1,,,t,\l'.1-0t..:O)li,
i~l:-f"Jv'"J Jt:lt!!7'.PGt.:
0t..:O)"t",~F'itl:~71J71:Mm L·n,t..:t.:1t,t..:/::,f{l,1,,,f-to-fh7J'G, 7:!70)r",JlHi, 111=B,
IIJR5N!bt..:O)"t"T
o 1J•m~~lv1J'~F'itl:T
iw1:, .::..::201JcO)ff2tq:,tH:J-J.,7:J7,
7:l7~~fcv'")JJT::f

1)-,~J.,HiN mO)'ft:bh15", vrr,jmO){±jjl:-:::>1,,,-c,
Jii~ilb-C, 1980:¥1t, 90:¥1t/::lt,"J.b"Jl:5NJr~L-r<niU..: o -f-O)JiltJJl:~0t..:7:J70);J:lijmtt~ Jtl±lL-C"'.::."?,
Jj.t..:1,,,-1;t.::.t;6,,
t.:1vt.=1v,1&0)ti"J"t"}l)ln-c<1.,t1,,,"J.t"J-t:t.::.t;6,~0-C, 7:!7~~ft;6,,

7:!7tt-t:tt\

7:.l7Clt'"J~~7J',.lii,¥i!il:liit:bh-/;t<-t:t0-CM..:o tr L;s, :;/()("f'.0)7:J7f:t-r-tJ.>,J'7:J7 i::v'"J7J','ii0/:::ii"Jv«Jv"t", -f-0).t"J-t:t:::i~.1.::.1,--,:,,=1;,,O)~fJ:1J~~ x.
n,<t"'"J.b"Jl:-t:t0-cv,J.,l::oL 7J'L'ii"J- 7J"t"li, i:p000)mi!!!'tc~/v;6>Jil1&1:
N :bh n, t..:.::.t;6>:;/(Wc:I:~~1¥J-/;tO)"t"T;6\
1&'.li~F'itl:7-l--77'":J:;,:7f:,-?lifJ7:!7,

7:!7tt,7:l70);J:lijmttJj.f..:v,-t:t.::.t~,4-, $-~/:: L-c~ x.t..:v'Clt'"J.1:"J-/;t::i;( ;,,J--~~h n,f

U..:o -f-0).::./::li-?lifJ, B*l:iHt J.,7:!7l!l/::i:p001:i:Ht J.,7:J

7lJlO)fn,;6,7:;,/:: i-'¥-;6,c:f_.t;6,0t..:~rait.:0t..:/::,fr1,1,,,f-t
o -f-0).::./::~ffi fJT
lf-C~ ,:t1.,.::.t1i"t"~i-tt/v"t"U..:;6'o t.:;6,G, 7:J7 Cv'"Jr",1H:-:::>v'-C'!l,o-n,vO)i:p"t'-7 :!7 t "'"Jf~~1J'c'O).t "J-t:t~fi~~*t..:-t0);6,t"'"J.::.tIi, *~l:t!i:Mtl:~Jj.{5--:::,-C,ffi1i-JJ3tl!L-f;t;6,G,-/;t.t3;6,-:::>Wc:&/.L-:::>-:::>~J.,0)t.:/::It,"J~M Hf ti i U..:o-fn,;6,G, H ..tl:-:::>1,,,-cg "J/::,ll;6, g 1,,,t..:1J'0f..:O)li,
H _.tO){'f&/i"t"li-/;t<-r, NmO)i!/ili:"t"To r7--1{-77:;,J-- J 0)*;6'~fJi-ttl.

o ~O)i:p"t'-1&'.;6'

1Jo/:7Hb
B*~~f9: HiJfl L-C,L7J''!l,B*~~fO)DNAClt'"J.l:"J-t:tvl---rm~LiT o -fhli-?lifJ,r",;\!!;6t~J.,O)"t"li-/;tv'1J'c,f{1,1t'iTo

I· Y-1"7?1J-x •"'J~:.,i- I )'cli/::'0)83i:p~/vO)jg*O)i:p"t"li,:,,;fJ;,,:$"-li1'Fo'&~
jmL-Cfn/it::GhJ.>0)1:t-rL-r,
H ..tli, ~<i"t"'iijg g ~jmL -C~!Gnt..:O)"t"
To i:,J:-:::,C:/{7;,,7-0)~:Js.]~;6>1:
t::-Cit'J.,O)"t"li-/;tv'"t"LJ:"J7J'om l ffAt-tn~~T•

J.>W ~tt x

QJl,i\-(;1±,ltffl~~B'Jl:~ il1,~-tlct.:7l'e.Eic.
-:to~- r ~T J.>f'Fii<t.:ff>-r:,-rl1l2-'.>ff>~:ii:~
00r,,!;t:frlt 6.::.tli't'~i'.

•-i-ff>:@'~.:1//iff>
W ff>lll,W, -l>l±~r.j/lJW;l;,6Mb•'.).::.tux1:,

1:MTJ.>W
i!ft,,'.l:i:~-r:t,\I','.), [!< ]H x!!lrs+~lfi J!!lM--

IJr~,:~ x.t.:.:atcJ;i IJ1 -it lviJ\ %Lit':i±~lviJ{J3-:i
L~-:it.:.:t iJt!Jl='it
1:~u:~-:i-Cv'iT o ;f-;t_.l:.O)f'FocH:·
JiJ.itv,-j~~iJ\§:$1-t.:'tl:t-:i-CLi,-f tLLit.&t.:ltiJ,{,t:,i;,IJ
i-lt /vi;\ fPJiJ,r,5-,C.,:lt!!0)~1,,1n.:$J-1:~-ltGtLJ.it 1,,
1t.:01±1itiJ,1:cJ;i1.>o -f O).:c:1±t.:iJ,GH_.l:.O)f'J;ifl,iJt©z*-C~lt!C{GtL-c1,,J.,O)tl;J:~Gfht.:~'.Fi:iJ\ t.:J;,.lv, .:-tG1l!IH:cJ;iJ.,iJ,Gt.:U!!.v'iTo -ft.:1±cft40)1/!!;~iiO)rp,M-C"ttlo -f? 1,,?J:?~ @,C.,:lt!!O)~~iJtcJ;iJ.i.:t!±Tit

iJ,-c,,f(7).:cl±1n.l:~J.,.:t-c-t o t.l§:!ll-1±,~*rf'F*tL-Cl±iJ;iilJJ!.114;iJ{

mot>I

1,7::,,7-~:'.1(1,,t.:t.:01±~<-fO)jmlJt.:t,\!!,-jO)-C"fiJ{,t.:t.:L, 4'0)#~/vO)ffi1iiitlti:~J.>O)-C-fiJ{, t.liJ{§' 1,,t.:iJ'-:it.:.:U;J:, H _.l:.~!;l:§' ~(7)v«Jv"c'l±S::ij,:O)J!ll§tt
H-ltl.J-:::>-:::>'i:,,~~O)f'J;if/,lit.l§ :!lJ,1:1±-t?v'?~?l:l±Jix.~v'Cv'?.:t-C-t

o 1&i:(7)f'Fo''iil±,t l)iJ;ix.

1J-;;rl:Jix. i"t o ts L0,
ft:,iJ,IJ~-t<§' -:i-CLiHl:. t.&1:1±+:$J-1\-{7·H _.1:.iJ{-fO)rp,M~wJITiH:/:1:l
L-CN!fJ.it 1,,-jg!IJ:n'I:,oJfitt.:0-jt, 1ffilA1¥Jl:1±

Mc I t-:itrp,Mi±, t.:;;,.1v,.:n,±~#:O)rp,Mt~t:>IJi-tiJ\(7)J3~t.:t@i$.q:i,C.,-c, s!d.:1:@r$0)§' ~(7)filIJ!lw.l-Cil!fGtL
n,J.it 1,,-jt.: 01: rp,Ji!!iJ{iJ;iJ.,/v
t: v,iJ,t 1,,-j.:t-c Lt.:iJ', -f tLl±::kLt.:rp,Jl!-CI±~
1,,J:-jt:t.l§ :!ll-1±~
x.n,i-to iVJO)·to/1/3::,,-cl:f:lt.:}~%,
1:t ~bl) 1-tiJ{,)lll.q:i,C.,fl::t
1,,-j.:t1U,i"ic L ~<-c M~.: 1.>
o 13-fG<£,rf.;1¥J
1:-f 1~ J.it ,\!!,
1,,i"t o -ftLl±t"?, 4'0)::7·0-1,Jv~?-7-;;

J-O)!fhe<:n~Ji n,J.it,~IM!~:,fi:O);ri)jjt1:.t:,1t
1.,7;1,1J :IJO)q:i,C.,ttiJ,Ji)ijn-c<1.>
L, §t'f.;t -f 1~-:i-cH1v-c
L.d o t.:t.:,-fO) 1)lll.q:i,C.,fl::J
l±ixi!l!"t---Ze<.:c~O)iJ,tv,-jt,1,,1,,tli,\!!,x.
~1,,t1,,-jJ:-j~tl(/RJ:cJ;i1.>t.\!!,-jO)-C"fo -ftLl;J:7-7-;;J-0)7.fi:~l::J,•~O),!Jl='ilr
1:~lGnt.:1 { 1-V-t.: 't' :I v::77'-t.:'tO)'tf:lfi:ti:T1:J:-:i-C~*jO)filljffi
iJ{#ci-:in,<tv,-jJ:-j~tl(i£iJ,,

ffl:W-1¥J
1:'/:,-:it'l:,-:ib1MlL-c1,,<tv,-jJ:?~, llf,fmi¥J~~~~:Jsr-:in,J.iiJ,G-C"to t.:iJ'G, @i$.iJt)lll.q:i,C.,fl::~tLJ.iiJt,-ftLl±#cLn,1,,:n1oJ1:1;J:friJ-~1,,,ts L0q:J,L,,,p{E0)?-7-;;rt 1,,-j~!lw.J, 1

186 I 1s1

Count10 BeforeYouSayAsia I AsianArtafterPostmodernismI

il'i!f:W-O)il/1!4(:
i-CxlJi~:t,li:-:1:lll
L-n,<tv '-JO)iJ,,f.lO)~ Ln"l"To
i'fH:£:,:ii-J- E",-tfV--gv,t.:1,,tv,-J.::.ciJ,,tn,i, - -gt-:,toI •i!ilBll'f 14-Bti=-wJl=pi),t:,prji),-it-n,t.:t-:v'-C,fel-:)t.:O)(j:,f.l(±{t~'Uj:O)
1J7 Jd: _-c, c'-JL-CMJl.fNJ-C,:JitlWJJ~i'h.li:-@JIXT-o:7'717'"
1,,tjiJO)iJ\ B:,$:(±T.::.·<ijij<-c,£·i'i1Hkil::T-ocv'-J.-Hl:ffl.~.¢.i:
H~ UFf--Jc LtjiJ,Gb, l:fH!t .l.il'-:)t.:, f-O):i//H;-li:-L~/'s.,o.::.c1:-/j-:)-CLi"?i::v'"'.).::.c,±c'"'.)v'"'.).::.
cil'C o ~!-o1l!IJ-C(±-/j<-C,
ft-o1l!IH:ii,-/JIJx.LffU.:-1:,(±,
f.l(±B:,fi:@/±!5t"l"Tii\ f-O)~x.Gh-nii~-Cl19#Ef9-/j'f'-:,,-Jt;,,1:£--::J1,,-c~x.Gh.-oblt"l"Tof-;/1.li:-fto"/,1:L-Cv'<~f:, f--J--r-,±tj1,,,§5J'O)i:p-Cpg{ET-o5JIJO),
ii:i!ii:t-C(±-/j:1,,5JIJO){lt¢.i:il':V:-/:,_l.i1,-:)-CM.:~I:,
LiJ,L, f-;/1.li:-{t-:)-c,:JitllfL-C,
6:77f:1T-o1l!IH:(±,f-O)~lt 1IlliJ,tj1,,i::1,,-JcU:,"l",ll)(IJ.::.(l'Lil',1§.::.-:)-CLi-Jblt"l"T o £,i', f-.::.-C6:77f:1~;/1.-oiJO),ftJtic L-C{Htc L-crtJ..:v:
L-n,< At.:i:,c "'-JO)(±,fM,GJ!nLfl19#0)7:t-'7-;;r -cft-:)-n,-c,
jj.fflljiJ,G'f'·lf-1-=:.
;,,7·~nt.:7:J7 JJ.t.:1,,-!jiJO)l:.&:r.t
L-n,-oJ: "?l:J!x.-C
Li-J o:tttl\fn tv,-J.::.c-c-gx.,i, 4-B'flfl:a-~1viJ,-fffi!c~-tts:tv,-Jii0)1r,= :iJiJt:v:1:

