Reception to the Show:
Perhaps, the most exciting part of the whole project was the excitement it generated in theart world even before it opened. A large front-page story in the Sunday Nen 1 York Times Art
and Leisure section, just before the show opened, guaranteed critical interest. While it issignificant to note that the show was covered by all the major art magazines andnewspapers, it is equally important to examine critically what was said about the show byby commenting on thethe critics. Holland Cotter began his article in the New York Ti111es
popular perception of Indian art in the West which could not accommodate any awarenessof contemporary art:

"Contemporary Art in India? There is 110 contemporary art i11India. " So an academicfriend
tartly reminded me a few years ago. Hmu could an avant-garde art exist any where i11the"timeless" cultures of what we monolithically call Asia? If it did, it could not he any good. Too
Western. Or too Asian. Or too little of one or the other."were wrong. However, theCotter went on to say that such views, while understandable,
opposition to the modern,intraditionaltheinherent prejudice of the remark which pitted
and "Wes tern in contrast to an Asian, persisted in the comments by many other critics .
While all acknowledged the importance of the show, and some talked about the work they
particularly liked, many critics were unable to look beyond the Western prism they brought
to the work and through which they judged it. Comments such as " the show is too full of
ins tallations, and weak paintings; after all installation art is already passe' in the West", or "the exhibition is too much about socio-political issues (following the trends of early 90s in
the U.S.) and not enough about aesthetics" were routinely mentioned . At times, there wasalso a criticism of the fact that either it was too broad (too many countries) or not inclusive
enough. What was rather special was that most critics were afraid to really engage with thework directly and write about it. While they complained about the socio-political content,
they actually wrote more about that than the visual impact of tbe work. Tbe artists whoroutinely were singled out were either tho se who seemed to embody more of the traditional
Asian aesthetic (even if only superficially) , such as Ravinder Reddy, or the artists who wereon the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of the international conventions, such as theartist Choi Jung Hwa from South Korea. Interestingly, these artists also generated the greatest
interest among collectors, gallery owners, and museum curators for possible acquisitions.
Although there were a number of very fine painters in the show, the fact that their language
was closer to the western form made it hard for the critics to actually relate to the work .
This response was very much in keeping with the response of a critic to anothercontemporary Asian art show, "Scream Against the Sky: Japanese Art since 1945 :"''The pain of confronting culture as alien to the western minds as Japan's 011ly increasesas its
forms converge with ours.... Nmu ·wemust deal ·with the screecl1yfeedhackof our own influence..
which can make a Gutai abstraction.. or 11eo-dadaorganizers seem at once childishly obvious instyle and utterly opaque in nuance of intention. Recognizing the what and the how of many awork at a ;slance,I vasp for the why, and I come up empty ."What is significant about the comment is the admission that the "otherness" of Asian art isstill easier for people to absorb and appreciate. As it gets closer or converges , there is very
little effort to understand its cultural or aesthetic nuances. I would venture to say that thereason the critic may end up empty handed on the "why"' of the contemporary Asian art isbecause he/ she is unwilling to engage with the work on its own terms, give it more than aglance, and actually acknowledge that just as they have honed their critical skills on looking

65and thinking about western contemporary art over a long period of time, they may need tospend more time, learn more about the Asian cultures and their artistic traditions, before
they can make similar judgments by looking at the work at a glance. Just as one needs totake time in understanding and appreciating works that were made in different times and forvery different cultural reasons, we need to give the same level of serious consideration to thestudy of non-western contemporary art. This is especially so, when the work looks
deceptively similar to the one we are used to in the West. If we are too quick to see thecontemporary Asian work solely in the context of globalising international art (mainly
defined in Western Euro-American-centric terms), we loose the subtle culturally specificnuances and run the risk of dismissing it as "not different enough" or "too similar" toWestern art.
economies and evenIn the new globalising world, where one talks of transnational
beyond national
functionthat
areas
metropolitan
theofgeographies
transnationalboundaries, there is a need to understand the contemporary, urbanized art world as animportant part of what Saskia Sassen has called "strategic geographies" places and projects
where one functions in a language that is at once transnational and locally specific . Where
the norm may be national, but the form is multinational. If we can go beyond thepreoccupation with qualitative labeling such as derivative or provincial or too much likesomething else - all labels and nomenclatures that tend to limit exploration of ideas rather
than encourage further discussion, presentations of contemporary non-western art in thewestern world and elsewhere have a strong potential of playing a catalytic role in creating
new transcultural realities that will form the back bone of the new millennium .

