sign for that very important event. His work seeks to connect an-

work, In Search of Faraway Places was shown in Tokyo re-cient wisdom with contemporary life and culture.

cently. We bought it for our collection. This work treats the his-

The Thai artist, Montien Boonma for the 1993 Triennial pro-tory of his own family in an attempt to better understand the his-

duced this Buddhist meditation piece, Lotus Sound, made of ce-

tory of his country and the aspirations of present day Malaysia.

ramic bells and golden lotus petals.
Malaysian Sulaiman Esa's work Garden of Mystery I reflects
an equally profound belief in Islam.
Nalini Malani from India presented drawings from her Mutant

Indonesian artist Nindityo Adipurnomo

has studied in the

Netherlands. His Introversion, consisting of 21 mirrors on which
is superimposed the carved wooden konde, or traditional Javanese hairpieces, pays homage to the I 9th-century noble woman

series, Body as Site, which encompasses events such as nuclear

Kartini, who advocated women's

tests in the Pacific and subsequent deformed babies born to Mi-

Nindityo has written, "I constantly experience a terrifying con-emancipationin Indonesia.

cronesian mothers. The cave-like setti;1g of these works, which

frontation of Western and Eastern values. But it is fascinating be-

were drawn directly onto the walls, conjured up a long tradition

cause in this confrontation, the flames of tradition, change and renewal are contained."of cave painting and Hindu mysticism in India.
Chen Yan Yin from China produced one of the most discussed
installations at the 1996 Triennial titled, Discrepancy Between

One Idea. Her work draws upon themes related to female experiences, both physical and psychological. It is a metaphor for theflow of life and love using fresh roses and a video projection.
Vasan Sitthiket from Thailand, showed Buddha Returns to
Bangkok '92 in 1993, which utilized violent imagery in an immediate reaction to the Coup of 1992. His work is an outpouring ofgrief showing the Lord Buddha in front of scenes of degradationand corruption.
Kamin Lertchaiprasert, based in Bangkok and New York, presented Problem- Wisdom in 1996 (fig. 7), a sculptural installationof 366 papier-mache objects made of recycled Thai newspapers.
The work is deeply informed by Buddhist beliefs.
Nguyen Xuan Tiep, in 1993, revealed a poetic, even sentimental return to a Vietnamese childhood of pagodas, and Buddhist
symbols in Song of the Buffalo Boys II.
Vu Dan Tan, also from Vietnam, in the I 996 Triennial createdthree dimensional sculptural pieces using recycled cigarette packages in his work, Monsters, Devils and Angels. His imagery includes mythical creatures and is deeply informed by spiritual andmetaphysical beliefs, which extend centuries beyond current
events in Vietnam.
Roberto Villanueva in his performance Ego's Grave in 1993
reflected an aspect of Asian and Pacific art that defies rationalist
interpretations. Our audience had difficulty coping with the work.
Roberto drew inspiration from ancient animist beliefs and Shamanistic rituals to quiet spirits in the Philippines. In doing so, heenlarges the focus of his art to include all communities and theirbeliefs. However, his work created quite strong feelings at thetime during the 1993 Triennial, which seems to have been an uncanny presentiment or prediction of Roberto's own death fromleukemia, a diseased which was diagnosed a few days after the
performance.
Mark Justiniani's Edukado, in 1996, presented mixed media
works from the series, White Rain. It is a sustained meditation oncolonization. This is decoration from the jeepney, the jeeps left
behind by American troops. It comments on the insensitivity ofAmerican education in the Philippines, where A was for apple,
but apples did not then grow in the tropical Philippines. The
White Rain refers to continuing first world cultural imperialism.
Wong Hoy Cheong from Malaysia in the 1996 Triennial. This