T-00)-C(±tjv,nt:tl:--:::i1,,-csfli1i(:tjfJiLt.:il',-fffi!cv'-JbO)li:-~,tt;:cO)t-_f-JZ:g{\:L-CLi-Jc, fM!E-!jO)iJ,,-j-:,,3f- 'fr-1-/jO)iJ,JJ.t.:v'-/jflilif:-/j-:)-CLiv,
iT(Ht.c•"iJ, f--J"l"(±-/j<-C,-fffilli:-ffil
fJr(f-o.::.c;(/''T1/3T ') T-1f:~;()',o/vt-=c"'"?4'"?1:,ii Lf-niJ,~~-c~-oO)-C,t;/1.(i, -/JIJx.fi;f- fr-1 tJ1v, ::iv:71

r ,°'f'.7,
JJ.t.:v,tjiJO)f:, J...:'f-'/-f-;(A J;. t.:v,tjiJ 0)/:, it-o H±llgi$0)[ijaf.t0)_ti:@JIX~;/1.-o.::.c
iJtj<, ,¢,;:HIJ!I:L-n,,:J",oO)-Cf±-/jv,iJ'c,fel-JO)"l"Totd-:', f-.::.--r·0).7,:'f-Jvil',
1,,--:::ii-Ciiffi:x.Gn-cv,-/jv'il'G,
t!-:;:77f1'-C~tj1,,0)f-:7->"?c,ft*11!1JiJ,GJ!x.
-CLi"?o4-B, sf-G<, f-0)~ x.f:-/j-oJ:-J-/j.::.c
Ii:-s-:) L~-:)t.:niifPJAil'v'G Lt.:o~ffiiff(Jc v'-JE"31€
Ii:-=l-1='/!t(:ffi~Ef(J-/jiJ,Gil
1±1~;/1.-cv,t.:~# ~Iv, -!¥:!ti~Iv
ii~fiHtJ...tv,-J E"31€Heb;/1.
-Cv'iLt.: o t.:t±, :E-1:*<"<fJtjiJO)li:--fffiJA
1:~ L-c<-0~1:, fPJiJ,,it.:f.lff(J-/jtJv'il'i:tb-CLi"? o t±iJ,G, f-;/1.li:--fffilc-fffiJO)r,O-c*
fJ=t].h,-/jiJ{GiJ,
f.lff(J-/jiJO)I:~~-/j:1,,.7,:'f-Jvli:-ffi:x.
-n,t.:t±<.::.

NM I

b'.I\ t::..Ji.lv,4-f~7 :-iTt"O)tJtwfijJ 1:~i)L:,-n,,<O)"t:'fi;,j:1.,,:f,pc,~,-:::,-Cv'

iT o f-O)JJ:~-et11Iti-~!v0)~;/1,-CM::.il5l1iJJc9€
g il\ f.&f:fit".::'<1J? 1JT1~~0-C,

4-Bfir.i'l<::.c;o{"t:'~iU::. oMC I ili>fJil'C"?.::'~··1.,,fl.f::.o 'Fllti-~/vi)>C:,:J;,(:1/rh,t::.t.:M::.v'C::.0""c'T

ii', -t]j.f-tt1v, 11srr.1Jil%fJi-tt/vO)-e,::.::.-el'i1l!jj.;,j:icclb~L--c~clb~-tt-c{,Gv'iT oii". fflAev'"? rQ9Mi/{A,@f0) :,,:1/#:J7AO)i:j:i"t:'fiiJll%1±1-c~ iU::. o fflA
M:@:,r;t,:tii', ;tt,r;t,:cil'ev'")= JJ{M:rr.
-e~ x.1.i::.til--e~;,j:"' or-~oct L--CO)'J7'J;(AJ cv'"?g 'i.W{iili>fJiL-0:tnt'{,,f-n~~

x.1.i11sr1:,
j¾iol,r;t,:il-Ji'ii

ffi L--c1.,,0f::.O)-r·fflAc"'"?c::.01:1m1.it ii', fflAil,G:rr.i:>Hf-c1.,,<t "'"?J:"?;,j:~x.:1Jli, i:>10c/TI:"?v'c::.0{,iliJJ.,O)"t:'fi;,j:v'il'o
0 i fJ, lltB0)-1:o/1/3 :1/""c'f.lil'
g v, t::.il'0t::.::.cfi, i/ifi;ftO)*f:fr~*"'f::.O)i/', A,O)J)Ju[U::. 1fflAJt.:c.1~,"?O)"t:'T
o fflA"'-0)*v'fu5clbc
g 0-Cli

1.,,1.,,i),{,l,;/1,,j:1.,,f:J-;/1.c'{,,tr L-0, flt-4fifflA "'-CPJlb;/1,-n,,J.,t.~,"?O)"t:'To f-"?v'"?,0ifJfflAev'"?l>O)~, T1' 1J;t 1Jl:§1LU::.{,O)cl., -CtlU-C,
f-::.;o,e:,*m :rr.i:>_tffJ.ic"'"?::.t -efi;,j:<-c,fflAf-O){,O)i/'ilifi;ft0)£~-eili>fJ,f-0):;fJll!~'lr~ v';~/vt.:{,O)cL--ctH:x.@:L-,
f-;:;o,GfiiJil,ift::.;,j:j¾ioJft,:H1I
J:@'.l,-n,,<J:"?;,j::1Ji){;:}(30C:,;/1,-n,,J.,o f-;/1,fi, A,@JO)ffiO)i:j:l"{:',
lfili:B-1±1-C
M::.rQ9M"t:'fi;,j:",-e L-1"?il' o70-v.7-~/vO)g ~"t:'g "?c1space of appearance(:!JltLO)~rJJ)J, iliJJ.,v'fi

1strategyof becoming(f,iJ~l:t.:-':>-'i7'Pl::-t,Ullt~)j Cv'"?g 'Jllii)>«-;/J-~/v0)'3€*O)i:p\:{,;JiifJiU::.o f-;/1.il'G,*tll~/v0)9€*0)i:p"t:'fi7o/:,,-O) g 'Jlli~
5 I1.,,-c,1f'J=G;/1,J.,{,O)c
L--CO)j¾ioJft,:JCv'"?J:"?;,j:g 'Jlli;o,1±1-C~iU::.
o 01
fJ, j¾lolf$:ev'"?l>O)~flt41:~x.Gnt::.i'Ji'~O){,O)c
L--c~ x.J.>O)"t:'fi;,j:<-c, 1~1:4-, ~JGn00JW,r;t,:~;11,00{,iliJJ.i,f-O)J:"?;,j:{,O)cL-c~x.n,<o "{:'{,,f-;/1,~f'J=-:::,-Cv'<t::.clbl:fi
1fflAJi)> (AHJJ1.J•C:,ie1:i'l.Lt~t,O)/::L'(-z'l;l;f.:(,
1McO)lllJf;j\0)9'-z') r-mnJ ;,j:~H,f:J-;,j:1.,,
0 f-O)mnO);,( ?17 t L--c, ~*r*:m;o,Jt~;,j:f)tfl~*t::.-t::.cil'ili>fJ1iJ.iO)"t:'fi;,j:v'il'co ~ff-r*mO)~~tt
til,mnttcv'")::.cil',

1aa I 1s9

V'c00)1iJfmttt l, -Ciffli)>;/1,J.,o f-;/1,~fgt,-n,,i),Count10 BeforeYouSayAsia l AsianArtafterPostmod
ernism I

~lttHiv>lt~H::,~,1,,,;J:Tom~mit--n,"Jc, -fn1±, 1!7· H· 1!7 Cv'"J~ x.:m:oo L-z:-11• ~1vtJ1.:l3-:>
L-t>v>iU:lt:/1.c''tl,~Mcil>~4~lfi L.ft~:!t.lv"t"v><3t'.rdJ~O)iJ>'iiL:h.~"' o t..:1n·:ti,~:b%~~MUtiE0)3t'.rdl~c'.::tJ,"t"litf!R~v'c, ?-li;--1tli~l;l:IJ.ljl.,l.Ef:ili:f-t0)1/.A
j-1,.0)i:p/:,,f;/1,-f';/1,i)>MJL:
U:ffil.A.cLl :7°• -J{Jv~x-Jr'JJ-0)1/.7-j-.b.O)i:pf:ikJ:i.:i6i:h.
t ~:b.U..:ltt.:0-Jc" '"JAil1 LiT oit..:, ;1:u,lJ-f;t;:H'JoJ.iev,-:,t.:.::c1:oov-:>t,.:.cO)U-c-:::>,±,
i::i:,,-t-v~t-

Ji:,,f'-v0)1/7-T.b.ii\

1.:.0)101f:<'GH:,J}'/tl:/Mel:fr:b:/1.J.iJ:-Jl:~-:,"t",1\1!\ffi~lvil1il½fJJO)~@,HF'itl:iJ;,iJ.,ff!
O)?\j~Hf-:,"t" -z:-1,,,f_:O)/.:lt:/1.c''tl,
4-,;ti:,,7-j-,f:,,;<:,,J-c7 ~.1- X;<:,, 1--0)3t'.rdl
1:~-:,"t"Li-:,--n,1.,cv'"Jl "Jl:11'r1~~:/1.iLt.: o .::n:ti£~~,1:'/:"Z",±~",tJ,c -~,",iT o-:::>ii),~lll]ff;:b,-J'bO)'b,<bJ.i~~"t"rlfW~:/1.J.i;t.t~l:~-:,--n,1.,:blt"t"
Tb. o -f.::"t"J:i.lv~il'/:1:Hht,<bJ.im:iiifrdlt.:lt- Wl:11;¥~~.::·Lt, 1,,,1,,,c.::0t.:1t~-z:-,;'11;;1,,,t.::0,±~~"'°t",
1<b<b, Lil'-:>t.:b.Jcfflb-z:-1,,,<o -:::>if'J,

tiJ!JJl~nt1,,,7.,e1,,,"JJ:"J~i!!:W-1:?-li;4,±v>J.,o t.:c-tJ.ic, -f"Jv'-J'bO)"t",±~v',-f.::"t"0)/:1:!~v'Cv'-J'bO)~,- mlll'J"t"iJ!JJl-tJ.it.:lt"t",±~<,:ifht.:%"t"ffi:x.J:Jf--n,<ev•"?ii', ~mL --n,<J:-J~~:tH±~,± 1')£,~1:~-:,t<J.it.:0-Jb'"?Ail'L tv'iT o*t.: l'JlltrO).::cil''b
L:/1.i-1±'!vii\ -f :/1.il'b-JV-c-:::>,.:.0)1/:,,;is:J".71.b.Hft, :bii'-:>tM.:.:.c~O)iJ,~c.~1,,,;J:-t o -fO):tf:~·e,±, f71Jx.,i00~
1 6@§"t"<bJ.ictJ,,<bJ.iHi 17:,,Y- -::i:,,;:i,:'.x:im£:fit0)1/:,,;fs:J".7.b.iJ
1-77

Jb,"?7" • ::li7t-iJ,7:J7~:lt!1.,i~,:1::7· h· t:70)::i~.1.=/;'-1/3:,,O)i:p"t"~M!i~nt.:ctJ,, -f-Jv'-J.::ctJ,~1±1'J~frffi~n1.,---z~
1:1:!':l!HJi'.c
L-z:-