Enriching Encounters
Caroline Turner
Deputy Director and Mana~er, Exhibition 1111d Cultural Development, Queensland Art Gallery

I would first like to thank the Japan Foundation Asia Centre for the honour of the invitation
to speak at this Conference .
In the Foreword to the book of essays I edited in 1993, noted Asian cultural historian,
Professor Wang Gungwu, wrote: "Do cultural exchanges enrich or impoverisl1 the cultures
involved?" He poses some important questions about cultural encounters in art andconcludes by saying: "I would like to believe that artistic exchanges enrich the cultures
involved. How enriching, however, depends on whether the imaginative and sensitive
exponents of any art receive the respect of those who support and judge them ."1
Professor Wang's comments are especially relevant to the aims and processes
Queensland Art Gallery 's Asia-Pacific Triennial project.

of theThe Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art was conceived by our Gallery as an exercise
in building long term relationships based on mutual respect in order to open a genuine
dialogue among artists, art critics, academics and writers within the countries of the
Asia-Pacific region, including Australia. The project is focused on the living art of today andseeks to fill a significant gap in Australia-Asia cultural exchanges.
The Asia-Pacific Triennial was the first attempt by a state or national art museum inAustralia to undertake a long term commitment to exhibit, document, research, publish andcollect the contemporary art of the Asia-Pacific region in an ongoing series of major
exhibitions, conferences, publications and acquisitions. My role in this project has been, with
my Director at the Queensland Art Gallery, Mr Doug Hall, first to conceive the concept of
the Triennial and, for six years to develop the policy, to direct the curatorial philosophy,
andto guide the day to day management of the project.
Cultural exchange between Australia and Asia is now gaining momentum . These exchanges
reflect changing perceptions at the end of the twentieth century and the growing realisation
and understanding of Australians that our geographical position and future lie within the
Asia-Pacific. The Queensland Art Gallery's emphasis on contemporary art has come aboutbecause we have been convinced that a knowledge of the changing societies of our region
underpins Australia's engagement with the region. The extensive funding for the project haslargely come from the Queensland Art Gallery's own budget and grants from the Australianand Queensland Governments but the exhibition is selected as an art exhibition, not as aformal Government exchange .
The First Triennial exhibition, held in 1993, featured 200 art works by 76 artists fromthirteen countries and Hong Kong and was attended by 60,000 people . The Second Triennial
exhibition held from September 1996 to January 1997 had over 100 artists participating fromsixteen countries and 120,000 visitors. The success of the First Asia-Pacific Triennial wasrecognised by critics at the time, both within Australia and in the region. Redza Piyadasa in
the Malaysian Business Times of 25 September 1993, for example, commented: "Those of us
who were in Brisbane last week came away feeling we had been privileged to have been part67