Dadang Christanto, in 1993, created a work called, For those
who are poor, suffering, oppressed, voiceless, powerless, victimsof violence, victims of injustice (fig. 8). His work expresses social
concerns. He asked our audiences to leave flowers in memory of
those who had suffered in anyway, in any country. By the end of
the exhibition, the floor was heaped with flowers and poems,
showing that visitors returned especially to leave these tributes.
But interestingly enough, these tributes and poems were not really about the situation in Indonesia. They were deeply personal
experiences' of the visitors who came. They were about Ireland,
about Bosnia, about personal family tragedies. Dadang's workand belief is that art should speak from the heart, and our audience responded from the heart. This work, which we purchased,
continues to arouse very strong emotions whenever we show it.
The Indonesian artist Heri Dono whose extraordinary images
are drawn from ancient wayang puppetry and modern television,
combines humor with biting social comment in his perforrnance
The Chair. The idealism of these young Asian artists, and theircourage and their connection to community life, had a profoundeffect on Australian audiences who saw our exhibitions.
I am showing you some of the Japanese works from the exhibition, Shigeo Toya's, Woods Ill from 1993, which was one of the
203 works subsequently purchased by the Queensland Art Gallery.
Takashi Murakami's work, whose painting Dr. Desai showed,
was purchased for the Queensland Art Gallery collection. This isa large balloon, The hellish madness of the game has come to anend, leaving you hanging. It is based on a Japanese computergame. I think I' II perhaps le,we the artist to talk about his own
work.
Dr. Desai also showed Yukinori Yanagi's Pacific Ant Farm
(fig. 9), and I think her slide was in fact the one at the Asia-Pacific
Triennial. On the other screen is Yasumasa Morimura's Blindedby the £ight based on the I 6th-century Breughel painting. Yanagi 's Pacific Ant Farm from 1996, reflecting the complex ideas
about global society and dissolving borders , an inevitable historical change, served as an important symbol of the 1996 Triennial.
I would like to conclude my paper by making a few comments
in response to the organizers suggestions for our conference. At
the 1996 Asia-Pacific Triennial conference in Brisbane, David
Elliott posed the significant question, "Who defines modernism,
post-modernism, or post-colonial?" At an important conference145held in Australia in the early 90s, Dr. John Clark, who is also
speaking at this conference, posed some very important questions
for Australia about modernism and post-modernism in an Asian
context. At the 1993 Triennial Conference, speakers had stressed
the need to canvas new ideas which crossed national boundaries.
Geeta Kapur from India talked about the necessity, nonetheless ,of context. We have to keep coming back to the issue of context.
Marian Pastor Roces from the Philippines outlined her unease at
the possibility of forcing another mega narrative, and advocated
new intellectual tools be developed for the discourse, and that I
think is also going to be a critical issue .
We had hoped at our 1996 conference that some of these newtools would start to emerge. As Ms. Furuichi mentioned in her
opening comments, it's a much more complex and more time
consuming _task than one thinks when one begins. And I believe it
may take many years before these new tools, this new vocabulary, this new discourse emerges.
Apinan Poshyananda from Thailand pointed out the significance of cultural syncretism in Asia. Speakers emphasized issues
such as overlapping territories, displacements, the need to expose
difference , marginality and even tensions, rather than to impose
sameness. And at the second conference in 1996 attended by 600
people, the largest art conference ever held in Australia, speakers
again stressed the need for continued appreciation of complexityand diversity.
There are five points that I would make in conclusion.
One, understanding contemporary Asian art needs thorough research and scholarship, including a knowledge of the modern andpre-modern art of the cultures involved, and a long-term commitment. We have only just started this process in Australia. I hope
we can see more collaborations between institutions worldwide ,involved in studying and researching, as well as collecting, contemporary Asian art.
Two , our objectives should be artistic and scholarly, not political. Artists do have an important role in the complex cultural interactions of our world . This is not to give artists a political role,
but to understand that art is fundamental to societies.
Three, a realistic assessment of practical difficulties must take
into account, but not ruled by, current problems, such as between
China and Taiwan. Nevertheless, political realities have to be negotiated by curators and museums.
Four, we need to be open to history as well as open to the future, to be inclusive rather than exclusive, to be willing to override national boundaries and other dividing lines as well as media
divisions and hierarchies in art, and we need to recognize traditional and indigenous art. Certainly, the Pacific art in our exhibition has forced us to keep confronting the issue of traditional andindigenous art in a contemporary context.
Five, and lastly , the key to the Asia-Pacific Triennial exhibitions, and to future projects in contemporary Asian , or AsiaPacific art in my own view, is an appreciation of context, complexity and diversity, and a commitment to genuine partnerships
between curators based on mutual respect. To make artistic exchanges enriching, we need, as Edward Said wrote in anothercontext, "to understand what we have in common, and respect

what is different."
MC (A. Poshyananda): You have indicated that Asia-Pacific
Triennial involves in depth planning as well as enormous funding

and staff. Over the years the Queensland Art Gallery has beencollecting some of the best contemporary Asian artworks. I had
the chance to visit your storage many times. Now could you explain the process of collection and purchase, and how has the acquisition affected artists in terms of fame and price, at home andabroad?
C. Turner: Well, in terms of collection and purchase, we makea decision at the gallery. Our curators and our director make a decision to purchase certain works from the Triennial. We do havean acquisition policy , of course. Our acquisition policy in contemporary Asian art is somewhat fluid. I think that it is an evolving acquisitions policy. We have purchased a variety of works
from every country that has been represented so far in the Triennial. It is not possible for us to purchase everything. I hope that
we will soon be able to announce a major financial contribution
from private donors that will allow us to greatly expand our collection. I also hope to be able to announce, as you mentioned thestore room, that we will be having an extension to the gallery
which will allow us to display our works more fully, and to havea gallery of contemporary Asian art.
In terms of how the art affects artists, I have not noticed any
major change in the prices. Obviously artists in different countries command different prices, so artists in Japan command very
high prices. But interestingly , many artists in Southeast Asia, particularly the tiger economies, are also commanding very highprices . It is not to be assumed, and I am sure Mr. Ushiroshoji will
also comment on this, that buying Southeast Asian art is a cheap
exercise. We go through the same process that we go through forany purchase. We have to prove that the price is reasonable, andthat the artist has achieved those prices previously. It is a toughcompetition.

Question (V.N. Desai) : Do you find art has created some senseof tensions among artists when they are there for the Triennial?
Do they know that their work is going to be bought then, or is it,
in fact, much later?
C . Turner: It is later. So I don ' t know how it affects them. But
this, I suppose, is normal for any museum. We can't buy everything. Many of the works are installations created on the spot,
and it is actually impossible to purchase some of them. I am surethat there are some artists who are deeply offended that we havenot purchased their work. But sometimes the work that is in the
Triennial is not what we consider the most suitable work for ourcollection, and we have bought that artist separately, either previously, or after the Triennial. So it's not the only chance that artists have to have their work purchased for our collection.
I might say something about our funding, since Dr. Desai wasso honest about her funding and its difficulties. I said that most of
the funding for this exhibition has come from the Queensland and

146

...

Australian governments.

We have also found some difficultywith private sponsors, although there have been some major do'ic

sarily denigrates an artist if that particular work is not purchased.
Obviously there may be disappointment.

nations and particularly the collection seems to be attracting the

I take your point about the fact that artists work sometimes

potential for very major donations. But nevertheless, this is not angoes up in value after major international exposure. I can only

easy exhibition and, in many senses, I have been very surprised

say that I think the process that we try to develop , where we use

and pleased that government

have

different Australian curators and different curators from each of
the countries for each of the Triennials, tries to have different

sources and foundations

X-agreed to support this exhibition, because much of the art is veryC-radical. 1 think that reflects a genuine desire for a learning experi-

perspectives introduced. For example, there is usually one Aus-

1d

ence to not just accept what is easy on the surface, but to look be-

tralian curator and one curator from each country. Those two

low the surface. Genuine engagement must be an understanding

people would choose the art from that country. For the next Tri-

which is based on complexity and difficulty, and sometimes quiteennial, it would be a different Australian curator and a different

radical ideas. I do agree that the issue of funding these exhibi-

curator from that country. We really have tried to bring different

tions is quite a complex one for museums, and we have accepted

perspectives to bear in the choices.

