The Eighth Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art

criminality, parodying the de-humanising projections that are placed on groups of people throughout their lives because of their cultural associations. 1 In a pastiche of motifs and historical symbols, Eaton implicates the viewer in the construction of identities and perceptions of the ‘enemy’. A photograph of a country roadside by John B Eaton (the artist’s uncle) is printed onto a convex traffic mirror, overlaying the 1930s depiction of an isolated Victorian country road onto an object that warns of imminent, but not immediately visible, danger. Eaton borrows a phrase for the title Road to the hills – a text for everything and nothing 2014 from her uncle’s photograph; in different ways, both works are concerned with escape and survival. 2 Adding to the sense of anxiety, bullet-holes, skulls and codes appear on the work’s dark synthetic surface, while an aerial landscape is reassembled in pixelated marks. Drone surveillance images are now familiar tropes, associated with contemporary wars and the destruction of distant places. Significantly, the audience is placed in the role of participant, as the mirror-like surface reflects the viewer’s body and two words installed backwards on the opposite wall: ‘THESE PEOPLE’. RITUAL AND DEVOTION Ritual and ceremony are explored by artists in APT8 to investigate how these convey unifying aspects of faith and serve as a foundation for a communal bond. They are a compelling instrument of shared expression, a demonstration of shared purpose and belief that outweighs individual motivation. In a damp, empty carpark on the outskirts of Istanbul, Köken Ergun captures a group of men rhythmically beating their chests while chanting aggressively. With an ardent sense of purpose and devotion, the group takes to the streets bearing torches and waving flags, answering the call of a megaphone. While the actions may appear menacing and intimidating to the uninitiated — KÖKEN ERGUN Turkey b.1976 1. Ashura 2011 Installation view, Protocinema, New York, USA 2012 / Image courtesy: The artist 2. & 3. Ashura (stills) 2011 Three-channel HD video installation; 16:9, 27:20 minutes, colour, sound, carpet / Installed dimensions variable / Image courtesy: The artist 1 2 3 124—125 THE SOCIAL MEDIUM