of an historical cultural event for both Australia and Asia". Critical reaction to the Second
Triennial has been equally positive and especially from the Asia-Pacific region. Professor
Patrick Flores in the Diliman Review (University of tl,e Philippines) wrote: "The APT may
well break the ground on which new ideas could flourish and engage the most tenacious andversatile legacies of feudalism, patriarchy, capitalism, racism, and elitist or party-led
nationalism with the most innovative intellectual and theoretical technologies". 2
Within Australia the audience and media response has been extraordinary.
In our country
there has been a reaction which recognises that the Triennial has changed tl,e way many
Australians see the region through its contemporary art. That reaction, with attendances
doubling in three years, is overwhelmingly positive. John MacDonald, for example, wrote in
the major Australian daily newspaper, The Sydney Morning Herald of tl,e 1996 Triennial: "Itis a show to restore one's faith in contemporary art."'The Triennial process builds on the knowledge and experience of the growing number ofAustralians who have expertise in the region yet it also acknowledges our lack ofknowledge. Fundamental to the Triennial's philosophy is that it is an evolving project basedon genuine partnerships between colleagues within the region. Over 40 curators from
Australia and the participating countries in the region were involved in the se lection s for the
1996 exhibition, and 77 writers from the region wrote for the catalogue . Together they built ashared vision for the project.
The Asia-Pacific Triennial is a process as much as an
exhibition and in six years has been an exciting voyage of discovery for the Queensland Art
Gallery staff.
This is an enormous project - intellectually and logistically the mostdemanding ever undertaken at the Queensland Art Gallery and possibly the most demanding
ever undertaken in Australia. Unlike most international art exhibitions of this type, such as
the Venice Biennale, selections are not based on nations choosing representatives.
The
concept of the Triennial, through multiple curatorship, is partnership in selections, the aim ofwhich is to break down cultural assumptions and open up a genuine debate on the issues . In
emphasising the teamwork and co-curatorship between selectors from different countries
perhaps I should make the point that the Australian art for this last exhibition was selectedby a Thai scholar. In each country Australians worked with experts in the art of thatcountry. If there is a contradiction in the selections for the Triennials, with an inevitablenational focus, this we have tried to resolve by an emphasis on context and themes rather
than nations and national identity. In the end it is the voice of the individual artist which isof fundamental significance and we place great importance on giving artists a major place inour conferences and education programs . Artists today are global travelers.
We havechosen to remain to a great extent within the bounds of physical geography, although thechallenging issue of the exile and expatriate, "the geography of the mind", has been faced inour selections and the issue of artists "crossing borders" will be a feature in 1999.
I have always said that it would be impossible to predict the outcomes of a project such as
the Triennial and that is why I believe it is so important to commit to at least a ten year
project. It now seems likely that the Triennial will continue into the next century. The major
publications, conferences and education programs associated with our exhibitions are
essential to their success. Our Triennial education program is wide ranging and includes
lectures, videos, artist performances and talks, a school kit distributed free to schools
throughout Australia, artist in schools program for visiting Asian artists, intranet andinternet information. Several of our staff are learning Asian languages. We are planning tocomplement future Triennials with a further exhibition of twentieth century Western andAsian modernism for the year 2000.
We have developed an important collection of68

contemporary Asia-Pacific art and an extensive Library collection and arts researchdatabase . We are now working with Australian and international art and educational
institutions, including in Japan, in documenting and researching aspects of the modern andcontemporary art of the region . We also collect and show historical Asian art and have aprogram of major exhibitions from Japan, China, Korea and Indonesia of pre-modern art.
We are now setting up a new Centre for the study of Asia-Pacific modern and contemporaryart - the first such Centre in Australia.
The Queensland Art Gallery has become, through its commitment to the Triennial, the leading
exhibition, research and collection ofAustralian institution in the documentation,
The Australian Triennial, of course , complements a growing
contemporary Asian art.
interest in contemporary Asian art worldwide . Artists from Japan , China, Korea , Hong Kong
and Taiwan are practising on a world stage and South East Asian artists have broken down
the barriers and are now included in world Biennales and events. The pioneering Fukuoka
Asian art exchanges, particularly the fourth Asian Art Show "Realism as an Attitude" ;Kwangju Biennale (Korea); the Tokyo-based "Visions of Happines s"; the new Asian art
show : "Now a Dream of the East " 1995; the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo,
exhibition, as well as Japan Foundation exhibitions , have been of great importance . Also
significant have been exhibitions curated by other speakers here , such as David Elliott' s
exhibitions for the Museum of Modern Art, Oxford as well as the exhibition curated by
Apinan Poshyananda for the New York Asia Society, whose Director, Vishaka Desai, hasdeveloped a new contemporary focus for the extensive program of Asian art of that
institution . Exciting possibilities are presented, I believe, by potential partnerships andshared projects between those institutions worldwide working in contemporary Asian art.
The Australian Triennial project through its multiple international curators has built multiple
viewpoints . We have not adopted a single theme for either of the two previous exhibitions,although the First Triennial in 1993 was based on the general concept of "tradition andchange ", with the idea of bringing the past into the present, and the Second Triennial on"present encounters" . The Third Triennial will be based on a concept of "the future". The
importance of context, of both the ancient and more recent past, has been reinforced in the
Triennial exhibitions . We are all participants in the voyage of time and time can havedifferent meanings . One of our Polynesian Conference speakers reminded us that for his
people: "the future is behind us: the past in front of us." 4 We accept that contemporary art
reflects the challenges of contemporary societies . As Australian born critic Robert Hughes,
write s: "Art is rarely ...untouched by the deep currents moving in the society around it. "'While the Triennial has thus far had no overall constricting theme , many themes haveemerged . Among these themes are identity ; the place of tradition within rapidly changing
societie s; the issues of religion, ritual, m ysticism and spiritualit y; the role of women ; socialand political concerns reflecting everyda y events ; migration and alienation ; human sexualityand desire ; the family; the interior world of th e mind; the urban transformation ; and theworldwide problem of environmental degradation . The Triennial has been deeply affectedby the strong and idealistic voices of the young committed to the concept of art as a meansof shaping a better future .
While the Triennial has no one theme, it does have a thesis : that Euro-Americentric views
are no longer appropriate in judging the art of this region. There is increasing questioning inthis region of the imposition of Western cultural values and continuing Western culturalimperialism. Australians have proved that they are willing to listen to what the artists and69