1-

that we have to find most of the funding from within Australia,

This also opens up all sorts of curatorial questions. Dr. Desaiand within our own budget. This project has become very impor-talked of the great advantages of a single curatorial vision. I thinktant to our institution and has the greatest support by our staff ofour process is too large to be encompassed by one single cura-;s

any project we undertake. Sometimes we accept that other pro-

tor's vision. I struck this problem at the conference in Italy where1-jects cannot go ahead because we have to divert funding to thisthe directors of the major world biennales gathered. I think for

11

project. There is a very strong sense of commitment.

one artistic director to go and choose work from perhaps 60 art-nl-Questionprocess we go through attempts to introduce new perspectives, toists for an exhibition is an impossibility. All I can say is that the(J. Clark) : I think this issue of purchase and the ef-

efect of purchase on the artists must be handled with great frank-

introduce different artists, to give other artists a different chance,yness by the museums because I would really like to hear what

and certainly we are very conscious of the potential to be seen ase

you think about what your activities have resulted in.
It is absolutely demonstrable that if an artist's work appears iny

the Triennial, or is purchased by the Triennial's organizers, thataligned with only one institution or one commercial gallery, or
one type of art in each country. But then, curating is never perfect.

the price of the artist ' s work goes up, or alternatively, that theirylevel of exposure in the international circuit increases. This may

MC (A. Pohsyananda)

not exactly result immediately in high prices, but down the road,crossing, where the museum outside Asia is purchasing and con-: We have seen the example of zone

results in furthering their career with a great advantage. This phe-firming that contemporary Asian art is collectible , thereby chang-nomenon has been clear from the establishment of modern art

ing the view of what might be seen as inauthentic artifacts tooutside Japan since the 1970s. To note a specific example, Pro-authentic masterpieces. Do you think that , in hindsight, there

fessor Nakahara might want to comment on this because hewere too many curators and that for the next APT , you will haveknows much more about the details, the work of Lee U-Fan wasa lower number of curators working on this project?

exhibited in Germany in 1970 and acquired a prominence in Germany , which then reflexively gave him an art market position

C. Turner:

which he had not had previously. If you talk to any of the artists

because there are usually only two for each country. The question

Well, I am not sure if there are too many curators

who have had the opportunity, not only to exhibit at the Triennial
or the "Traditionsrfensions" exhibition but others, too, this may

countries? For the next APT, we have established regional teams

is, do you have curators work across boundaries with several

be obvious. In a world where artistic exposure is governed by thewhich makes it possible for the curators to choose from a number

appearance of these in situations, where there is a lot of non-of countries. I think it is impossible, for example , to put the Pa-

market patronage obtained through institutions, in terms of visit-cific in with East Asia. I think there are some impossibilities. The

ing artist fellowships and so forth , the role of the decisions of theother aspect is, that sometimes we have had more than one Aus-

museums is very important. 1 would like to understand moretralian involved in our teams to give younger curators an opportu-

clearly what you see in the results of your decisions.

nity to learn. What is now happening is that , within some of thecountries, the Asia-Pacific Triennial is being used as a training

Well, I think this is a very important topic. I thinkground for young curators , for example, from Indonesia. Alongwhenever we do any exhibition, whenever we choose an artist, towith a more experienced curator , we have younger Australian cu-

include in any exhibition, we naturally enhance that artist's repu-

rators assigned to the team. I would be very reluctant, in a situ-

tation within Australia. For Australian artists, if we, or a major

ation where we are trying to develop curators and give them ex-institution such as our own in Australia, shows that artists' work,

periences, to take out that training aspect because one of the mostor buys that artist's work the reputation is enhanced. It is a very

important contributions that our Triennial has made to Australia

C.Turner:complex subject. But I think forming a collection is a very impor-

has been to involve many young Australians as interns. Now wetant part of the process that we are involved with. Some works

are starting to take interns from Southeast Asia as well. I think it

are not suitable for collecting, and so I don't believe that it neces-is this training aspect that makes the teams larger. Of course , an

147

I

alternative is to consider a selection to be made by a committee. I

the West, where the cult of the individual "great artist" has been

think of it very differently. I see working in a team as a more pro-in full swing? David Widdicombe writes in 'A Clash of Cultures- The Malaysian Experience':found intellectual engagement, because it is not easy. I am sure
all of us realize that. But for the future, who knows? I would be"It may be that cultural clash is a condition of the human race,very reluctant to see one curator attempt to select a hundred art-

at least in it' s present stage of development. If we are to getaway from it we shall have to develop a better understanding

ists from Asia for our exhibition.

of groups and living in groups."

MC (A. Poshyananda) : Now we come to our third speaker. In

Recently the West has focused on this geographical area withthe late 70s and early 80s when I lived in Edinburgh, Scotland forthe end of the British lease of Hong Kong, and the celebration offive years, The Fruitmarket Gallery was already active . But then

"50 years of Indian independence from Britain - and of Korea

foreign exhibits in Scotland were mainly works from England orfrom Japan. Such milestones encourage evaluations of available

Europe. Therefore I am glad to learn that recently there are so

historic documents to see who really did what.

many exhibitions from Asia being exposed in Edinburgh , Scot-

In London, recently , there have been major focuses on the art
Festival of Islam, for example, and the Ja-

land. The person who has made this possible is our third speaker ,of other cultures-The

Mr. Graeme Murray. Mr. Murray is the director of The Fruitmar-

pan Festival in 1991. An article in the Sunday Times of 27 July

ket Gallery since 1992. He has invited co-curators from Japan,
Korea, China , to create exhibitions. Among the shows were "Liq-said they now have a more favorable view of Japan than before it.

uid Crystal Futures : Contemporary Japanese Photograph," "In-

71 % said they now wished to visit Japan. Currently a focus on

1997, pointed out that following this 33 % of people surveyed

formation and Reality : Korean Contemporary Art " and "Reck-

Korean culture is being presented in London. Such an interna-

oning with the Past : Contemporary Chinese Painting. " The title

tional center encourages state and business partnership support toof Mr. Murray's talk today is "Cultural Encounters through Con-promote and present aspects of their culture for greater visibility

temporary Art. "and presence on the world stage- and no doubt, increase of salesof their business products, Hyundai cars, for example. Before