Icffi~:/1.~ltn,i~G~" 'C "'"JAil1 LiT o-f:/1.il>G,J\,f7· 11?1T1l:OOL

-c,

2Brdl

1:1:!t~iLt.:o ,{:,,.7-7J,,,-1/3:,,e1,,,"?n8;;ii',-f:/1.i"t"O)nti:;c:ii-:>t,j;yJ.,
ftO)m~ttt.:c tJ,, tc-%0)~f'lottt.: c tJ,, :!frff;:ttt.:
c tJ,, "'0 "'0~~gtt
Hf'<'.f':i6tl"ltllcLl, ~F'itl=~?ml:{t:b;/1,
tM.:b>-Jm1~iJ>;j;yl'JiLt.:lt:/1.c''tl,-f "Jv'"J:ti:~"t"O)J\,f7· 1) T1 T1 ,±, 4-B0)7n 1/3:,,O)~ CM'~iJ{

IJi-tif,~lilJll!~/::lt\•}l.i', pJfi~tt/::L--C~;t~1tnlf1t,1t~1,,,r,,,Mt±0-j/::1.,,-j~!\l_llii"¾'-J:,
iLf.: otd±, J\17.

hi-'/::1t,-j::.Ui, 'b/::'b/::1:.!lm"FOYg ~"t"Til\ :ift{~-f-/::il',;_!;;

1

l.>Hi "71Jv7-i){jj.i),G~-::>--C<J.>,;,l;;J.,Hi~bl.>/::1,,,-jJ:-j~!\l_ll;~i){:/141:
L--C;.l;;J.>/::,1\;1,-jO)"t"To '?ii), /::'::.n,,1ll.t.:-t:,0){~*'1tJil{jj.J!IO)>C{t1:~~
nl.>i::il', ~!M!~nl.>i::i),1,,,-j:f:!Jtil{i!;it<Ml)'?v'""Clt'l.>'Ail{Li-to 'b-t:,0/v, -fnlfi),IJ"t"li~v'"t"LJ:-'Jil\ '71Jv7-i::L--C~-:::>--C<1.>:nm1tt,:'t-J-L--C,-fni-:t,:ll-r1•'.fl::J:)UJ.,O)"{:'li~<--c, ;_l;;J.,fHfL~~l!ci::il'~~/::L--C:J:JE:tJ.>J:-3~,(-t-L:c1lll~1:, illlJli1tc<7)iJ!~<7)'1'"t'JJU.o) ffl:~tt~Wl,\'!:il{,/::'::.i?'"t"*:JjH:~-:::,--C<1.>i::
1t,-'J'AilrLiT o
1::v,-jblt"t", JIMJE"t",i/::601:~-:::,f.:il'/::'-jn,J:<bn,IJi-ttlvil\ M~rdl
Mili:53-~~·--cLiv'iLt.: o 2 Brdll:bt.:J.>3 -t:;,:,,3;.,0):,,;.,>f-Vr;1A"t"Lt.:
i){, ;{;z, 1JA J-0)1'1'~/v,/::'-j'b;,l;;I)i)>/::-j.:_"~'1,,,iLf.:o ~*~:J:B-f-i-:B/ffiv'
Li-t o -f L--c,*~rdl, :B'?~.g-1,,,1,,,td±1t,t.:!UM'/<O)lJ
4, /::'-'J'b;J;;IJil'i::-3.::~·\,iLt.: o::.n1:',t;;:,,;.,>f-V"7Ali~Tv't.:Li T o

1,0

I 191

Count10 BeforeYouSayAsia I AsianArtafterPostmodernism I

A,@JO):,-;.,>f-1/71'0)1;:~t.:7'"-'"'<'li,
1>f-7-.
r'EY.::.;;(2-J 1>f-7-.
r:m.::. 7
J;;(2-Jt 1t''?ffl.~~ffMt!!:W.1¥.Jt.:millit IJZfr
L-rJ@.::.
0 t.:171/7ffl.f-\';~;j;j:rJ

1

A..0)1Jl~O)M;j;:ti* i IJ1::"'.)1t,-r, f-O)ro~M,¢.i:t ~&':l-C
tMt

L-r h-J:1t

1,,1.::.tt!.0t.:o 2 ar,1J3--t-y:,-3;.,-z:f-O)J:-?t.:1-:~t.:aM1::-t53-t.:/!HtHI:\

T .::.tiittJ:IJ7f1iJi'i~6'.I\ .::.td-z:t.::.hiPGl::"'.J1t,-r~x_l.,-"Z~ ro~M*
t-ct § '?""-~tO)il\ "'<"'.Jii--¥.::.'t.:x.O)ifi.>1.>tO)tL-rr¥~);ll31J1::
tht.:O)-Ciif.:1t,iJ,t,~, '?o **f.:GIJ, ~f:iO)--t-y:,-3;.,O)f c&':JO)tt~5t-C
J:IJiR<~fti:~ffi IJ~0-r h-1.>""-~
t!. 0t.:O) t!.ii\ ~r.ll-W
h -c-t53-f-O)ff~*t-=·ttt.:cli §"x.i', .::..::.-z:~)EO)~~t~&':l-Cffil)~0-C
h-t.:v'o--t-y:,-3;.,
1 -C!i, 1J•mJ.?lfitP].J3i:il'B:;t;;l::tHH
171/7~;j;j:jJffl.~O)I!£il~T'¥t.:~1t~tt1::il!! 0-C<ht.:o 'til:~/Z~O)~r.ll1::s1t 7.,~:tJJ;iJ,GO)~)Eje§"t ~&':J,4-1:iO)ffl~cM-t.:t:,1::t0-C~l,'ii\"I:::!i:11!
t.:IJli:*t!.0 f.:O)-Clif.:1t,iJ,
t,~, '?o ~~1¥.Ji::iiIDtt i)>jg~tht.:J:1t.:~~

Jl'Z
0f.:O)-Z:/if.:1t>ii>tfil\<it.:-r1t,t.:ii' t L ht.: 1t,iJ,, f-h~ Jl.fti:i¥Jt.:'iltf31-l::J:
0-C~-::51tt.:~~/;J:,J,t
1H::;t;J<f.:v'o171/7 J O)~JHitt~§"v'~-r J:1t v''?~>P:li, f-O)J:'?f.:fiJt-t1.>~ro~"-c:i!h-,trL~, 11::7·r'7· l:'.7J O)~~tt~'iJfl1-li¥Jl::tJUJ:1ev'
1Jh~"-c1t~ L-CM.:e1t''?~7R.!i,1{1' 1J -Y7· D. 70-v7-..J3i:O)je~-C~
hGht.:7-7'"1 7-.r ; 'f":i v-:$'-t.:t:,O)~:!Jil¥Jt.:-tt:iJ.tWf!ZL-r1-:Wc:JJll.~
i*ii'0t.: o td!., tl1:i!!!'P:.13i:li,
171/7~;j;j:fJO)~JHittHil~1¥J1::~JP:Li:pOO

ffl,f-\';~;j;jtf~71/7 · ::f,-yr '7-70)i:j=i-Z:~ x.-CV>M.:v'CIt''?~~~~~th,#&~)It.:~~~ fil\<it.:t.:ii', f-0) ,¢.i:I::"'.Jv'-C,fFL H~~Hilffl-C~f.:il'0f.:O)
iJ,,C,,~l IJt!.ot-r, 11:'.7·rr; •l:'.7Jtv,1ffl.~~U-c"'.JO)~~tL -r, 1ffi!Ae1t''?ro~M,
f-L-r, iJ>"'.J-Cft,J,JElf!Jl5.l..13i:il'1'.1£~tht.:
1~0Ct L-CO)1J 7 1J;;(2-JClt''?ffl.~il'~IJ~L~Mf::O)Lf0 t.:.::.tt~~~1::~1.>of-ht*~l¥Jl::M}i1.>ro~MtL-r,

192

I 193

Count10 BeforeYouSayAsia I AsianArtafterPostmodemismI

70-1,,;z..a;1,1,1\;,,j-,7-t,,;,,J-O),ltln]~~,::1'!1!nG;/1.,
it.:, -l.:::;1/3;,,2-c~~~;/1.t.: 17 .,(7,:Z.;js7
J C:V•"J~~u~ i 9, ~4 tjjq /3(1,1•G,
ffl.Ac1/AT
1.,., &'.>~P(iffl.Ac:t::;r r;-;1cv•-J.t"Jl'jrp,JJH::"'.)1,,,-c§ ~1,1,~:b~;/1.t.:a-f ;/1.t!l:J;1·0-1{Jv-CfJE;zc•-:_;sO)tj1,,vtf!fWJO)J:-Jl'j?-7::;
r' 1/AT M::x~c~;/1."'.)"'.)4'.)~m1-l'.:~rO)~~cmjmc1t:~,=~L-c,
H-fn-f'n1,1,15-,~,:lt!!.O)M.
~:a-re'.'it. -n,~-:.cO)*m1,1•c t,\!!,.iz.~1,1\-fO)~,= 1-00AJ O)B'ilt:a-,

MfJLEJ97'jfiffifi/!O)±ac
L-c$t¾c -t ~-=-ct~,;1:9-c~ Tjv•c1,,,1:;pt,;-1,1,c•-:.
1,1•-C1!\t!tf.i:(::,lt~~;/1.-n, t.:0)-C(;ttj 1,,,1,1,c,ffi9:i/i-:,-C
JJ--C,\!!,"Jof71J.z(i,3 -C{Ji1;:fli(~= M.a:1,1,~il\ffil~ht.: 1Fo-1 ::,,yJ b·1tM,0)-g ;;., L1,1•'ii,
1/!tfa:O)Rlll~~~~HtT'iiO)cL-CO)1·o-1::,,;1·0)eyfilitto-fO)oJff~tti-Jm
t.-c fl t,_t1,1,-:,-C(~-focIDM3tlnl~cv•1J:1tj~ .z1io iffio'1t{tJ»-$0) 1ffo'11J
cL -CO)Fo-1::,,;1·= Rlll9!fWJc,
1-00A
J c:v•1'ii0):a,~;t-f{t9W<:.z-Cv•<~~'&'.}~v•(i{fl!:ffcO)~{,y;o -:-:ii, '!J-:,C:~~1,1{£,~tjc-=.0-c, Mt~cL -c~~nt.:iit!1,1{,7-1,,::,,f-Ef97j§ v•1i:a--tn,j\ 11!j/ljL
J O):fr~O)/Jll,¢.i:cL-CO)Fo-1 ::,,;1·0)eyff~tt1,1{~~~;/1.-n, t.:0)1,1•'ii
L;/1.tj1,,,o2"-ct.fl~Hfr9:i/i-1t(;f, lnlt.<, -'f7r~i1!i.ftc~:#~.ftO)~*-c,

Jibk~, :Z.>f--F· Y7'7'0)f5tlJ1,1{;,<?17cL -CO)1:!lt~J Ht,¢.i:(::L-C~!Gh, -t-1.,.
· >f-::;-t-.ftO)~*-c,;1:Y • P';ts1,1{~fi5~Faic L-CO)1$~ J :a;,(7'17 cL -C~!Gh -n,t.:-:.c:1,1\ lnlt..t"J(::, 1ffl.AW-$
J it.:,HfflA*iiMlJO)ffl!irc0)~1'!i!ffii0)rmn J Hlb-n•t.:tv•1Jt~-c,ll'fr.t-t~Jm:B-1,1{4'.)~0)1,l•'!)l.,;/1.l'jl,,•o2-c,;1:,L.1,1•L, -:.0)rmnH\m~O)::i::,,7;1:z.J-0)~4tjt., ~ ,=l!jllj~;/1.
-n•~~i'l !W.ll ~B9(::~tGn, L1,1•'ii,
Jetn\tO)::i-F(::J:~@~XO)f.J:aEl~Lt.:{t~U.:t,1,1,,-f;/1.c~n89(::i}i9-fl--:,-Cv•~~(::§1,1{r/ijl:J-Ght.:o