critics from the region have to say about their art. The changing nature of the world at theend of the twentieth century has forced a new appraisal of the art of the region, but there isconsiderable evidence that what is happening in contemporary Asian and Pacific art is still
not fully understood in the West.
Cultural interaction is not always on terms of equality.
Lingering historical and present
tensions make the world an uneasy place and contemporary art continues to reflect those
uncertainties.
Today's contemporary art of the Asia-Pacific is a product of tradition,
historical cultural encounters extending back over the centuries, the confrontation with theWest in more modem times and the recent economic, technological and information changes
which have pushed the world towards a global culture and greatly accelerated thoseinteractions. We seem to be entering a new world era of both globalism and its counterpoint,
regionalism, where regional and local identity is a vital factor in the face of attempts to findor force commonality .
Cultural interaction is no new phenomenon in the Asia-Pacific region and has taken placeover the centuries.
In Asian art the span of ancient cultures overrides later Western
influences on the region, which may come to be seen in the future as relatively superficial in
the context of history.
Artists today have to deal with a myriad of changes in making sense out of contemporary
events. Some reject tradition and history; others embrace it. In many cases artists arefocusing on re-examining the uniqueness of their national, regional, local or individual
identity . Others explore universal themes . The truisms of a twentieth century global culture
are challenged by the survival of cultural traditions thought lost . What is very clear in the art
coming out of the Triennial exhibitions is a fundamental challenge to the concept of auniversal global culture . It is a significant paradox also that while new national and regional
local identities are at times being asserted, it is the artists' sophisticated knowledge of,engagement with, and sometimes rejection of, internationalism that has inspired some of themost interesting recent art.
The most consistent feature of the art of this region in my opm1on is its rejection of ahierarchical internationalism in art, particularly that aspect which can now be seen as inmany ways an aberration of the Cold War.
At the 1996 Asia-Pacific Triennial Conference in Brisbane, David Elliott posed thesignificant question - who defines modernism, post-modernism or post-colonial? 0 At the1993 Triennial Conference speakers had stressed the need to canvass new ideas whichcrossed national boundaries . Geeta Kapur (India) talked of the necessity nonetheless ofcontext. Chinese artist Xu Hong noted: "When you look at a leopard through piece ofbamboo you can only see one spot ."Marian Pastor Roces (Philippines) outlined her unease at
the possibility of forcing another mega narrative and advocated new intellectual tools be
developed for the discourse .; Apinan Poshyananda (Thailand) pointed out the significanceof cultural syncretism in Asia." Speakers emphasised issues such as overlapping territories,
displacements, the need to expose difference, marginality and even tensions, rather than toimpose sameness. 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 the complexity and diversity of the art and asked new questions about"identity" in an Asia-Pacific context. These papers have now been published. 970

I would like to illustrate some of the points I have made by showing some examples of thediversity of art in the 1993 and 1996 Triennial exhibitions.
Conclusion
To conclude I would like to make five points :1. Understanding contemporary Asian art needs thorough research and scholarship,including a knowledge of the modern and pre-modern art of the cultures involved, anda long term commitment. I hope we can see more collaborations between institutions
worldwide involved in studying and researching, as well as collecting , contemporary
Asian art .
2. Our objective s should be artistic and scholarly, not political. l believe that artists dohave 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 .
3 . A realistic assessment of practical difficulties must take into account, but not be ruledby, current problems such as between China and Taiwan. Nevertheless, politicalrealities have to be negotiated .
4. We need to be open to history as well as to the future, to be inclusive rather than
exclusive , to be willing to override national boundaries and other dividing lines as wellas media divisions and hierarchies in art and we need to recognise trad itional andindigenous art .

s. The key to

the Asia-Pacific Triennial exhibitions, and to future projects incontemporary Asian or Asia-Pacific art, in my view, is an appreciation of context,
complexity and divers ity , and a commitment to genuine partnership between curators
based on mutual respect. To make artistic exchanges enriching, we need, as Edward
Said wrote in another context, to understand what we have in common and respect
what is different.