Graeme Murray: Culture is defined by Arthur J. Deikman in
his lecture of 6 March 1987 as :"Customs, ideas and attitudes shared by a group transmitted
from generation to generation by learning processes rather thanbiological inheritance ; adherence to these customs and attitudes is regarded by a system of rewards and punishments peculiar to each culture."
From the late 80s I have made a number of visits to Japan, Korea, China and India. I desired to see, first hand, what work was
being made in the field of contemporary art during a period ofcontinuing rapid change and dynamism in the culture and economies of these countries. Previous study and research , commencing with the history of art, had given me some background. I wasinterested in seeing to what extent the contemporary art practicewas "anchored in" the particular culture, its history and beliefs
and to what extent international communications and the concomitant information from other cultures had been taken up.
I was looking , of course, for artists of perception, clear in theirassessment of what is going on and capable of making workwhose presentation could give rise to a greater awareness of theelements of the modern international problematique, and whose
ethics enable them to transcend current Western notions of theartist as individualist, romantic , dissident - separated from society. They should also be above the coercion of economic and social gratification.
I was interested to see how much of Western and Central European legacies in thought were operational. Religious history includes Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Hindu Shamanist, Parsee, Christian. Mohammedan , Confucian, Taoist, and Shinto forms of worship and belief. Buddhism, for example, spread from India to theEast- what was its current operation? What were the dynamics
between the art of these countries and what I knew previously, inlong there will be more cars in Britain than people, if present
trends continue. What would the Romans have thought of that?
At The Fruitmarket Gallery, our remit is to present exhibitionsof the best national and international contemporary art (fig. 10).
Internationally, over the last five years, we have presented major
exhibitions from Australia ("Aboriginal

Art, the collection of

Donald Khan"), West Africa ("Photographs of Malick Sidibe andScydou Keita"), Japan ("Liquid Crystal Futures"), Korea ("Information and Reality") and China ("Reckoning with the Past"). An
exhibition of contemporary Indian art is currently in the planningstage. This interest in other cultures stems from the necessity to
be aware of what is going on in other countries globally-to
search for the bigger picture, so to speak. It is also a search for
future partners working on the same wavelength. It is not an interest in the "exotic" or otherness of these cultures. The more I
see of cultures outside the West, the more I see well intentioned
people working through our common destiny within the trappingsof different race, religion and cultural ideas. The contradiction inmodern times is perhaps that, whilst at face value, all cultures andtheir histories are now available and apparently accessible byplane and television scanner , our ingress into these cultures is destroying these very traditions. Hopefully, however, we can work
together to save what is essential, to achieve a harmonious balance in our common destiny. We are all born to live, to die. Cooperation for a good and meaningful future evolution should
surely be our aim.
There are many historical contacts between Scotland and thePacific Rim. I 8th-century immigrants to Australia and New Zealand led to the development of many communities. Australia's relationship with the U.K. continues - their investment in the U.K.
is ahead of Japan and Korea. The U .K. is the second biggest investor in Australia. There is a great awareness here of the recent

148

Asian-Pacific Triennial and forthcoming Sydney Biennial. In thenoise of the internal combu stion engine is everywhere. My son

U.K., and indeed throughout Europe, there is also the continuing

spoke to me recently of his continuing fascination/obsession withparticipation in the major international arts events -- Venice, Saocomputer games and the newly developed virtual pets. Interaction

Paulo , Johannesburg , Kwangju and so on. With India there is theincludes feeding them. It has taken him longer to understand how

colonial heritage , but the great example of a country moving

to relate to a "real dog. " But the beauty of that interaction andfrom feudalism and colonialism into secular modernism in fifty
years. Today , the subcontinent life is changing rapidly throughfeedback where one plays with an animal and engages real qualities of loyalty, affection and love- operating a flexible intelli-increased mobility. Artists are borrowing from traditions - theirgence - may win the day. Manufacturers of computer games can

own traditions are being diffused. However, hopefully, sensitive

easily justify their trade; addiction creates a captive paying audi-

interaction and good direction will lead to cultural rejuvenation.

ence . One only need think of opium and tobacco. Computer

With Burma, Japan and Korea a substantial series of businessgames may improve the players' motor-interaction dexterity, but

partnerships continue to develop.

does it alienate them from the positive participation in human af-

Although we are now dealing with information as a global vil-fairs?

lage, we must not forget that cultural influence is as old as time.
What seems to be a problem today is the volume of information

How much of contemporary art is a similarly limited activity ?
Omar Michael Burke explains in ' Among the Dervishes ' :to be dealt with- how do we deal with what is essential, weed

"My dear friend. Your art may be perfect in itself. We are notout the rest and apply what is useful , where it is needed? Because

discussing that. I will return it to you if you like. But almost all

I come from the West I do not find the remnants of Western styleartists are merely the forerunners of the mass-communications

art practice very interesting when I encounter it in the East. Art

media. They may transmit, convey experience in one form , butcolleges may have opened in India in 1857. Studio practice has

this is not active but vicarious experience . To us, you see, art isled to the adoption of easel painting modes. What I am interested

not the ability to stimulate certain emotions. It is the ability toin is not one culture copying the indoctrination of another, but theshare feelings and also living, living. I show you a photographessential genius of these cultures - and how that is useful for theof a cartoon and you smile. I show you a television program

future. To adopt this and that, to select from here and there may

and you laugh or cry. Is that living life, is that contributing to

be pleasurable , but may be a self indulgent fantasy. Bankum

life? You may feel , of course, that this has a function : it

Chandra Chatterji has written in 'General Principles in the Evolu-

makes people happy or relaxed . It also dwarfs their intellect ,tion of Cultures ,' that :"Certain societies become civilized by themselves and create arobs them of volition."In the years between 1994 and 1996 The Fruitmarket Gallery

new culture : others take over from others. The first process

fulfilled part of its international remit by focusing on the contem-

takes a long time but the second is relatively quick. When aporary visual art of Japan, Korea and China - an area containing

relatively uncivilized people come into contact with a people

a substantial proportion of the world ' s population , and currently aof a higher civilization, the natural law is for the less civilized

center of extraordinary industrial dynamism and cultural change.