H _l_llfO)§ m_tO))j\\:lil/Hi,:@:(~~O)fil_t(:: 0)-tt"G;/1.t.:{HU.:t,c (;l:ji -:,f.:

I !!Iii.II•

:;/J[ri]i [ri]v>-CV>~il\
i,>-f;/1,1:L·n.h71/70)f'J, i~U.:i:,i){1i!tW-1tJL"(!,>(i~l.'H:.:J3i,,-r,~l:.:l31t Mt~i%~

9L-C§GO);f-1/1/3;,,iJiiJt-t ~,if>~Hi'li:~ tj 1liiJtJ iteS Ln,iJ,tj:lttLl!l'j:Gtj:1,,$-ffiiJ{~L<~fr~;/1,,11.'IB~I:>bJt.t$:i'l9t;.-=¥-::.·t.:x.c
L-Cf~b0f.:O)-z'!itj:1,,iJ,c.~,-:>
o 1'11!:a-¥jIJl;O)::i;<;,,J--li,~Gl:-f-0)-=¥-.:."t.:x.
i, :gi~1::&<:mt>0-CM.::;/Jl'j:G"t'li0)
ftl/l'.il'Gliiil'l'j:bO)I:L-r<nt.: o fflAi'l91:li, J<7'17 c L-CO),f;,,7.3,t,,1/=1;,,f:--:::>1,,-r1iifJ~i'.'EOC~~il'~iffl~nt.:>bO)O),1,llHfJCv''Jrp~:fH:--:::>!,>"(Ii, +53-1=~~i)>"{'~l'j:i)>--::,f.:-:iG.1/-il{7~~0 -f-tLci.Hi:'.L-C.:l3M.:v>O)Ii, 7'17.7-;f-'7ev'-:>~~l:--:::>v'-C,::i;<;,,7-:$'-0)J\ll\E8ffi"',l'\.ll;il'G,-f-0)
frL-:i 1:--:::>
I, ,-rffi'1iiii/{if;--::,
t.:::.c t!.o 1/"0-J\Jvftnt3f<fS:0)1luJi){;:_;/1,

tDtB'iitftL -r<~c, Ar.tl0)1::~1J-:r1>b'iit~1tL-r<~ o -f-O)i:p-z',:,fs:~I:i!;~·N:i-H!}t;.1,,$-•~1:J:0-C*1ilc~~""-C*v':il,i;/1,~7,(7.7-;f-7c, ffir~~~•ilii*Ll'j:#Gffl•l'j:~0):1J~-z-•4coo~i&x.~A4cim~
L-Cliv>lttj:1,,ev,-:i:=.co ~t.:9fiJO);:U!.iJ{, 7'17.7-;f-':Jev'-:ijj;{~O)jt:
ffil:M-t~trn;-cL -Clit~L -r.:l3<£-~il'i!;~L, ,17]--'0)J:-:il'j:jj;{~l:--:::>v'-C>b, t,;:_ci){ -g x.~li-f"t'if;~ o
3 "t'li,

70 1}-j-·:hl::x.-n-rni:p1Ez.ll;1:,

A J--7-,/=

1/:IJ;,,?"-cH..tev'-:i 2.AO)f'J,*O)ft-$-ii:p,C.,1:L-r~til!itMFo~~i~t--r1,,f.:f!_1,,f.: o;,,f "f 1)7,(7,( Cv''J~~iclb<"--::,"(O)~~l'j:c\ ~~iJ,GO)JiibTiiclb-C-f-tL-f";/1,0)Wl,,¢.;:iJ,G1:£i'l91'j:~Jil.il'~<t±It.:

J:-:il:.~,'Jo iliftW.~1:~lljj~;/1,t.: 1f~~J c-f-O)~#ttira~-t~-17':t•--¥-1:ML -r, 1,,f 7' 1J-:r·1-r1Cv'-:>~~li, -f-0)1f~~J O)·J1HJJil,GO);f~tt, ~fltt ii!;~ 9t±l-tc v'-:iF,1}~1¥Jil'--:::>ffi:'f:Ui'l9t;.{~\!ilJ
i51/d.:-tc v'-:>-fiffifl/l:i){,!;~- :;/J,>be>bc:1,17·1; T1 T1 ii''.:£t-Mlf!lc L-Cit'li~mifill= 3'.c~i){,!;

194 I 19s

Count10 BeforeYouSayAsia I AsianArtafterPostmodern
ism I

J.it-tn,r,f-n,i, iiHJJiPG
iffi.Ri1:1t1J•filli1iH·1:
t::.~-ttJ.i.::ttt:11.~fBt.:~,f,f-1.1{;1i_,fJ, ?-7::,,J--O)~J:!l!O)i:p·z\ 1:r))jJf
7-{ 7 Aft L -n,,~ 1./'Pf.:1.,,c:1,,,-:,~nt,ihJ.i
o 1:icfft:t-t-t7.imf$:c:
L·n;:t, 1Wffi~= .Bi;1.1{::i;<;,,J--O)i:p--c-,/\-{7' 1Jo/Ft.:m~T77o/rf.:*ifffi.1.--C-O)/±BI
HJc:L-C--C-(it.:<,x
IIU~xl!cO)~,j,fT/:)__;/1,-c~.zf.:ltn,it.:Gt.:" 'C:"'-:>JS
KT nt.:.::c:1.1{~n~1:7~J.io,~~J ih7.>Hirnc'liJO)fillffiTc:'O)J:-:,t:l/tf:Jr;-tJ.i1.1,omi:p.Bi;1.1{A!llnt.:;:,,,n;,,7'-0)1Jti, 1;,,;;i, :rv-;:,,,3;,, fBt.:J.it,O),~1lflifBt.:7.,'i-,0), -:::,1 fJ1t1J•!lwJHt1J•!lwJc:L-c 1/M!ir
J-"-c:/Wiij
L t,:1.,,
111:~-tt 7->:1Jrit.:t\ f-O)~~-z:4-1i i:m <~~O)f.t1.Jt.::.::i: t, ih0 t.:O)--c-,it.:",1.1,t$1iU.: oi!'EJE1:t.:J.i1.1{,.::O)ic:361i,ih<i--C-M.!
.dffil.AO)illliloJ
Lt.:~;ffil::il!~·t,:1.,,
0
i&JJ--:::,<-ttn,t,:1.,,
1'.i:J1.1t-i't-b
1/3 pgi:Jlx{EL"(t,,J.,0)--c', fn:ffffi.f.li;I:1i, t::.0<fJc:-i'rjs*c:~~1:§TimLn,t.:t!M.:v'c:.~ -:>o js*=ff0)7J 4,::i;<;,,-r--1-0)lJ

4, 1£]ifij1.1,;~mi-z:-i:p,C.,1:t.:
0-C5I0*0-C<t!~0t.:

frjffi.f.li;- frji!f~--C-(i,1Counc 10JO)l±J*T1it::.36,:;$:;:,,,;,,;j<'-;.h7AO)~~
fB::i;,,777-H:-:::,1.,,-c~$'.:!%':t~T~h, RHi1--C-Rt~
fJ1'i!:T10c:-:,~;/1,t.:-, f-L-C.::0);:,,,;,,7)<'1/".l.Lk:E.-fll\~nt.:00~3<:mi£1il:O)~~lvl:,&36-Ci*<~~$ L.1.lft.:v'o JW~O)J:-:,1:,~-t---z~.::t1Ht!it!~<?~~nn,7., 0 71/7mf-t~-WrT36<"J.i;:,,,;,,7)<'1/".lA1i.::n--c6@m:t.:J.ic:v,11.1{,
it!it!,

L..S::c:<~mL-c1.,,t.:t!M.:v'l>O)f!
o__ 1 ....

J.

Footnote,Autumn2008
Maeda Kyoji

For the sake of chose who will reading the following pages, I willattempt co record the circumstances in both the arc world and society ingeneral chat formed the background ro chis symposium.
Autumn 2008 saw the holding of arc biennials and triennials in several
Asian cities, including Gwangju, Busan, Shanghai, Yokohama andSingapore. Within Japan, there were also a number of exhibitions
focusing on the contemporary arc of Asia.
"Avant-Garde China" was held between August and October at the
National Arc Center, Tokyo, and was sec ro rour co Osaka and Nagoya.
Ac around the same time, "Emotional Drawing," which focused on thearc of Asia and the Middle East, was a success at the National Museum ofModern Arc, Tokyo, and then opened at the National Museum ofModern Arc, Kyoto, on November 18. On November 22, the first day ofthis symposium, the Mori Arc Museum opened its exhibition, "Chalo!
India. " In addition co hosting these exhibitions, Japan was alsoscheduled as the venue of the Asian Arc Museum Directors Forum andthe Asian Museum Curarors' Conference, both of which were also ro beheld in autumn. The calendar was literally overflowing with events
about Asian contemporary arc. The Japan Foundation, who was alreadyinvolved in the organization of several of these exhibitions and events,
added this symposium ro their list. The format, which was ro look backover the lase 20 years of historical discourses on Asian arc, was designed
co contribute an analytical element co the season.
When I was first consulted about rhe direction the symposium shouldcake -

about one year previous , I believe -I have to say I initially

expected a lot more debate and interest in Asian contemporary arc would
be generated than ultimately was.
I get the feeling that the simple increase in the number of biennials
being held has detracted from their festive nature. By its very nature thebiennial system, which essentially seeks co marry the locality of the hose

I -footnote, Autumn2008

Maeda Kyoji Icity with the global arr system, rends to have a homogenizing effect. You
could turn it around and say that the emergence of more biennials madetheir inherent homogeneity more obvious. This is of course something
char was understood from within the system, too, and thus the
Yokohama Triennale, which scarred on September 13 and continued
during the symposium, emphasized performance arr in an attempt togive the event a more precise physical and temporal presence. However,it may have succeeded in achieving only a moderate degree of uniquenesswithin the system. The works, which were brought to the harbor-side
area and arranged in near partitioned spaces, looked a little likecontainers freshly arrived from overseas chat had somehow become
detached from the distribution circuit.
The thing that perhaps got more attention this year was the art marker.
The most prominent symbol here was Murakami Takashi, whose work
achieved an artist's record of 15 million dollars at Sorheby's auction in
May. Ar the same rime, the auction price of Japanese arr, including
antiques, hit their peak, and arr dealers and publishers created a mood
whereby arr was consumed as though it was a piece of furniture for thehouse . Murakami himself anticipated that the marker had peaked, andfrom September he restarted his GEISAI event. Ir is more or less similar
to the Japanese Comic Marker exhibition / sales format, bur isnoteworthy for having achieved significant success des pi re i rs bypassingof the conventional arr hierarchies. GEISAI also incorporates a prize
system for which foreign judges are invited to Japan, bur one feels it has
a long way to go before achieving its goal of linking the local arr world
with char of the West. I could mention other artist-run exhibitions char
have emerged -all raking the stance of criticizing the recent tendencyof receptiveness to the marker -bur Murakami 's efforts will suffice as asymbolic example.
In addition to shows of Chinese and Indian contemporary arr, there were

198 I 199

Count10 BeforeYouSayAsia I AsianArtafterPostmodernismIseveral shows of Brazilian contemporary arc chis year. We just needed
Russia co have all the so-called BRICs economies. With economic
development, these national, ethnic and regional units are now able cosupport their own contemporary arc. We muse be conscious of chis. And
perhaps more imporcancly, locality now has no greater significance thanco add value within che global arc market. The "Asian contemporary arc"
framework might now generally be thought of as a concept codistinguish ic from che arc of the West, but in the market, where bothare created equally, ic has no great meaning.
There is one more thing chat one year ago we couldn't imagine would
become such a serious issue: rhe financial crisis stemming from che
American sub-prime loan problem. le was September, 2008, chat
Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy . The Japanese government used
the term "real economy " frequencly, but che face chat the American
recession and ones own employment , che money game and ones own
lifestyle could be so seamlessly connected was really brought home copeople. This really is globalism. It's also worth noting chat three days
after che symposium ended the terrorise attacks on India's financial
capital, Mumbai, were perpetrated.
le was within chis dynamic chat the symposium was held. I chink theinfluence of che arc world and larger social circumstances werediscernib le in every discussion. As you will understand if you read thepapers included here, the symposium began with che work ofinvestigating the connections between poscmodernism and Asian arc,and then sought co answer how che critical seance we have inherited fromthe postmodern age is functioning in the current age of globalism andwhether it retains any validity . Attempts co link arc with "Asia " orindeed any external unit necessarily emphasize membership of aparticular group. Hence they will always require deep deliberation andcaution . On che ocher hand, severing chose links may lead co everything

