1 993), d istinguished academic Wang Gung published in 1 993, d istinguished academic Wang Gungwu wrote: 'I would like to bel ieve that artistic exchanges enrich the cultures involved'. How enrich ing, however, depends on whether the imag inative and sensitive exponents of any art receive the respect of those who support and judge them . In our Conference over the next three days, I hope we can d iscuss the art of the Asia-Pacific region with both imagination and sensitivity. 22