to imitate the more civilized , even to the effect of total imita-

The exhibitions of works by artists from these countries offers antion. Imitation in itself is not harmful for it confers important

insight into their cultures for British audiences , allowing the de-benefits and after the preliminary phase of imitation, independ-velopment of further co-operation in the future.
I would like to speak about the "Liquid Crystal Futures : Con-ent creation begins. "In Japan and Korea I found many fine citadels to contemporary

temporary Japanese Photography " exhibition (fig. 11). The " Liq-

art in India a developing situation where past bureaucratic prac-uid Crystal Futures" forum statement of 28 of May, 1994 states :tice is acknowledging the necessity for curatorial experience in"In Japan there is not the same separation of inside and out-

mounting exhibitions , and in China a substantial developmentof personal space and what is around. There is a greater aware-coming from the colleges of art since their re-opening in 1977.

ness of the environment and more of a shared experience with

Speedy material cultures - with electronic audio and visual re-others. In the West it seems that the mind transcribes and dif-

porting through satellite and cable technology-can
forget that
their communication is modified by the atmosphere and physics

ferentiates the experience of the world into linguistic catego-of place , the state of the recipient and the nature of time - itsedge to be merchandised. Being and unified experience be-resonances. Are the quality and finer nuances of an event trans-

come communicated through the reporting mind. Yet why is

missible in their totality? Of course not! We receive a shortened

there this separation? Why this obsession with individualism?"ries which can be transacted as commodity - a linear knowl-

version - a merely intellectual experience. What of the gentle ca-"Liquid Crystal Futures : Contemporary Japanese Photogra-

dence of poetry? The deep acoustics of the cathedral? ls that elec-phy" showed at The Fruitmarket Gallery from 28 May-16 Julytronically reproducible? It certainly is not, mainly because it

I 996 , and was an enriching and enjoyable experience for all theomits the complete participation of the human being.

gallery staff. The exhibition was organized in association with

Our increasing ingenuity in the creation of new technologies

the Japan Foundation , and was based on research carried out by

not only blinds us to other more complete possibilities and enjoy-

myself in collaboration

ments but precludes these finer and subtler operations by the

Kohmoto of the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto andscale of these productions. The chatter from transmitters and the

Yuko Hasegawa of Setagaya Art Museum , Tokyo.

149

with two Japanese curators : Shinji

"Liquid Crystal Futures" presented eleven of Japan's foremost

contemporary Japan is imbued with spiritual optimism. Hun-

photographic artists, and explored the common thread which runs

dreds of small dots of light, made by the artist with a torch andbetween their diverse work within the context of contemporary

a long exposure, inhabit deserted cities and swelling seas.

Japanese culture. Artists included in the show were Nobuyoshi

Curved around the gallery walls, these large black and white

Araki, Akira Gomi, Naoya Hatakeyama, Norio Kobayashi, Taiji

photographs are mythical, magical illusions which capture theMatsue, Ryuji Miyamoto, Tsuyoshi

moment over and over again."Ozawa, Tokihiro

Satoh,

Toshio Shibata, Manabu Yamanaka and Tomohiko Yoshida. The

In The Scotsman, Murdo MacDonald described "Liquid Crys-

exhibition demonstrated the richness of photography which, since
its introduction to Japan, has had an extraordinary impact upontal Futures" as an "outstanding exhibition," going on to say that:

the Japanese imagination. Using the most up-to-date technology

conceptions about Japan must take second place. Often we rep-"("Liquid Crystal Futures" is) a show in which Western pre-to produce images of impeccable quality, the artists chosen pre-resent Japan in the West as somewhere 'different,' and yet thesented a particularly Japanese aesthetic within what was previ-

difference we are acknowledging has a kind of stereotyped fa-

ously a "Western" photographic tradition. This aesthetic, appar-

miliarity to it. In this exhibition the difference is real and , be-

ent in all the artists' work, has been summed up as "a conscious-

cause of that reality, it is both more sharply perceived and,ness of the transformative nature of photography, of the almost

paradoxically, less separate. It is no longer the difference ofimmediate translationworld into two-stereotype but an illumination of cultural meaning ... these pho-dimensional image" (Portfolio Magazine, Issue 20), and is what

tographers recognize that a culture is not some act of divine

constitutes the fundamental link behind all the different works onpermanence, but is itself that most artificial of things, a con-of multi-dimensional

show. It forms a background to the exhibition's other aims which

struction of consensus and power. This notion is familiar

were to "report on the state of Japanese society in the 1980s andenough in the West, where it tends to be treated most success-90s"- to provide a sharp critique of a society that appears (atfully on a theoretical level, but here every work seems to beleast on the surface) to have exchanged its traditional values ofimbued with a visual awareness of it."frugality for the instant gratification of Western style consumerism- whilst at the same time reflecting environmental

issues ofinternational importance.

In Galleries Magazine, Ralph Hughes described the exhibition
as "the most ubiquitous means of representation directed at its
material home ," and goes on to describe it as :At the time of the opening of the exhibition the curators and" ... a diverse show of eleven photographers depicting a country

many of the artists visited Edinburgh. There were a series ofgenerally regarded as a paradigm of pluralism , consumerism

events to contextualize the exhibition, including a forum, a lec-

and the post-modern. Sometimes explicit , but always a context,

ture series and film and photography workshops. Thus the gen-is the city of Tokyo and its incessant transformations. It is cer-eral public were able to encounter at first hand this presentation

tainly a well chosen title, suggesting not only a conflation of

from such a different culture.
The Fruitmarket Gallery also published a full-color catalog toaccompany the exhibition. The catalog was a great success, andhas now fully sold out. It has been vital to promoting the tour andpast and present, fantasy and fact, divination and investment
but also of traditional Japanese aesthetics and modern methodsof visual display. "Next, I would like to speak about the " Information and Real-providing the background for the public's understanding of theity:context of the work.