Notes' Wang Gungwu, "Foreword " in Caroline Turner (ed.), Tradition a11dChange: Contc111p
orary A rtof Asia and thePacific, University of Queensland Press, p.vii' Redza Piyadasa, "Review", Malaysia11 Business Times , 25 September 1993; Patrick D. Flore s, "ln Search of i1
Contemporary Idiom", Dilimm1 Reuiew, Vol.44, No.4 , p.51
' John McDonald, The Sydney Morning Herald, 5 Octobl'r 1996
' Dr Jonathan Mane-Wheoki speaking at First Asi<1-Pacific Triennial Conference 1993
'Robert Hughes, "The Cult of Identity ", The Austra/i1111, 24-25 May 1997, Features , p.3
6

Quoted by Fumio N<1njo,Mai11ichi Shi111bw
1,2 December 1996

7

Quoted T.K.Sabapathy"Developing Regionalist Perspectives in South East Asian Historiogr<1phy ", The Second

Asi a-Pac{fic Triennial Catalog ue, 1996 p .B.
" Apinan Posh yananda , "The Future: Post-Cold War , Post modernism, Postmarginalia ", in Turner (ed.), Tradition

a11dChange, pp.3-24
9Caroline Turner (ed.), Present Encounters, The Scco11dAsi11-fl11c1fic
Trie11ni11/Co11_
f1'rrnce Papers, Queensland Art

Gallery , 1997

71

SLIDESFOR PAPER

BY CAROLINETURNER

1. Kathleen Petyarre

2 . Michael and Anna Mel"Mountain devil lizard" 1992

APT 1996 Performance

1993 Triennial

1996 Triennial

This work by Australian Aboriginal artist, Kathleen Petyarre, relates to the absoluteinter-relationships in Aboriginal art between land and cultureand to the ceremonies for the
Mountain devil lizard, including the body paints and decorations for those ceremonies .
The inclusion of the Pacific gives the Triennial some of its unique features and is a distinctive
part of the exhibition, raising its own issues, particularly in defining what is contemporaryart.
In the 1996 Triennial exhibition Michael and Anna Mel returned to traditional culture withheaddresses, body paint and performance to challenge ourconcept of what is contemporary
art in a Pacific context. Both educated in Australia, Michael with a PhD, they wish to avoid
the trap of non-Western art codified by the West. Instead they seek to reveal a living andchanging cultural tradition, challenging Western interpretations.
They state: "Our role as contemporary artists in Papua New Guinea is to be able to draw on
our rich heritage and enunciate and revitalise these processes and practices today." The
inclusion of indigenous or tribal art challenges curatorial notions of what is contemporary. I
believe Australia can makea contribution to this debate through our position that indigenous
Aboriginalart is contemporary art.
3. Zhang Xiaogang

4. Choi Jeong Hwa"Three Comrades" 1994

"Super flower plastic spring" 1995

1996 Triennial

1996 Triennial

Zhang Xiaogang's "Three Comrades", shown in 1996, is a work using the visual rhetoric of theMao era in China to comment on the loss of individuality in China and idealisation in theinterests of ideology.
Choi Jeong Hwa from Korea in 1996 presented viewers with a huge synthetic tulip as well aswith an inflatable garden comprising palm trees and flowers. His plants were kept alive by
an air compressor and remained vividly coloured and attractive 'for ever', never wilting or
dying. The work challenges the concept of real and invented or natural and man-made.
5. Wu Tien-Chang

6. Cai Guo Qiang"On the damage to 'spring andautumn pavilion' - Dream of pastera f' 1995

"Dragon or Rainbow Serpent:myth glorified or feared" 1996

1996 Triennial

1996 Triennial

72

A

Wu Tien Chang from Taiwan in 1996 addressedof Chinese culture in contemporary Taiwan.

the edgy uncertainties and nostalgic aspects

For the 1996 Triennial, Cai Guo Qiang, who works in Tokyo and New York, was preparing a
gunpowder explosive event inspired by the commonalities of the Australian Indigenous
Rainbow Serpent and the Chinese Dragon, using the Brisbane River as a conceptual
metaphor and physical location. This gunpowder drawing, made by small explosions on
paper, is the plan for that proposed event.The work links ancient wisdom with
contemporary life and culture.
7. Montien Boonma