I Footnote, Auturm 2008

MaedaKyojil

really being consumed by globalism. And the future of globalism is
becoming less and less clear.
To the panelists and commentarors who in the face of chis situation
nimbly exchanged their thoughts in debate, we muse offer our sincere
thanks. Their rexes, provided in advance, were bound in a pamphlet anddistributed at the symposium. For handling everything from these tasks
ro the ini rial planning of the event, I would like ro express my thanks coeveryone at the Japan Foundation. As for myself, I must offer myapologies, as there was more I could have done to support Hayashi
Michio, and I also remember with some embarrassment making some
uninformed statements during the proceedings.
Finally, co conclude, I would like co mention something chat is of special
importance co me personally. The title for chis symposium comes froman expression used by the historian of Chinese arc, Toda Teisuke, who isfond of saying you should "Count 10 before you say Japanese arc." It is aremonstration against the Japanese academics who all coo hastily label as"Japanese" elements of art that are in face Chinese in origin. In the past
it was China that was the center of East Asian culture , and Japan was
merely on its periphery. Such an obvious truth was all but forgotten in
the process of modernizarion. Nevertheless, I do not believe Toda mean
co emphasize che superiority of Chinese arc. I think simply that,considering his highly refined sensibility co appreciare painting andimagination regarding what should have been in the past, Toda could
not bring himself co partake of the imprecise discourse on "Japaneseness." It was only for a shore time, but as someone who received Toda 's
teaching, I personally think "Count 10" was a kind of admonition and at
the same time a reminder co approach arc with deli cacy and delight.

200 I 201

Count10 BeforeYouSayAsia I AsianArtafterPostmodernism
II Count10 BeforeYouSayAsia

Asian Art after Postmodernism

Session1

The Formation, Reception, and Transformation ·of Asian Art
in the Context of Postmodernism
This opening session tries to reinvestigate the discursive (re-) formationand transformation of the concept of "Asian art" in the context of
postmodernism in various regions. The regional characteristics of theconcept will not be treated as separate instances but be examined ·from
the viewpoint of mutual determinations and their interactions with
non-Asian worlds.

Opening Remarks for Session 1 I Hayashi Michio [Moderator ]Presentation 1 I Kajiya Kenji

Asian Contemporary Art in Japan and the Ghost of Modernity
Presentation 2 I Patrick D. Flores

The
Curatorial Tum in Southeast Asia and the Afterlife of the Modern
Presentation 3

I Fan Di'an

Chinese Contemporary Art: In Between the Global and the Local
Comm ent I Kuroda Raiji

Discussion (O&A)

202 I 203

I Session 1

OpeningRemarksfor Session 1
HayashiMichio
Professor,Facultyof liberal Arts, Sophia University

Hello, everyone. Thank you for coming co the symposium today. As
mentioned in the program, this symposium consists of three sessions thatwill take place over two days. Today, we will start with Session 1. Before
we start, I would like to explain the overall objective and the agenda.

Since the 1980s, "multicultural"perspectives have proliferated in thecontemporary art world. As a result, non-Western contemporary art has
gained recognition in the so-called art world, and has consequently
acquired an important and defining role. The aim of this symposium is toHayashi Michio

pause for a moment and examine the process that led to this shift (in therelationship between the West and the non-West) and the influenceon the production and representation-representation,that was exertedwith the double

meaning of "presenting images" and "presenting positions"-oftheartists from and /or in Asian region. By doing so, we should be able toextract concrete issues that need to be considered at this current moment.

In dealing with the current issues, we must rake a look at the"postmodern" and "postcolonial" discourses that have worked as catalyst
in developing and extending the multicultural perspective, on the one
hand, and analyze how the concept and the role of "Asia" has been shaped
through the intricate discourse development, on the other. Subsequently,
we would need to use this opportunity

toaddress a range of questions: Is

it productive to persist on the concept of "Asia"? Will "Asia" continue coexist as an imperative for genealogical reasoning? Is "Asia" an outdated
concept ready for liquidation? Or is it something we should hold on to,

I Session1 I The Fonnation,Reception, and Transformationof AsianArt in the Contextof Postmodernism

HayashiMlchioI

for its metaphorical implication?

The ride "Countl0 Before You Say Asia" cautions us nor to readily andeffortlessly discuss "Asia." It warns us that, should we discuss the concept ,we should pause before the word is articulated, and prolong the pause foras long as possible, so that we can rake a closer look at the convoluted
issues at hand. A series of archaeological exploration on the discourse ofAsia, what it is and how it has been formed, have already taken place. For
example, Sakai Naoki has presented a careful analysis on the ideas relatedto "Asia" during the "Asia in Transition: Representation and Identity"
symposium that was organized by the Japan Foundation in 2002. I havealso considered this issue in the essay entitled ''L'Asie n'est pas une (Asia is
nor One)" for the catalogue of the "Cubisme:

I' autre rive-Resonances

enAsie (Cubism: On the Ocher Side of the River- Resonance in Asia) " exhibition, alsoorganized by the Japan Foundation and held in Paris in 2007. In
summary, "Asia" is a concept that was created by Europe, but was laterinternalized by those in Asia as a concept that counters the West , as well
as a process that builds a self-defined idea of Asia within a diverse rangeof co-existing cultures. The process in itself has been complex, due to thehistory of Japan and its colonization of Asian countries. So I hope you
could refer to past reports and archives for these discussions that havealready taken place. What I would like to encourage for the two days,
today and tomorrow, is to engage ourselves in an intense discussion on
specific issues regarding the development of the discourse, creation of

204 I 20s

Count10 BeforeYouSayAsia I AsianArtafterPostmodernismI

space, and transformation of system that supports networking of
information and people , in the last 20 years in the field of so-called
contemporary art. Consequently, we would need co reflect on a broader
context and trace back the hiscory of modernity. But, nevertheless, wewill keep our focus on the events that occurred in the last 20 years as theframework this time.
As we only have two days and three sessions, there is a limit to how muchground we could cover , bur if we do not reach a conclusion , we hope to atleast open some doors to probe the issues in the uncharted area, which weneed co tackle at the moment, sometimes tracing back to the recent past.

The three sessions are designed so that we first deal with the issue of
discourse in Session 1. To be specific, we will examine how the concepts
and theories of "Asian art ," "postmodernism, " and "postcolonialism "have operated in the context of contemporary art discourse. In Session 2,
we will follow this up by case studies of specific artists. This will enable
us to depart from discussing the issue at a theoretical level , and see how
the discourse worked on individual artists as they developed their career.
I see the agenda for Session 3 is essentially about the media of Asian art.
By media, I do not mean computer technology and new media, but
media that come in more basic forms, such as drawing, decoration, andfashion. I would like to seek what potentials these "mundane " media
have and what kind of issues these media present to us. We will taketime for questions and answers in each session, so I hope those of you in

I Session1 I The Formation,Reception,and Transformationof AsianArt in the Context of Postmodernism

HayashiMichio Irhe audience will also rake an active pare in our discussion.

Now, I would like co open the first session. In chis session, we will invite
Professor Kajiya Kenji, Professor Patrick D. Flores, and Mr. Fan Di 'an forpresentation, and then Mr. Kuroda Raiji for his comment on theirpresentations.
The first presentation will be made by Professor Kajiya, who is an arr
hisrorian, currently reaching at the Hiroshima City University. He will
sec the scope and framework for our discussion by mapping our how rhe
concept of Asia has been used in the discourse of com em porary arr inJapan. Ir will involve a degree of self-evaluation, as he will survey events
such as the international symposia organized by rhe Japan Foundation,
among ochers. The second presenrarion will be by Professor Flores, whoreaches at the University of the Philippines and is an arr critic and curaror
based in Manila, actively engaged with the events in the Asian region. He
will investigate how rhe idea of postmodern has operated in Asia,
particularly in Southeast Asia. The third presentation will be by Mr. Fan
Di'an, rhe direcror of the National Arr Museum of China who has been
involved in the curarion of many international exhibitions. He will
discuss how rhe "posrcolonial " perspective has deflected the reception ofChinese contemporary arr . Finally, we will have Mr. Kuroda, rhe chief
curaror of Fukuoka Asian Arr Museum, comment on these threepresentations.

20G I 201

Count10 BeforeYouSayAsia [ AsianArtafterPostmodernism
II Session 1 I Presentati on 1

AsianContemporaryArt in Japanand the Ghostof Modernity
KajiyaKenji
Associate Professo r, Facu lty of Art, Hiroshima City University

Rather than entering a period of post-modernity,

we are moving into

one in which the consequences of modernity are becoming moreradicalised and universalised than before.
Anthony Giddens, The Consequencesof Modernity [,01]Introduction

In this symposium, which has "Asian Art after Postmodernism"

as itssubtitle, I will explore the ways in which discourses on Asian

Kajiya Kenjicontemporary art have changed in Japan since the 1980s, the decadethat has been regarded as a period of postmodernism.
period into four-the

Dividing the time

1980s, the first half of the 1990s, the second halfof the 1990s and the first decade of the 21st century-I

will examine

the formation of the dominant discourses through an analysis ofjournalism, criticism, exhibitions and symposia. After investigating
how the discourses have been transformed after the age of
postmodernism,

I will also consider whether we can say we have now

entered into the age "after postmodernism."

Using British sociologist

Anthony Giddens' discussion of modernity, I will consider how thetransformation of the discourses should be characterized in terms ofreflexive modernity.

01

I Anthony Giddens, The

Consequencesof Modernity(Stanford:
Stanford University Press, 1990), 3.
02

I This paper, which focuses on

1 I The 1980s

the movement after 1980s, will not

The introducrion of Asian contemporary art in Japan began in earnest in

discuss the introduction of Asian

1980 with the exhibition "Contemporary Asian Show," which was held
as the second part of the "Asian Artists Exhibition" at the Fukuoka Art
Museum. [, o, ] The first part, called "Modern Asian Art: India, China &Japan, " had been held the year before, as the museum's inauguralcontemporary arc before then. Just

as a note, there was a time in the
1970s when Nakahara Yusuke andTokyo Gallery had enthusiasticallyintroduced Korean monochrome
paintings. I am indebted toProfessor Hayashi Michio for

exhibition. The 1980 exhibition included work by almost 500 artists

I Session1 I The Formation,Reception,and Transformationof Asian Art in the Context of Postmodernism

reminding me of this fact.