Bang wrote in the introduction to the Kwangju Biennale catalog:

Korean Contemporary Art" exhibition (fig. 12). Lim Young-

After its showing at The Fruitmarket Gallery, "Liquid Crystal"Today , as we become more and more dependent on the com-

Futures" embarked on a tour of Europe. The exhibition showed in
six countries , including Denmark , Japan, Germany, Hungary andthe cultivation of a moral value system and aesthetics throughSweden , and received enormous acclaim from both the public

self-awareness."

forts of modern science and technology, we should not neglect

and press wherever it showed. It has now returned to Japan, hav-

In 1995 Korea celebrated 50 years of liberation from Japanese

ing been seen by a grand total of 60,000 people all over Europe.

occupation. Designated "Year of Art" in Korea, 1995 also saw

I have been asked to describe Western reaction to these exhibi-

the launch of the first Kwangju Biennale with its theme " Beyond

tions of contemporary art from the Pacific Rim. I have selected

the Borders" and its self-proclaimed aim of contributing towards

some relevant extracts from the press coverage of the exhibitionsa "global artistic village." Co-curated

to amplify this. In The Guardian , Beatrice Colin wrote :''(" Liquid Crystal Futures" is) a group show which aims to

Graeme Murray, "Information and Reality " was the first majorcomment on the social, cultural and political situation in Japan.

to show in the U.K. , and represented a unique introduction for theHere, 11 Japanese photographers respond to the shock waves

British public to current developments

felt in a country seemingly locked in an identity crisis. Spoon

Rim.

by Lee Yongwoo andexhibition of contemporary installation and video art from Korea
in art from the Pacificfed on technology and consumerism but yearning for spiritual-"Information and Reality" showed from 28 October to 2 De-

ity, it's a country where unemployment, homelessness and thecember 1995 and featured the work of eleven Korean artists on

destruction of the natural world by industry or short sighted de-the cutting edge of developments in contemporary art. The exhi-

velopment have all appeared in the wake of the boom years ofbition raised issues of Korea ' s history , present realities and prob-

the late 80s ... lt is in the series of images by Tokihiro Satoh thatlems , including the development of industrial society and infor-mation technology, internationalism and regionalism, the destruc-with the Past" were drawn from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong,tion of the environment and, of course, the ongoing problems of aand are at the forefront of the contemporary Chinese art world.

society which is still very much subject to male domination. Art-

They are united by their use of painting as a means to interpretists included in the show were feminist installation and perform-

the past , whilst developing a contemporary Chinese visual lan-ance artist An Pil-Yun , Buddhist nun turned installation artist

guage which expresses their current cultural situation. The exhib-

Ahn Sung Keum, textile installation artist Kim Soo-Ja, award-

iting artists were, from China, Feng Mengbo, Yu Youhan, Zhang

winning independent film-maker Yunah Hong , installation artists

Xiaogong, Wei Dong, Liu Dahong, Yang Yiping , Wang Xing-

Moon Beom and Oh Sang-Gyel, performance/installation

artistwei, He Douling and Mao Lizi; from Taiwan, Cheng Tsai-Tung,and sculptor Park Sil , installation artists Cho, Duck-Hyun, femi-

Yu Peng and Wu Tien-Chang and from Hong Kong, Lucia Che-

nist performance artist Bui Lee , social realist painter Lim Ok-

ung , Oscar Ho Hing-kai and Sze Yuen.

Sang and Artist of the Year and Biennale exhibitor, Jheon Soo
Cheon.

"Reckoning with the Past" was curated by Chang Tsong-zung,the highly regarded director of the Hanart TZ Gallery in Hong

At The Fruitmarket Gallery, on 28 October 1995, Sil Park per-Kong , in collaboration with The Fruitmarket Gallery. The curator

formed a shamanistic ritual around her installation describing"the meeting between plus and minus to create a life" and "theand some of the artists visited Scotland during the exhibition. After the showing in Edinburgh, the exhibition toured to three ven-

explanation of the balance between human and the holy landues in Scotland before going on to show at the Cornerhouse Gal-through the ritual. "lery in Manchester. In October 1997 it will go to Fundacio Ori-

The Fruitmarket Gallery also produced a publication, Informa-tion and Reality: Korean Contemporary Art, written by exhibi-

ente in Lisbon, Portugal , and further international venues are currently in development.

tion curator Lee Yongwoo. Featuring color and black and white

There is also a highly successful accompanying publication,

reproductions of all the exhibiting artist's work, the publication

with several critical essays which discuss issues of Chinese art

played an important role in contextualizing the exhibition.

and culture in more depth. Local, national and international press

Once again, some extracts from the press coverage of the exhi-

coverage for the exhibition has been highly complimentary. For

bition. Writing in The List Magazine, Ian Smith describes the ex-

example, Alan Riding, writing for both the New York Times andhibition as follows :the International Herald Tribune, described "Reckoning with the"Celebrating 50 years of liberation from Japanese occupation,

Past" as "a show which provides a rare window for the West on

Korea has also found a voice on the international art circuit.

contemporary Chinese art." He goes on to say :" In a China that is rushing wildly toward its own idea of eco-During Korean Year of Art, the traditional barriers between
east and west are being challenged ... Scotland is getting its own

nomic development, obliterating a good deal of its remaining

taste of Korean Art, with "Information and Reality ," an exhibi-

cultural heritage in the process, some Chinese artists havetion at Edinburgh's Fruitmarket Gallery. Sparked by 50 years

found an unusual way of expressing dissent : They have begunof liberation from Japanese rule , the show explores socia l, po-

looking backward, hoping that nostalgia can serve as a mirror,

litical and historical issues in Korean society, attempting toto remind the country that it has a past. Yet it is a measure of

make the nation 's art and culture accessible ... Each of the con-

how quickly China is changing that this 'past' may be as recent

tributing artists make original, highly expressive statements

as two decades ago. It is also a past that in some ways is being

about Korea and art ; information and reality. The subject is ofromanticized not to approve of what may of happened or to

great relevance in Korea, a nation that has in recent history ex-suggest that things were better then , but simply to recall thatperienced colonization, war, partition, military dictatorship andthere is more to China than the current feverish drive for prof-

rapid industriali zation. it is also highly pertinent to Western so-

its."