8 . Sulaiman Esa"Lotus sound" 1992

"Garden of mystery I" 1992

1993 Triennial

1993 Triennial

Both these artists were represented in 1993 and both works are now owned by the
Queensland Art Gallery, as are the works by Zhang Xiaogang and Cai Guo Qiang.
Thai artist Montien Boonma's profound Buddhist meditation piece, "Lotus sound", is madeup of ceramic bells and golden lotus petals .
Malaysian Sulaiman Esa's work, "Garden of mystery", reflects an equally profound belief inIslam.
10. Chen Yan Yin

9. N alini Malani"Body as site" 1996 (included
works from Mutant series and wall
drawings entitled "women ")"Discrepancy
1996

1996 Triennial

1996 Triennial

betweenNalini Malani from India has worked in theatre, video and installation.
of which were purchased
which encompasses

one

idea"

These drawings, twoby the Queen sland Art Gallery, are part of her "mutants series"

events such as nuclear tests in the Pacific at Bikini atoll in 1954 andsubsequent deformed babies born to Micronesian mothers, as well as the violent effects ofcolonialism in the Third World . The cave-like setting of the installation

conjured up a long

tradition of cave painting and Hindu mysticism .
Chen Yan Yin from China produced
Triennial.

one of the most discussed

installations

at the 1996

Her work draws upon themes related to female experiences, both physical andpsychological.

Her

installation"Discrepancy

betweenone

idea"

comprisedhospital

intravenous bottles and tubes, fresh roses, and a video projection, and is a metaphor for theflow of life and love.

73

12. Kamin Lertchaiprasert

11. Vasan Sitthiket"Buddha returns
1992"Problem-Wisdom" 1995

to Bangkok '92'"

1996 Triennial

1993 Triennial

Vasan Sitthiket in 1993 utilised violent imagery in an immediate reaction to the Coup of
1992. Vasan's work is an outpouring of grief. A poet painter he reflects his feelings in thepainting "Buddha returns to Bangkok" showing the Lord Buddha in front of scenes ofdegradation and corruption.
Kamin Lertchaiprasert trained in Bangkok and New York. The 1996 Triennial presented"Problem/ Wisdom", a sculptural installation of 366 pa pier mache objects, which wepurchased, made of recycled Thai newspapers. The work was completed over the course of
two years . During the first year the artist focused on various problems currently facing Thai
society . During the second year he sculpted the objects and reflected on solutions for eachspecific problem. The work is deeply informed by Buddhist beliefs.
13 . Nguyen Xuan Tiep

14. Vu Dan Tan"Song of the buffalo boys II" 1990

"Monsters, devils andangels" 1996

1993 Triennial

1996 Triennial

Nguyen Tiep in 1993 revealed a poetic and even sentimental return to a Vietnamesechildhood of old pagodas, Buddhist symbols, flutes and village life in "Song of the buffalo
boys".
Vu Dan Tan in the 1996 Triennial created three-dimensional sculptural pieces using recycledcigarette packages and cardboard boxes. His imagery includes mythical creatures such as
His work is informed by his
lion-dogs, phoenixes, monsters, devils and women-angels.
beliefs.
spiritual and metaphysicalBoth these works are owned by our Gallery .
15. Roberto Villanueva

16. Mark Justiniani"Ego's grave" : Performance 1993

"Edukado" 1994

1993 Triennial

1996 Triennial

The work from 1993 by Philippines artist, the late Roberto Villanueva, reflected an aspect ofAsian and Pacific art that defies rationalist interpretations . Roberto drew inspiration fromancient animist beliefs and Shamanistic rituals to quiet spirits in the Philippines . In so doing
he enlarges the focus of his art to include whole communities and their beliefs . He chose to
doa large installation called "Ego's grave " which involved a pit lined with wet clay that wa s
then fired in a huge burning ceremony . The performance was central to the concept of thi s
artist. Many artists found this work profoundly disturbing at the time and, indeed, it seems
to have been an uncanny presentiment or prediction of Roberto's own death from leukemia , adisease diagnosed a few days after the performance . Roberto himself seems to have felt
some uneaseat the work as he finally decided to fill in the pit in an all night ceremony

74

involving Abori gina l Australian participa n ts.
Mark Justiniani, one of the founding mem bers of the importa n t mural painting collectives
Salinpusa and Sanggawa, in 1996 presented mixed media worksfrom his recent series "Whi teRain" . This series is a sustained meditation on the colonisation of Philippines. The artist
has used a strong anti-colonialrefe rence in the Jeepney decoration (Jeeps left behind by
American troops) to comment on the insensitivity of American education where A was forapple butapples did not then grow in the tropical Philippines.
The white rain refers tocontinuing first world cultural imperialism.
17. Wong Hoy Cheong