Presentation 1 I KajiyaKenji I

03 I Umesao Tadao is a notable
example of che scholars who see
Asia in chis way. See Umesao Tadao ,Bunm
ei noJeitaiJhikan[EcologicalView of Civilizarion ] (Tokyo: Chuo
Koron-sha, 1967) and Takeu chi
Yoshimi, "Nihonjin no Ajia kan

from 13 Asian countries, and it was followed by a series of exhibitions on
Asian contemporary art at the museum. The 2nd Asian Art Show,
Fukuoka (as ics name was changed co) was held in 1985 and the 3rd Asian Art
Show, Fukuoka in 1989. With these exhibitions, the museum all bur
single-handedly shouldered the responsibility of introducing Asian(Japanese's View of Asia] ," Nihonto

ajia[.Japanand Asia] (Tokyo: Chikuma
shobo, 1993), 92 - ll l. Thi s view ofAsia still exisrs up ro now. An arriclein Asahi Shimbunin 1999 mentions
an Indonesian "who was surprised coknow rhat in Japan Asia does nor
include Japan when he first went coTokyo." Isa Kyoko, "Seio bijutsu cono
hikaku koe (ajia ryu) [Asian Way:
Beyond Comparison with Weste rnArt],"AsahiShimbun,March 2, 1999,8 .
04 I For the histo rical co ntext of

FukuokaArc Museum's launchingof Asian Arc Show, see Kishi Sayaka,"Bijursukan ga 'Ajia ' ni deau co ki:
Fukuoka Ajia bijucsukan no seiricsu
to cenkai [Whena Mu seum Meets'Asia': The Scare and Developm ent
of Fukuoka Asian Arc Muse um ],"Hirano Kenichiro, ed ., Sengonihon

nokokuJaibunk.akoryu[lnt ernarional
Cultural Exchange in Postw ar

Japan] (Tokyo: Keiso Shobo, 2005 ),

240- 278.

contemporary art in Japan for the duration of the decade.
The thing one notices first about the first and second parts of theoriginal Asian Artists Exhibition is their reference ro the concept of"Asian arr. " While this term is common in English, for example, at thetime it was rarely used in Japanese, and even roday it is not really in thecommon parlance. In Japan, the art of the Asian region has been
symbolized almost exclusively by the art of premodern China under theterm "Eastern art." I cannot help bur sense a deliberateacknowledgement of a certain reality in the organizers' choice of theterm "Asian," which has connotations of politics and economics, over"Eastern," which connotes more traditional forms of culture.
The next thing worthy of note is that Japan is included in thisconception of "Asia." As is often pointed our, the term "Asia " is often
used in Japan to refer to all other Asian countries except Japan. [-01] By
including Japanese artists in the "Contemporary Asian Show, " theorganizers were clearly declaring their belief that Japan is a part ofAsia. [ 04 ]0

05 I Aoki Shigeru,"Acknowledge ment ," AJian Art

Exhibition
Rtrtll "Festival:Contemporary
Nian Art Show"(Fukuoka : Fuku oka
Art Museum , 1980), 7.

o6 I Yasunaga Koic hi , "Ajia
bijutsucen dainibu Ajia gendai
bijucsucen [Asian Art Exhibition Part

II "Festival: Contemporary Asian Arc
Show, 1980"], " San;ai 400 (Januar y1981):37.You can find a similar
discussion in the exhibition reviews
such as "Ajia jusankakoku no gen dai

When you look at this context it is possible to ascertain that the "Asianart " that was the subject of the "Asian Artists Exhibition " wascentripetal in nature, in other words it sought to locate similarities
rather than differences. For example, in the catalogue for the 1980
exhibition, the chairman of the Part ll Subcommittee within the Asian
Artists Exhibition Committee, Aoki Shigeru, emphasizes a "common
consciousness as Asians" and discusses the need to deepen relations not
only in economics but also in arts and culrure. [ 05] This is consistent0bijucsu no doko [Trends inwith the views of then-chief-curator at the Fukuoka Art Museum,Contemporary Arc in Thirt een AsianYasunaga Koichi, who described the theme of the exhibition as theCountries] ,"AJahijournal,December

S,1980,79; and Miwa Fukumac su ,"'Ajia ge ndai bijucsuten' to iu
tenrankai [Arc Exhibitions Called"AsianContemporary Arc
Exhibition"] ," Kokoro34, no . 2(Febrnacy 1981): 2- 4 .

"common consciousness always hidden in the hearts of each country ofAsia." [006]In the catalogue of the 1985 exhibition Soejima Mikio, who at the time
was the museum 's deputy-director,

contributed a text titled "Cultural

Identities in Asian Art. " Soejima writes that he came to understand in

2os I 209

Count10 BeforeYouSayAsia

I AsianArt afterPostmodernismI

the 1980 exhibition chat "[Asian contemporary arc] poses a chaotic
pi cture " and goes on co emphasi ze the importance of clarifying theuniqueness of Asian arc. He says: "[O]n the pare of Asian arc, projects
should be launched for discovery of [the] genuin e essence of Asian arc by

07 I Soejima Mikio , "Cultural
Ide ntit ies in Asia n Art ," 2nd A1ian

Art Show, Fukuoka (Fuku oka:
Fukuoka Art M useu m , 1985), 9 - 10.

means of close examination of national, historical , [and] regional
identities embodied in Asian arc through elimination of mi scellaneous

08 I Soe jim a Mikio, "In Pursuit of
A Genuin ely Asian World," 3rdA sian A rt Show, Fukuoka (Fukuoka:

impurities and inconsequential factors. " [-07]In the catalogue of the third exhibition held in 1989 , Soejima, who by

Fukuoka Art Museum, 1989), 27-

32. Th e di scursive effec ts of thethen had become dir ector of the museum , has contributed another text ,exhibiti on are no t limit ed co thetitled "In Pursuit of a G enuin ely Asian World" in which he outlines acatalog ue, Kurod a Raiji, a curaror ofsimilar position. "On e may ask if th ere is nothing common in the finearcs of div erse Asian countries ," writes Soejima, before suggesting ther etext by its d i rec tor . In the samechis ex hibiti on , writ es char "evensymbolicness in the broader sense of
the term is lacking" in Japaneseis "one common chara cteristi c" discernible in th e two previous Asian Arc

co nt em po rary art, w hereas

Shows. " Soejima arg ues char " [works] in which forms cell some(exce pt Japan) has "abun dant Asian

meaningful contents co th e viewer , in ocher words works pregnant with'symbolic visions '" are now common, and char the "Asian mental

co nt em po rary art in A sian count ries

sy m bols," fi ndin g th e big di fference
bet w ee n J apan and ocher Asianco untri es. Kurod a see ms to deny "onestru cture " can be discerned in such works ' combination of symbolism
with everyday life . [ 08]co mm o n characte risti c" that Soejima
di sce rns, alth oug h he adm its
J apanese arti sts participa tin g in this0

In their attempts co show the commonalities and uniqueness of Asianarr , the organizers at the same rime were conscious char Western arr

ex hib iti o n are inv olved to symbols
indi rec tl y by fin d ing excess ive
se nsati ons th at are caused by cheabse nce of sy mbol s. See Kuroda

forms were dominatin g the world. Before long chis consciousness would

Raiji, "Symbo ls Transgress ing chechan ge so char Asian uniquen ess would be defined as being different co

Bord er," 3 rd AJian Ari Show,West ern movements. In other word s, th e question posed in 1985 as co

am b ivalent effec t of th e 3rd Asianwhether "ethni c parti cularities can surviv e in a cont emporary arc char is
becoming international and homo g enous " [ 09 ] would four years lacer
0

Arc Show, Fukuoka, see Yamaguchi
Yozo, "Ajia no ge nd ai bijucsu co'bi jucsuk an'-' Aji a bi jucsuten' ni
m iru ajia no ge ndai biju tsu [Asian

become the assertion of an "Asian mental structur e" char is"fundamentally different from the rational Western mentality."

Fukuoka, 27 0 ~276. Forthe

Co nt em po rary Art and 'A rt[. w J

Lacer, as Sakai Naoki argues char Asia identified itself through the

Mu seum s': Asia n Conte mpo rary Arr
in t he 'Asia n Art Exhi bitio n'] ,'' De

Arte;j ournal of the KyuJhuA rt Society

process of co-figuration, char is, in relation co the West , Asian arc also

13 (1997): 86 - 107.

cam e co identify itself through the pro cess of co-figuration with the

09 I Soe jim a, "Cultu ral Ide nt ities inWest. [ 11]Asian A rc," 9.

010

I Soe jima , "In Pur suit of A

Genuin ely Asia n World ," 28 .

2 I The First Half of the 1990s

The 1980s approa ch of seeking our a unique Asian-ness was directed at

II

I Sakai Na oki , "Asia: Co-

fig urativ e Identifi cati on ,"InternationalSympoJium2002 "AJiaemphasizing its differences with the arc of the West. As it becamein Tramition: Repre.rentation
andrecognized char Asian arc was fundamentally different co char of the

Identity" Report (Tok yo: Th e JapanFound ati on Asia Ce nt er, 20 03),

West, the approa ch became char of comparing the value of each. This can

I Session1 I The Formation,Reception,and Transformation of AsianArt in the Contextof Post modernism

222-23 1.

Presentation 1 I KajiyaKenjiu I "Dai sankai Ajia bi jutsuten: Jmi
ninai, katari kakeru sakuh ingun[3rd Asian Arr Show, Fukuoka:
Works Bearing Meanings andSpeaking To You ] ," Yomiuri

Shimhun,Tokyo Evening Edition,

be seen clearly in criticism of the third exhibition (h eld in Yokohama). The
reviewer criti cizes Asian artworks, saying "people familiar with the
major artistic tendency of this century, formalism, will find it hard to
avoid the conclusion that this exhibi tion represents a major step

Ilmmbe , 7, 1989, 9.

backwards for 'contemporary art'." [, 12] In other words, as the differences

13 I Nakamura Hid eki, "The Self-

with Western art were brought to the foreground, the estimations of theAwareness of Hu man Beings in
Flux," New Art from SoutheaJtAJia

1992(Tokyo: The J apan
Foundation, 1992), 14.

14 I Tani Arata, "Toward an Asian

Schoolof Contemporary Art," New
Artfrom SoutheaitAJia 1992, 99.

15 I In the U nit ed Scares, twocontrasting exhibition s on Japanese
art cook place. One was "Aga inst
Nature," which coured seve n cit ies
in America from 1989 co 1991;thisexamined the works of Japaneseartists working within the Westerncontext. The ocher was "A Primal
Spirit," which roured from 1990 co

1991;the selected works remained
within the old Orientalist tradition.

Asian art fell among critics who were applying Western value
judgments.
However, come the 1990s and the value system changed. This shift isclearly evident in the 1992 exhibition "New Art from Southeast Asia
1992," which was made by The Japan Foundation 's ASEAN Culture
Center that had been established two years before. In the exhibition
cata logue Nakamura Hideki asserts that the "essence [of Asian art] lies innever creating fixed entities" and that this "can provide an important key
for transcending modern European art."[,13] Tani Arata,

who refers ro

Western modernism as just one value system among many and points
out the failings of that system, examined each work in derail and came tothe conclusion that the mythological expression found in Sourheast
Asian art attracted attention because of the concurrent "end ofModernism and the advent of Post-Modernism ." [,14] Furthermore, thisexhibition, which toured four venues around the country starting with
Tokyo , sparked the "Asian contemporary art boom " that occupied the
media in the mid-1990s.
While this shift was happening in Japan, one can also point out that
there was a growing awareness of non-Western art in the West. Of
course, such waves of interest had been repeated several times overhisrory , but it is also a fact that one large one occurred at this time .
'"Primitivism'in 20th Century Art, " which was held from 1984 ro 1985

at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, had retained a Westerncentric approach on non-Western arr, but the Pompidou Centre 's"Magiciens de la terre," held in 1989, was lauded as the first attempt ro
treat non-Western culture equally with Western contemporary art. [•15]We must remember that Japan 's newfound interest in Asian art involved
different factors to the concurrent shift that was occurring in the West .
The Japan Foundation estab lished the ASEAN Culture Center in 1990
and began in earnest the introduction of the culture of ASEAN countries
in Japan with an eye to deepening mutual understanding. The exhibition

