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

The discovery of African art at the turn of the century showcased works that had been h itherto scorned , but their European d iscoverers l ike Apoll inaire considered them either archaeological pieces of a great antiquity or as the continuation of such forms by creators who untiringly copied the same models. European artists amply employed the formal solutions of African art without making the slightest effort to get to know their colleagues. Le Musee lmaginaire caused a sensation in 1 947, as th is was the first time that Malraux used the principle of equality of worldwide arts, wh ile giving contemporary art a wide berth . At this point all hopes were pinned on abstract painting which was considered a un iversal language with regional features. Nevertheless, they forgot that the 'medium is the message' and consequently, the pred ilection for canvas and stretcher meant the predominance of major western art. The coherence of the encyclopaedic museum was broken and wh ile avant-garde art started to gain ground over the burden of traditional conventions, non-western arts lost out. In the name of good taste - in Europe the new has never been worth the same as the used , aged and time-worn - and of prejudices about the phenomena of acculturation - the West classifies these works as false, folkloristic or inauthentic - artists of the south are excluded from museums of modern art. The art of cultures without writing has gradually gained an acclaim comparable to that of societies with writing that are wrongly deemed more sophisticated , but this only goes for the past. Their contemporary art is marginal ised in hybrid categories that are earnestly named 'transitional' by some critics. These incisive judgements neither take account of the singularity of the originators, nor of the existence of these creators in the flesh who convey a whole culture and a complex set of ideas . Relig ious art is only valued if it is old. One agrees to recognise that it has generated the greatest masterpieces of humanity, but one is suspicious of any contemporary output. It is never sufficiently authentic for the western expert who cannot part with h is nostalgia for the golden days without the destructive white presence. The museum of modern art has become an obstacle to the dissemination of non-western art. It has long abandoned all aesthetic criteria, wh ich has sparked off many debates to the benefit of artistic projects that focus on the relations of meaning of the object and the critical attitude toward society. Therefore, beauty is no longer the only concern nor are arguments of good taste, wh ich are regularly opposed to non-western works. These often seem too 'new' to our experts, especially as industrial paints with more durable colours and greater visual effect are preferred to the ancient pigments that are more muted and volatile but quickly give the ancient appearance so favoured by art lovers. Organising an exhibition of skulls from western collections is not the result of provoking thoughtlessness but of a real reflection on the role of the museum and its relationship with the societies involved . Can the sanctuary of laic and republican values be transformed in the name of human rights into a rel igious sanctuary? Where this exhibition juxtaposes Christian and oceanic rel ics, it ca n not be accused of Eurocentric tendencies. Of course, the museum and its approach to systematic vocation shows a willingness to acquire objects and knowledge consol idating its infl uence . It would be fanciful to postulate its elimination. Quite the contrary, its development into a venue open to religious practices and not j ust for displaying their vestiges, could take it into a new future as a place of promotion and d issemination of minority values . To do so, it would not only have to be open to a dialogue between the cultures, which ethnological museums are already doing, but would also need to submit to ritual constraints and to adopt signs of respect, without being able to understand or explain them by rational d iscourse. The mode of presenting the objects plays a more crucial role than ever. The setting, both explicit and open , must ensu re a maximum of legibil ity wh ile allowing for various interpretations. The atmosphere must restore an ambience of contemplation to an extent that it formally imposes itself on a western and traditionally Christian publ ic. This would substitute for the irreproducible Oceanic context which can only be evoked by photographs or films. Scientific attitude and process, which ethnological museums lay claim to, seeks to abstain from religious thought. Can humanism , wh ich is derived from both , accept religious manifestations on the same footing within a liberal and relativistic movement? Isn't it always in the position of a critic who judges archaic behaviour? Science has demonstrated that our 9 1