18. Nindityo Adipurnomo"In Search of Faraway Places" 1996

"Introversion (April-first )" 1995-96

1996 Triennial

1996 Triennial

thetwentyWong Hoy Cheong from Malaysia in the 1996 Triennial treats the history of his own family
in an attempt to better understand the history of his coun try and the aspirations of present
day Malaysia.
One of these works was purchased by the Queen sland Art Gallery andshown recently in Tokyo .
Indonesian artist, Nindityo Adipurnomo, who has studied in The Netherlands, says : "Iconstantly experience a terrifying confrontation of Western and Eastern values . But it isfascinating because in thi s confrontation the flame s of tradition , change and renewal arecontained" . His "Introversion " purcha sed by the Queensland Art Gallery consists of 21
mirrors on which are superimposed
the carved wooden konde (traditional Javanese
hairpiece) . The work payshomage to the 19th century noble woman , Kartini, who advocatedwomen's emancipation in Indonesia .
19. Dadang Christan to

2 0 . Heri Dono

"For those who ..." 1993

"The chair" : Perform ance 1993

1993 Triennial

1993 Triennial

Dadang Christanto
from Indonesia called his 1993 work "For those who arepoor.. .suffering ...oppressed ...voiceless ...powerless ...victims of violence ...victims of justice ".
Dadang's work expresses social concerns but what he calls the "primitive touch" is a symbolof empathy with ordinary people . He asked our audiences to leave flowers in memory of
those who had suffered in any way, in any country . By the end of the exhibition the floor
was heaped with flowers and poems , showing that visitors returned especially to leave thosetributes. Dadang 's belief, echoing an ancient Indonesian saying, is that art should speakfrom the heart , and our audience responded from their heart s. The work, which wepurchased , continues to arouse these emotions .
The Indone sian artist , Heri Dono, whose extraordinary images are drawn from ancient
wayang puppetry and modern television , combines humour with biting social comment about
global injustices . His work is also based on the question of how art can serve lmmanity . The
ideali sm of these young Asian artists, and their connection to community life, had aprofound effect on Australianaudiences who saw the exhibition s.

75

21. Shigeo Toya

22. Takashi Murakami"Woods III'' 1991-92"The hellish madness of the gamehas come to an end leaving you
hanging" 1994

1993 Triennial

1996 Triennial

Shigeo Toya's "Woods ill" in the 1993 Triennial was one of 203 subsequently purchased by
the Queensland Art Gallery. It reflects the strong identification with nature in Japanese art.
Takashi Murakami was trained in traditional Japanese nibong-a painting.
His painting
combines traditional techniques with popular post-War culture imagery, revealing theparadoxes of post-modern Japan. We purchased Murakami's painting which is also a self
portrait. The balloon "The Hellish Madness of the Game bas come to an end leaving you
hanging", where the baseball bat-shaped balloon looks narcissus-like into a mirror, is basedon a Japanese computergame puyopuyo, described by Professor Midori Matsui as a"revelation of nothingness".
23. Yasarnasa Morimura

24. Yukinori Yanagi"Blinded by the light" 1991

"PACIFIC Ant Farm" 1996

1996 Triennial

1996 Triennial

Yasumasa Morimura's work "Blinded by the Light", is based on the 16th century Breughel
painting, "The parable of the blind".
This work is a response to a contemporaryconsumerism, particularly in the context of the 1980s Japanese bubble economy and now
forms part of the Queensland Art Gallery Collection .
This installation by Japanese artist Yukinori Yanagi seen in 1996 "PACIFIC Ant Farm", ispart of his series of works in which national flags in coloured sand in the plastic boxes are
disrupted randomly by the living ants. The work reflects complex ideas about global society
and dissolving borders and inevitable historical change in cultures . This work served as animportant symbol of the 1996 Triennial.