ciety, where information superhighways make us more aware

Writing for The Times, John Russell Taylor described the exhi-

than ever of the gap between what we are told and what is thebition as "t he most exciting Edinburgh Festival show," and goes

truth."

on to observe that :For The Scotsman, Robin Baillie writes:"The title refers more to the subject matter and the artists' atti-"The smooth passage from this Spartan spiritual aesthetic totudes than to the styles in which they paint. Two things are im-

the minimalism of Western modern art is apparent in the work

mediately remarkable : that without looking at the catalog oneof many of the artists in the show. This se lection of Korean art

could ,not tell for certain which are from the mainland andsharpens our understanding of the differences between our cul-which are from the island s ; and that all the heterogeneous in-tures but also underlines the empathy that can be shared andfluences, which only five years ago were bumping up against

expressed in art."

one another, largely unabsorbed, in Chinese art have been

In 1996, The Fruitmarket Gallery continued its commitment totaken on board, understood , and turned effortlessly to the individual purposes of a new generation of artists."

bringing new and exciting work from East Asia. Its exhibition ofcontemporary

Chinesepainting" Reckoning

In The Scotsman, George Wyllie was surprised to find hiswith the Past"

showed during the Edinburgh International Festival, and attracted"e motions stirred," and writes that :a record audience figure of 23,171 in its eight week sho_wing (fig.

"(" Reckoning with the Past") radiates a glimpse of reckoning s13). The fifteen contemporary

for the future . Fifteen artists from China, Taiwan and Hongartists selected for "Reckoning

151

Kong, do this with wit and precision and knock askew our be-velop the facility to know the texture of truth, to feel the truth,

lief in the monotonous predictability of that unextended Chi-

to speak the truth and create a climate in which truth is the ac-nese art so far delivered to us. Have no fear, the real stuff iscepted norm and not something out of the ordinary."

still around and this exhibition is proof. Brimming with spirit
and an obvious love for their country, there is never the less a

MC (A. Poshyananda) : You say that the exhibitions you or-sadness in the air over the frustration of broader aspirations-ganize are not interested in the exotic or otherness, but I am inter-see the incisive bloodline s in Zhang Xiaogang 's sharp por-ested to hear that. What is the local reaction, especially from thetraits. There is the deep passion here, and I warm to the brav-

Edinburgh art scene, which is perhaps conservative, and aca-

ery and honesty of these artists ...
The technique of many of them is based on traditional re-demic? How do they react to these shows?

quirements for painting , and that discipline has ensured impec-

G. Murray : I think their reaction is, "Why are you not showing

cable drawing skills which are put to effective use in gentle

Scottish artists?" At the same time, there was a broad, intelligent

satire. The blatant blaze of the sort of color seen on calendars

audience which appreciated them and did look at the work veryin Chinese restaurants is put to work by a pop and comic-bookclosely , and found it to be very good work.

approach · for kicking at absurdities. Official China, seemingly( Interval >tolerant to a degree , says this art is not what Chinese art should
be1 but damn it there it is! We 've heard that said about art before, and I hope that by now sagacity and good sense will pre-MC (A. Poshyananda) : For our next speaker, it is my pleasurevail for a happier journey through an inevitable transition."

to introduce Mr. Kwok Kian Chow, the first director of the Sin-

In all, our experience of presenting art from the Pacific Rim

gapore Art Museum. Mr. Kwok has curated several shows in-has been very positiv~, and all exhibitions have been received

cluding "A Century of Art in Singapore." He has worked as thewith great interest from both the press and public alike. " Reckon-

Singaporean commissioner of the Sao Paulo Biennale in 1996.

ing with the Past" has already been seen by 61,000 people at four
venues, and we are currently discussing a tour of New Zealand in

His paper is entitled, "SA M is Not a Foreign Name."

1998. We are now developing our exhibition of contemporary In-

Kwok Kian Chow : In the brief given to me by the organizers ofdian art for 1998, which we hope will be a similar success. By

this symposium, it is suggested that I introduce the Singapore Art

curating and touring exhibitions of art from the Pacific Rim, The

Museum, its history, vision, exhibition and collection policies, as

Fruitmarket Gallery hopes to promote public interest and under-

well as issues, problems and lessons learnt from the presenter's

standing of the life and culture of these countries. We also hopepersonal involvement and from a personal point of view. This is athat it may be possible to extend this cultural exchange by touring

wide scope, and involves moving through and forth institutional

exhibitions of Scottish art in the countries of the Pacific Rim ,and personal view points, not to mention the clumsiness of hav-thus introducing their audiences to the art and culture of Scot-ing to mark the speaker at different points. Let me just say that I

land.

am not here to do a PR piece, and as a concerned museum admin-

Looking to the future , the problematic side is the continuing

istrator, and given that the Singapore Art Museum , or SAM , is a

global political conflicts, both internal and external, which -serious and sensitive institution firmly committed to the advance-

through bad government and corruption-resultin the overpro-

duction of arms and lead to famine, destruction of people andment of visual arts, I am here to share with you the experiences ofSAM, and the museological issues that they point to.

their environments, industrial over-production, pollution and nu-

When the name "Singapore Art Museum " was decided upon,clear poisoning.
The optimistic side is that the melting pot of the ASEAN and

one of the criticisms of this name was the discomfort with the ac-

Pacific countries continues to be dynamic, and to develop an im-Gallery," the acronym could have been NAGA, the mythologicalronym, S-A-M, or SAM. If SAM was known as the "National Art

proved culture, as happened in the previous melting pots, Europe

serpent who was related to fertility and creation. This would haveand the U.S.A. Let us hope that they are careful not to repeat the

been an appropriate name, if one wanted to read into the seman-mistakes of others. One has only to look at the many areas of vast

tics of it. Anyway , the acronym was not an important point in de-ecological devastation in these countries, perhaps permanently

ciding the name of an institution , and the discussion of acronyms

damaged by primitive , uncultivatedand impulsive industrial

practice .

was really just a light-hearted one. Now that SAM has been in
operation for about one and half years, SAM is widely recog-

As to the artists, they surely have a responsibility to ensure thenized in Singapore as the museum SAM , and not any relative

relevance of their practice, discipline and guardianship of what isSam. I mention this as the starting point of my presentation toessential in our cultures, so that our children grow up in a future

highlight the distinct presence of an institution and its context. I

of wonderful qualities. I would like to end by sharing with you awill briefly go into the background of the development of SAM

quote from ' Rafael Lefort' by the Teachers of Gurdjieff :and hopefully the Singapore model could point to issues in Asian"Tho se who have the eyes to see, let them see the connection,
those who have the ears to hear, let them hear the truth fromart museology. Naturally , the global context is significant and it
interplays with a local context. My emphasis here is more on the

midst the tangled streams of falsehood, but let them first de-latter.