210 I 211

Count10 BeforeYouSayAsia I AsianArtafterPostmodernismI

I mentioned above, "New Art from Southeast Asia 1992" in 1992, was
one result of those efforts and, through its program of exhibitions andsymposia, the Center rook on a role alongside the Fukuoka Art Museum
as a central conduit for the introduction of Asian contemporary art.
As can be gleaned from the fact that it was the ASEAN Culture Center
that was established, the focus of the Japan Foundation's efforts in thefirst half of the 1990s was very much on the contemporary art ofSoutheast Asia. After 1995 the Center became the Asia Center, and fromthen on China and Indian contemporary art were also introduced.
Southeast Asian art was introduced at this time in Tokyo, which marks asharp contrast with the situation in Fukuoka, where Fukuoka Art
Museum covers contemporary art not only from Southeast Asia but also
from South Asia.
Let's return ro the problem of the shift in values. In the first half of the
1990s, when Western modern values wavered before latching on ro Asianart, there was one art form that was given particular attention in Japan:
installation arr. Installation first became known through the work in thelate-1950s and early-1960s of Alan Kaprow, Claes Oldenburg and Jim
Dine, bur it was nor until the second half of the 1970s char it came to be
used as a term meaning a particular form. Ir might seem hard to believe
now, bur it was in Japan in the mid-1990s that the discourse of
installation arr being the appropriate descriptor for Asian art was born.
A 1994 newspaper article reports:

Installation has now become the predominant style of art in theWest, but, because it is a relatively new form, in Asian examples one
feels it has been able to shed the heavy chains of the West. By heavy
chains of the West I mean the overwhelming tradition of Westernmodernist painting and sculpture that has progressed along the roadsof autonomy and purity [··· ] In other words, with the exception of
ethnically specific art, painting and sculpture are originally Westerndevelopments, and Asian art has tried to establish itself in alternativemodes. [,16]16 I Sugawara Norio, "Ajia gendai
bijucsu: kaiga chokoku no waku
koe, seiyo ni nai dokujisei [AsianContemporary Arr: Uniqueness ,Differentiating painting and sculpture from installation, the article saysthat the former are Western and modern and char the latter correspondswith Asian contemporary arr, thus allowing it the potential for dynamic

I Session1 I The Formation, Reception, and Transformationof AsianArt in the Contextof Post modernism

Which Cannot be Found in rhe
West , Beyond che Realm ofPainting and Sculpture], " Y(Jmiuri

Shimbun, Tokyo Evening Edition ,Ocrober 18, 1994, 10.

Presentation 1 I KajiyaKenji I

17 I Obiga ne Akio, "Creativ ity in
Asian Arc Now," Cre.ativityin AJian

Art Now I (Hi roshim a: Hiro shima
City Museum of Contempo rary Arc,

1994), 18.
18I Yamamori Eiji, "Insutareshon :jiyu na hyogen, nihon ga tokui[Installations: Free Expressions That
Japan Presents with A Pride] ,"A1ahiShimbun,Evening Edition,
November 6, 1999, II.
19 I Tatehata Akita, "A Trap in
Mulciculmrali sm," Sympo1ium:"AsianContemporaryArt
Rtconsidered"
Report(To kyo : The
Japan Foundation Asia Cente r,1997), 171- 172.
20

I Soejima Mikio and Tani Arata,"Ajia no gendai bijutsu: shink yu
konzai, hi seioteki na nanika ga:bijutsukan renraku kyogikaizadankai [Asian Co ntemporary Arc:
Non•Western Somet hing Mixedwith Old and New: Dialogue ac Art

development.
This text was written in response to "Creativity in Asian Arr Now, " heldat the Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art in 1994. That
exhibition was divided into three sections: the first on folk art, thesecond on contemporary painting and sculpture, and the third on
installation. While the exhibition curator says these were not mean tocorrespond to the premodern, modern and postmodern periods , thearticle quoted above shows it was not difficult to interpret them in thatway. [,17] What's worth noting here is that Asian art is associated withinstallation art, which is presented as coming after painting andsculpture-bothof which are embodiments of Western modernity. Thus

a new discourse, whereby Asian art is presented as more progressive thanWestern art, is born. Later on, this idea was developed so far that it was"hoped" by some that installation was a form that would allow"expression with which Japanese and Asian artists could compete with
Western modern art." [, 18) With installation, a form of expression
unfettered by the traditions of Western painting or sculpture would be

Museum Association ] ," Yomiuri

Shimbun,Tokyo Evening Edition,
April 18, 1994, 16 .

possible: of course this optimistic appraisal would later be criticized, butnevertheless Asian contemporary art-and

not just installation-

continued to be praised for rescuing modernism from the blind alley
down which it had wandered. [,19)However, we should remember that such praise was not aimed
exclusively at the reappraisal of Asia. Japan 's role as leader in Asia wasoften emphasized in such discourse. In a dialogue recorded in April
1994 , Tani Arata recognized that in Japan 's work with Asian art was anelement of cultural imperialism and predicted that "a strong backlash
will come from Asia, " while at the same time he says that Japan "could
stand in the extremely unique position, the position of directing traffic ."In response Soejima Mikio says "historically that is a role that only Japan
could play. " [,z o)
The backlash predicted here became real just six months later at a
symposium held the same year called "Contemporary Art Symposium
1994: The Potential of Asian Thought. "Organized by the Japan Foundation ASEAN Culture Center , thesymposium was held in order to "examine the meaning and current
status of modernity in Asian art and explore Asia 's potential incontemporary art." The first large-scale opportunity for art specialists

212 I 213

Count10 BeforeYouSayAsia

I AsianArtafterPostmodemism I

from each of the countries co share opinions in an open forum, thesymposium brought together 15 arc critics and artists from China,
Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand.
The Thai critic Apinan Poshyananda made a presentation cicled "Asian
Arc in the Poschegemonic World," in which he criticized the concept ofan "Asian Spirit." [, 21) "Asian Spirit" was the term used as the translationof Ajia shichoin the symposium's cicle before it was officially changed co"Asian Thought." Apinan said chat "Asian Spirit" cook Asia as a unified
whole and g lossed over various social realities and regional activities. In
addition, it was liable co give rise co a cultural imperialism by Japan.
Apinan voiced discomfort at even participating in the symposium andraised the problem of cultural diversity as distinguished from culturaldifference by Homi K. Bhabha. In ocher words, he was asking whether
he had not simply been invited in a type of tokenism-as

an "ocher" cocreate the necessary diversity co achieve multiculturalism.

Further, hesuggested chat "Asian Thought" was a mere cool co prop up chatdiversity. [, zz) Judging from the report published afterwards, it seems
unlikely chat Apinan's questioning, which pre-empted the problems of
multiculturalism

chat came co light in the second half of the 1990s, wasgiven the attention it deserved from his fellow panelists and otherobservers.
During the symposium, reports were also made on the circumstances ofcontemporary arc in each country and a lively and meaningful exchangeof ideas rook place. The greatest significance of the event was in theclarification of several issues regarding common discourses through theface-co-face exchange of id eas. Ac the same time as most of the discourses
on Asian arc established in Japan during the 1980s and first half of the
1990s(the centripetal concept of Asian-ness; Asian contemporary arc as the successor ofWestern modernist art) were made invalid,

the problems chat came co be

associated with the discourse established in the second half of the 1990s(mulcicu lcuralism)

were identified in a performacive sense.

Meanwhile, from the early co the mid-1990s, there was a parallel
movement co look closely at the work of Asian artists, as opposed cogetting caught up in the West-Asia dichotomy. Ushiroshoji Masahiro's

21

ContemporaryArt Symposium1994:
The Potential of Asian Thought[paper in English ] (Tokyo: The
Japan Foundation ASEAN Culture

Center, 1994), 112- 123.
22

contribution co the cata logue of the 1992 exhibition, "New Arc fromSoutheast Asia 1992," an essay titled "The Labyrinthine Search for Self-

I Apinan Poshyananda , "Asian

Arc in rhe Posthegemonic World,~

I ContemporaryArt Symposium

1994: The Potential of Asian Thought

Report[report in Japanese ] (Tokyo:
The Japan Foundation ASEAN

Identicy: The Arc of Southeast Asia from the 1980s co the 1990s," cou ld

I Session1 I The Formation,Reception,and Transformationof AsianArt in the Contextof Postmodernism

Culture Cemer, 1995), 110- 113.

Presentation 1 I KajiyaKenji I

23 I Us hiroshoji Masahiro "TheLabyrinthin e Search for Selfldencity-T he A rt of Southeast Asia
from the 1980s to the 1990s," Newbe called the first in chat movement. [•>Jl Ushiroshoji skillfully
appropriated the term "search for self-identity ," which became an oftenused keyword from the mid-1990s on. He examined, in particular, theArtfromSoutheastAsia 1992, 21~24.
24 I Ushiroshoji Masahiro "Realism
as an Attitude: Asian Arc in the
Nineties," 4th Asian Art Show,

Fukuoka"Realismas an Attitude "(Fukuoka: Fukuoka Art Museum,1994),33- 38.

work of Southeast Asian artists who he said became "aware of theirisolation from what they ought robe ." Ushiroshoji identifies a tendency
among artis ts ro express through installation and performance the new
subject matter of a changing society, by using things found in their own
lives. This , he said, demonstrates "the desire of the artists ro engage inthe society in which they live and in the real world surrounding chem. "The "search for self-identity" chat Ushiroshoji describes is an individual
endeavor distinct from a search for national identity. This focus on theindividual found further expression in the 1994 exhibition in which
Ushiroshoji was also involved, rhe 4th Asian Arc Show, Fukuoka. The
theme of that show was "Realism as an Attitude. "The 4rh Asian Arc Show, Fukuoka was very different ro the three chatpreceded it. First, works were not exhibited by countries, but by themes.
In this way the works of each artist became easier co appraise as forms ofindividual expression, rather than as elements of national identities. The
overall theme, which was "Realism as an Attitude ," was distinguishable
from "realism as form. " It meant "the effort (by each arrisr) ro squarely facereality " and highlighted the tendency of the work ro resonate an interest
in society and an active participation in immediate realities. [•24]Ushiroshoji's realism, which resonated with the "realism " long advocatedby Hariu Ichiro, captured the unique characteristics of 1990s Asian art
and provided rhe format by which attention could thenceforth bydirected at individual works.

3 I The Second Half of the 1990s

The srrengc hs and weaknesses of multiculturalism

chat Apinan pointed

out in the 1994 symposium emerged as an important point ofcontention in the second half of the 1990s. Along with the concurrent
arrival in Japan of cultural studies, the debate over multiculturalism
chat flared between 1996 and 1997 attracted the attention of the print
media, in particular, in Japan and provided chose interested in culture
and politics both food and rools for thought.
In the context of Asian contemporary art, as I mentioned before , in1995, the Japan Foundation expanded the ASEAN Culture Center into

21• I 21s

Count10 BeforeYouSayAsia I AsianArtafterPostmodemismIthe Asia Center . By widening their ambit to include all of Asia, a morepluralistic interest in the art of the region was nurtured . The Japan

25 I The examples include "Kanryu:
Nikk an gendai bijutsuten[Circulating Currents: Japanese andFoundation was nor necessarily involved in all instances, but from thisKorea Contemporary Arr]" at Aichi

period on, more and more art from Korea , China, India and ocher non-Na goya Cicy Arc Museum in 1995;

Prefectural Museum of Arc andSoutheast Asian nations was introdu ced, contributin g to the progression"Kyujunendai no kankoku bijucsu

of a multicultural approach . [, 25]

Aspec t of Ko rean Arc in the

kara: Toshindai no monogarari [AnIn an essay titled "Art as Criti cism " that he contributed to the catalogueof the 1995 exhibition "Asian Mod ernism: Diver se Development inIndonesia, the Philippin es, and Thailand ," Tatehata Akira pointed out
the dangers of the dominant multi culturali st discourse . [,26] Tatehata
criti cized the approa ch of multiculturalism, whereby one treats foreigncultures with equal importan ce as ones own, saying chat from it swarines s of cultural exploitation it is liable to g enerate a narrow-minded
insisten ce chat foreig n cultur es must not be judged within any culturalcontext beside s their own. He was worried chat by such logic Westernmodernism would its elf only be allowed to apply to a Western context,
and accordin g ly "Asian Modernism " would become a form of culturall 990 s]" at the Natio nal Museum ofModern Arc, Tokyo and the
Na tional Mu se um o f Art, Osaka in
1996 - 97; "Fang Li jun : H uman
Images in an U nce rtain Age" at theJ apan Fo und ation Forum in 1996;"Immucabil icy and Fashion: Chinese
Contemporary Art in che Midst of
Changi ng Surroundi ngs" at the
Kirin Arc Space H arajuku and Kirin
Plaza Osaka, Mitsubishi-jisho
Artium in 1997; "Chinese
Contemporary Arc 1997"at