76

Cultural Encounters through Contemporary Art
Graeme Murray
Director, The Fruitmarket Gallery

CULTURE:"Customs, ideas and attitudes shared by a group transmitted fro111generation to generation /Jylearning processes rather than biological i11lzcritm1ce;
adherence to thest' customs and attitudes isregardedby a system of rewards and pu11isl1111e11ts
peculiar to each culture"
Arthur J. Deikman
Lecture, 6 March 1987

From the late eighties 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 of continuing rapid change and dynamism in the culture and economies ofthese countries. Previous study and research, commencing with the History of Art, had given
me some background. I was interesteq ,in seeing to what extent the contemporary art practice
was 'anchored in' the particular culture, its history and beliefs and to what extent
international communications and the concomitant information from other cultures had beentaken up .
I was looking, of course, for artists of perception, clear in their assessment of what is goingon and capable of making work whose presentation could give rise to a greater awareness ofthe elements of the modern international problematique, and whose ethics enable them totranscend current Western notions of the artist 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 wereoperational. 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 the East - what was its current operation?
What were the dynamics between the art of these countries and what I knew previously, in
the West, where the cult of the individual 'great artist' has been in full swing?
"It may be that cultural clash is a condition of the lzunian race, at least in it's present stage ofdevelopment. If we are to get aiuayfrom it ,l'e shall have to develop a better 1111dersta11di11g
of groups
and living in voups."'A Clash of Cultures - The Malaysian Experience'David Widdicombe

Recently the West has focused on this geographical area with the end of the British lease of
Hong Kong and the celebration of 50 years of Indian independence from Britain - and of
Korea from Japan . Such milestones encourage evaluations of available historic documents tosee who really did what.
In London, recently, there have been major focuses on the art of other cultures - The Festivalof Islam, for example, and the Japan Festival in 1991. An article in the Sunday Times of 27

77

July 1997, pointed out that following this 33'.X,of people surveyed said they now have amore favourable view of Japan than before it; 71% said they now wished to visit Japan .
Currently a focus on Korean culture is being presented in London. Such an international
centre encourages state and business partnership support to promote and present aspects of
their culture for greater visibility and presence on the world stage - and no doubt, increase ofsales of their business products, Hyundai cars, for example. Before long there will be morecars in Britain than people, if present trends continue. What would the Romans have thoughtof that?
At The Fruitmarket Gallery our remit is to present exhibitions of the best national andinternational contemporary art. Internationally, over the last five ye ar s, we have presented
major exhibitions from Australia ("Aboriginal Art, the collection of Donald Khan"), West
Africa ("Photographs of Malick Sidibe and Seydou Keita"), Japan ('"Liquid Crystal Futures"),
Korea ("Information and Reality") and China ("Reckoning with the Past"). An exhibition ofcontemporary Indian art is currently in the planning stage. This interest in other cultures
sterns from the necessity to be aware of what is going on in other countries globally - tosearch 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 trappings of different race, religion and culturalideas. The contradiction in modern times is perhaps that, whilst at face value, all cultures
and their histories are now available and apparently accessible by plane 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 inour common destiny. We are all born to live, to die. Co-operation for a good and meaningful
future evolution should surely be our aim.
There are many historical contacts between Scotland and the Pacific Rim . 18th Century
immigrants to Australia and New Zealand led to the development of many communities.
Australia's relationship with the UK continues - their investment in the UK is ahead of Japanand Korea. The UK is the second biggest investor in Australia . There is a great awarenesshere of the recent Brisbane Triennial and forthcoming Sydney Biennial. In tl1e UK, and indeed
throughout Europe, there is also the continuing participation in the major international artsand so on. With India there is the colonial
events - Venice, Sao Paulo, Johannesburg,. Kwangi.·u.
heritage, but the great example of a country moving from feudalism and colonialism into
secular modernism in fifty years . Today, the subcontinent life is changing rapidly throughincreased mobility. Artists are borrowing from traditions - their own traditions are being
diffused. However, hopefully, sensitive interaction and good direction will lead to cultural
rejuvenation. With Burma, Japan and Korea a substantial series of business partnerships
continue to develop.
Although we are now dealing with information as a global village, we must not forget that
cultural influence is as old as time. Wl1at seems to be a problem today is the volume of
information to be dealt with - how do we deal with what is essential, weed out the rest andapply what is useful, where it is needed? Because I come from the West I do not find theremnants of Western style art practice very interesting when I encounter it in the East. Art
colleges may have opened in India in 1857 . Studio practice has led to the adoption of easel
painting modes. What I am interested in is not one culture copying the indoctrination ofanother, but the essential genius of these cultures - and how that is useful for the future. To
adopt this and that, to select from here and there may be pleasurable, but may be a self78