152

rea and Taiwan, the art infrastructure does not have the compre-

is concerned, priority will be given to a large potential audience

hensive range of artists, critics, historians, art schools, publica-

to promote visits to the art museum and art appreciation. In thetions , museums , galleries, contemporary art spaces, auctions, col-words of SAM education officer, Belen Ponferrada :lectors, events, and critical mass . Let us recognize that those"Learning is largely concerned with ensuring that opportunities

Asian communities which do have the comprehensive range haveexist for the largest number of individuals to find their level ofmodeled the development to a large extent to the international art

intellectual and emotional engagement with the works of art
and the ideas presented through its exhibitions."

system, namely the Western art world. Now assuming that all of
the above components of the art system and the ways they areThis learning process applies to both the institution and its audi-

currently aligned, complete with their tensions and dynamics,

ence.

form the necessary environment

for visual arts development,

Asian art museology will have to develop in rather different di-

MC (A. Poshyananda)

rections, depending on the range available in each environment.

the art center of the Southeast: SAM was established to function asHence , an art museum should be perceived as an institution in a

"Modernity and Beyond" was a very important effort in exhibit-

specific context.
In the case of Singapore and SAM , one of the things we are in-ing contemporary Southeast Asian art in this region and, mostvolved in at the moment is the planning of another exhibition

the planning and the process and the training of curators for thatspace which will somehow fill the gap left by the former National

exhibition please?

Asian region. The exhibition

importantly, it was arranged thematically. Can you elaborate on

Museum Art Gallery. The plan to revamp the gallery model is in
no way suggesting the bankruptcy of curatorship. We have toK. Kwok:agree, on the one hand , that Asian modern and contemporary art

Southeast Asia. We have always said that we will do what we canscholarship is still relatively young, and most curatorial staff, be-to facilitate art development in the region and we do like to be a

ing recent graduates of Western post-graduate schools, are trained

center in Southeast Asia in the way that we play the role of a fa-

in Western art historical methodology. An Asian art museum , ascilitator. The "Modernity and Beyond" exhibition has two com-an institution in a specific context, must deal with the concrete

ponents, as l mentioned just now in the paper. One is the themes

First of all, we never planned to be the art center ofand the curatorial

in Southeast Asian art, the other one is essentially the history offrames available to handle this development may be limiting at

art in Singapore. The Southeast Asian component is arranged the-the moment.

matically , whereas the Singapore component was done chrono-

history of a local modern art development

Given that one of the tendencies of contemporary art is to ar-

logically. The main themes in the "Modernity and Beyond," theticulate identities, situations and ideas beyond the written lan-

Southeast Asian component, included urban life, and popular cul-guage, reaching those areas of human expressions which otherture, and then religion and mythology, nationalism and revolution

linguistic modes may not traverse, any form of curatorship which

and identity. It was planned in a way that we had a guest curator

relies heavily on existing aesthetic and cultural frames may be ill

who was the chief curator for the Southeast Asian component,

equipped to handle the artworks. It would be completely ironic, if

Mr. T.K. Sabapathy. All the curators in the museum participated

not irresponsible, if the development of curatorship actually re-by taking on one aspect of the exhibition, each person taking on

sults in reduced opportunity for aesthetic expressions.

one theme to look specifically at one of the Southeast Asian

There is, therefore, the need to balance the museum model andcountries. It was a developmental project in the sense that every-

the gallery model in a given art developmental context. In creat-

body worked together and, at the same time, developed our col-ing an exhibition space beyond the museum curatorial program,lection. We all worked towards having this exhibition as the in-

an institution addresses the need for a space for experimental art
as well as a space for entrenched local practices which the art

augural exhibition of the museum , but it was also a learning process to develop our collection as well as curatorship for the new

critical scholar ship is still trying to make sense of. In advancing

institution.

an exhibition program in earlier 20th-century art, the Fukuoka
Art Museum's "The Birth of Modern Art in Southeast Asia" is a

Questionfine example. I would like to end by mentioning the educational

opened up a very interesting difference , and I think it could be(J .Clark) : Thank you for your presentation. You havevision of the Singapore Art Museum.

underlined. I have noticed it really for the first time here and it is

In its educational program, SAM promotes the exhibits as acomplex make-up of historical, cultural, ideological , emotionalvery clear now. There seems to be a very important difference be-

and creative elements. The objective of SAM's exhibition pro-thematically we are at parallel with some of your approaches intween your approach to your initial exhibitions and, indeed , howgram, therefore , is to enrich a viewer by allowing him or her toFukuoka, the parallel with "Asian Modernism" exhibition ( 1995)

discover the wealth of human creative and expressive potentials

organized by the Japan Foundation Asia Center and arranged

through art appreciation. Given this generic objective, which ishere by my friend sitting next to me , Mr. Mizusawa , Mr. Tate-

not tied to specific periods of art, it may be said that SAM is not
so concerned with the division between traditional, modern andhibit Asian modernity in these three centers, Tokyo , Fukuoka andcontemporary art as much as the realistic educational potentials

Singapore have included a very strong historical content. Theof these art works. As far as the educational role of the museum

New York exhibition and the Triennials in Brisbane have not in-

hata, and Mr. Shioda. All of the attempts to understand and ex-154