WATARI-U M in 1997; "'Art Now
in Japan and Korea: Between theU nknown Strait s" at MeguroMuseum of Arc, Tokyo and the

exploitation of the West by Asia. From a desire to respect the culture of

Nat ional Museum of Art, Osaka in

the Ocher, multi culturalism would turn into a discourse of suppression

Contempo rary Art from India"at theof th e imagination of the Oche r. Tacehata says chat in order to avoid
falling into chat trap of narrow-mindedness,

one should not set up"Asia " and the "West " as mutually exclu sive valu e systems. Thisapproach of opposing th e two would lead to an even gr eater warine ss

1998- 99, and "Private Mythology:
Japan Foundation Forum in 1998.
26 I Tatehata Ak ira "Art as
Criticism ," Asian Modernism:Diveru

Developmentin l ndoneJia, thePhilippine1,and Thailand (Tokyo:
The Japan Foundation Asia Center,against cultural exploitation. Whil e acknowled g ing multiculturali sm as1995), 200.

a preferable alternative

27 I Tatehata Akira, "Turning Our

toan over-arching value system, Tacehata

believe it necessary to establish equal term s of neg otiation by which
each culture can interact with ochers, rather than see each culture 'svalues proclaim ed as absolut e. Lacer, Tarehata read a paper citied"Turning Our Eyes to Individuality " at a symposium in 1999 , arguingchat exhibitions should focus more on individual artists than regions
and countries. [, 27] Tacehata hoped to escape the crap ofEyes to Ind ividuality," International

Symposium 1999 "Asian A rt: ProsPfft1
for the Future" Report (Tokyo: The
Japan Foundation Asia Center,2000), 17 1- 172. Seea lsoSuga wara

N erio, "'Indo ge ndai bijucsuten' ni
csuice," LR 12 (March 1999): 14- 17.
Tatehata Akira, "Sugawara Norio
shi no 'Indo ge ndai bijucsucen'
hihan ni kocaece [In Response comulticulturalism

by shifting the conflict between comp eting value

systems from a reg ion or country

tothe individual.

Mr. Sug wara No rio's Criticism on'Contemporary Art from India'], "LR 13 (May 1999): 6- 7.

In the same exhibition catalogue , Indone sian art criti c Jim Supangkat
di scussed the problem of kagunan, whi ch can be interpreted as whatreveals the limit of multiculturali sm. According to Supangkac, Jav aneseculture has the word called kagunan, which means fine arts. This word

I Session1 I The Formation, Reception, and Transformationof AsianArt in the Contextof Postmodernism

Presentation 1 I KajiyaKenji

28 I Jim Supangkat, "TheEmergenceof Indonesian

was coined through the contact with Western culture in the 18thModernismand its Background,"century, bur contrary to the Western concept of fine arcs, kagunan

A!ianModtrniJm:Diverse Development

carries a moralistic meaning with it. Supangkar argues char you willin frtdon
esia, the Philippines, andThailand(Tokyo: The Japanfind it difficult to understand this concept in the dichotomy of tradition

FoundationAsia Center, 1995), 205 .

and modernity or that of modernity and posrmoderniry.

Supangkar

writes, "Analysis of the development of modern art outside of thecontext of the West [···) requires a new point of view in my opinion.
Besides the conviction of pluralism, chis analysis must also differentiate
between the discussion of "Western influence" and "the emergence ofmodernism."[-28) Supangkar

understanding

here argues the importance of

Asian modernism char rook shape through contact withocher cultures nor as the consequence of "Western influence" bur rather
as a kind of hybrid culture. This Bhabhaian approach aims at Asianmodern arr nor in the Western frame of mind or in the Asian one but interms of posrcolonial hybridiry, which would be incompatible withmulticulturalism

whose basis is on the distinction between eachindigenous culture. We could say that his argument would precede anincreasing interest in hybrid culture that can be found later in
exhibitions such as "Cubism in Asia: Unbounded Dialogues " in 2005.
What is common between the discussions ofTarehata and Supangkar istheir interest in retrieving objects and their interpretations
be necessarily appreciated by multiculturalism.

that cannot

Whether the emphasis

is put on individuality or on hybridiry, the discussion of Asian arr afrer
the modern era tells us about the importance of paying attention to
specific objects without resorting to transcendent value systems. I would
argue that chis argument survived the propagation of multiculturalism
in the late 1990s and prepared the emergence of horizontal or peer-ropeer communication that became popular in the 2000s.

4 I The 2000s

As we entered the 21st century major changes occurred in public
institutions char deal with Asian contemporary arr. The Fukuoka AsianArr Museum opened in 1999, becoming the first arr museum in theworld devoted exclusively to the modern and contemporary arr of Asia.
The Asian Arr Show, Fukuoka, which had been held by Fukuoka Arr
Museum once every five years, became the Fukuoka Asian Art Triennale,organized by Fukuoka Asian Arr Museum. About the theme of the first

21s I 211

Count10 BeforeYouSayAsia

I AsianArtafterPostmodernism
ITriennale, "Communication: Channels for Hope," curator Kuroda Raiji
writes that "a courageous attempt ro actively communicate, wirhour
depending on economic and political power, or without sticking ro
ideology or fundamentalism with various kinds of 'others"' is required,arguing the significance of communication

roward difference people indifference regions without recourse roan overarching mediator. [,29] Hisargument, wittingly or unwittingly,

manifested itself in the context ofthe discussion in the late 1990s, we have seen above.
The nature of this kind of communication

is nor simply to ascertain thecharacteristics of artworks, bur also to feed back into the very selectionof artists. What differentiates this Triennale from many ocher large
international exhibitions is that it does nor adopt the "director format"
whereby a single or group of curarors are employed to select the artists.
Arr professionals in each country or region are asked ro make an initial
selection of artists, and then through a process of collaboration or
consultation between arr specialists from each country, the final
selection is made. The other interesting thing about the Triennale, thesecond installment of which was held in 2002 and the third in 2005, isthat the process by which rhe artists are chosen is completely open. One
can sense the desire in the organizers that not only large internationalshows, bur normal exhibitions too, explain as openly as possible theunavoidably vertical power structures at play in any selection of artists,
and thereby to open up a channel of communicationin the sphere ofcurarorial works.
On the other hand, another change came to the Japan Foundation Asia
Center. As the 2000s began, the Center adopted a new policy ro

Theme 'Communi cacion : Channels

for Hope',"The ]Jt FukuokaAJianArt

promote multilateral cultural exchanges and collaboration works within
the Asia region in addition to the development of understanding

29 I Kuroda Raiji, "On Exhibition

Asianarr in Japan. [•Jo]
Ir is in pursuit of this policy that the exhibition "Under Construction:
New Dimensions of Asian Art" was conceived. Having starred in 2000,
the project was a collaborative effort by nine young curators from seven
Asian countries, seeing seven "local " exhibitions held in locations

Triennale1999 (Fukuoka:Fukuoka
Asian Arc Museum, 1999), 15.
30 I Komat su Jun 'ecsu , "Ajia senta,~
Kokusai koryu kikin 30 nenshi

hensan shicsu hen [The Editorial
Office of the History of 30 Years,
The Japan Foundation ] , Kokusai
koryu kikin 30 nen no ayumi [TheHi story of 30 Years of The JapanFoundation ] (Tokyo: The JapanFoundation, 2006), 271.

throughout Asia before a final compendium show was held in Tokyo. [•Ji ]The purpose of this multi-year project is to foster mutual understanding

JI I Under Construction: New
Dimensiom of Asian Art (Tokyo:The

between Asian countries through cultural exchange and ro solve aJapan Foundation Asia Cenrer/

common problem by a collaborative effort beyond borders. Further, in2002).

I Session1 I The Formation,Reception,and Transformationof AsianArt in the Contextof Postmodernism

Tokyo Opera Ciry Arc Gallery,

Presentation 1 I KajiyaKenji32 I Alternative1:ContemporaryArt

Spamin A1ia (Tokyo: Th e JapanFoundation Asia Center, 2001) andAlternative.s:ContemporaryArt SpaminA1ia2005 (Kyoto: Tanko sha

2001 and 2004, the Japan Foundation published a guidebook to Asianarr spaces and organizations entitled Alternatives: Contemporary Art Spacesin Asia. [•32] It aimed to provide the necessary information ro get accessPublishing Co., Ltd. , 2004) .

to art and related

33 I Komatsu , "Ajia senca," 27 1.

and the publications, the Asia Center strived "to cultivate common

34 I For example , "Kira no Ajia,

values in Asia and to formulate a network beyond borders."

Dai 2 bu: Nihon eno mana zashi , S.
Bunka no chikara, manga ya
dorama, tsunag iyaku [Asia at the
Crossroads,Chapter 2: Gaze at
Japan, 5. Power of Culture, Mangaand Dorama as a Joint ] ," A1ahi

Shimbun,Morning Edition , July 30,
2005, 6.

35 I The3rd FukuokaA1ian Art
Triennale2005 (Fukuoka : Fukuoka
Asian Art Museum, 2005).
36 I Kuroda Raiji , "Fueru ajia nai
bijutsu koryu [Increas ing Exchangesof Arr in Asia ] ," NiJhinihon

Shimbun,Morning Edition,

activities in Asian countries. Through the exhibitions[•33]

People often say that common values are being cultivated by way of the
globalization of popular culture and rhe development of information
technology including the Internet. The reception of Japanese anime andmanga in Asian countries has frequently been reported in the media
since 2000. [•34] Meanwhile, there were also movements to point our thedifficulties of communication. In irs theme "Parallel Realities," the 3rd
Fukuoka Asian Arr Triennale 2005 sought to examine the complex
realiries that were in fact impeding communication.

[•35] The Fukuoka

Asian Arr Museum had conducted many exchange programs, including
artist-in-residences,

so when they starred addressing rhe difficulties ofNovember 9, 2008 , 25.

communicationand collaboration, it had a profound ring of rhe truth.

37 I "Follow me !: Chinese Art at

Although there remain common values to be cultivated, multilateralrhe Threshold of the New

cultural exchanges are getting more acrive within the Asia region since

Millennium " at Mori Art Mu seu m
in 2005; "Show Me Thai " at theMuseum of Contemporary Art ,Tokyo in 2007; "Avant-Garde
China: Twent y Years of Chinese
Contemporary Art " at the National
Art Center, Tokyo. the National
Museum of Art, O saka, and Aichi
Prefectural Muse um of Art in 2008

- 09; and "( halo! India : A New Eraof Indian Art," at Mori Art
Museum in 2008-09.

the 2000s. In addirion to the collaboration for the exhibition "Under
Consrruction," the 2000 Gwangju Biennale including many Asianartists promoted exchanges between Asian arts professionals, and in2006 three international exhibitions including Singapore Biennale,
Shanghai Biennale, and Gwangju Biennale had a joint press conferencein Tokyo. Emerging is the horizon of multilateralcommunication

without any transcendent frame of reference. On that horizon, forexample, it will not be unusual for a Japanese to think about "Korean
people 's special interest in Indian culture."[.36]

In addition, in the second half of the 2000s, large-scale country
exhibitions have made a comeback. [•J7l This is particularly true ofChinese contemporary arr, interest in which has grown with rhe
expansion of its marker. This movement is not seen only in Japan.
Today, Asian arr, especially Chinese contemporary arr, is gaining more
attention among Asian countries. Contrary to this situation, however,the Japan Foundation integrated the Asia Center into its main bodywhen it converted into a corporation in 2004 to develop rhe exchange
through art and culture beyond regions. The 2002 symposium, "Asia in

210 I 219

Count10 BeforeYouSayAsia I AsianArtafterPostmodernismI