SUNSHOWERPress Release vol.1

MARCH 8, 2017

EXHIBITION COMMEMORATING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF ASEAN

SUNSHOWER:CONTEMPORARY ART FROM SOUTHEAST ASIA
1980S TO NOWJULY 5, 2017 [WED] – OCTOBER 23, 2017 [MON]SPECIAL EXHIBITION GALLERY 2E, THE NATIONAL ART CENTER, TOKYOMORI ART MUSEUM [53F, ROPPONGI HILLS MORI TOWER, TOKYO]

THE FIRST JOINT EXHIBITION HELD SIMULTANEOUSLY AT TWO MUSEUMS THE NATIONAL ART CENTER, TOKYO AND THE MORI ART MUSEUM
It is with great pleasure to announce that The National Art Center, Tokyo, Mori Art Museum and the JapanFoundation Asia Center are to present “ SUNSHOWER: Contemporary Art from Southeast Asia 1980s toNow” exhibition from Wednesday, July 5 through Monday, October 23, 2017. This is an aspiring exhibition tocommemorate the year 2017 which happens to be the 50th anniversary of ASEAN (Association of Southeast
Asian Nations) by showcasing the contemporary art of the region, and will be one of the largest Southeast Asiancontemporary art exhibitions in history. Originally, the idea of exhibition was conceived by the Director-Generalof the National Art Center, Tokyo, and Director of the Mori Art Museum - both in the same Roppongi area ofTokyo - and supported by The Japan Foundation. Three parties came together, set up a 14-member curatorial
team for this first-ever joint exhibition that has selected approximately 180 artworks by 85 artists (TBD) from
10 ASEAN member countries as a result of the two-and-half-year-long field research conducted in the region*,and are to exhibit them in two separate venues.
With its total population counting around 600 million, multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, multi-faith Southeast Asia
has nurtured a truly dynamic and diverse culture. Contemporary art from the emerging economic powerhouseof Southeast Asia is currently earning widespread international attention. The “sunshower” – rain falling fromclear skies – is an intriguing yet frequently-seen meteorological phenomenon in Southeast Asia. On the otherhand, looking back at the history of the region we see the post-WWII decolonization led the countries todemocratization and internationalization despite periods of turmoil such as conflicts and civil wars during theCold War era. With the rapid economic and urban development that they have undergone in more recent years
come truly drastic changes. “Sunshower” thus serves as a poetic metaphor for the region that has passed throughvarious vicissitudes as well.
This exhibition seeks to explore the development of contemporary art in Southeast Asia since the 1980s
against the backdrop of the currents and fluctuations of the times from 9 different perspectives, and aims tocapture its dynamism and diversity.
* The field research reports are archived and can be referred to at the “SEA Project” website: http://seaproject.asia/en/[Exhibition Structure : 2 Venues and 9 Sections]@ The National Art Center, Tokyo

Fluid World / Passion and Revolution / Archiving / Diverse Identities / Day by Day@ Mori Art Museum

Growth and Loss / What Is Art? Why Do It? / Medium as Meditation / Dialogue with History[Member Countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)] (* in alphabetical order)
Brunei / Cambodia / Indonesia / Laos / Malaysia / Myanmar / The Philippines / Singapore / Thailand / Vietnampress release Press Contact Details: “SUNSHOWER” Exhibition PR Office [c/o Kyodo Public Relations]Tel: 03-3575-9823 Fax: 03-3574-0316 E-mail: sunshower2017pr@kyodo-pr.co.jp* For venue-specific inquiries, address them to Office of Communications and International Affairs [The National Art Center, Tokyo] and/orMs. Kayo Machino [Mori Art Museum].

1 /7

SUNSHOWER

Press Release vol.1

MARCH 8, 2017

General Information
Exhibition Title: “SUNSHOWER: Contemporary Art from Southeast Asia 1980s to Now”
Exhibition Period: July 5, 2017 [Wed] - October 23, 2017 [Mon]
Venues:Special Exhibition Hall 2E, The National Art Center, Tokyo (7-22-2 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-8558)
Mori Art Museum (53F, Ropppongi Hills Mori Tower, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-6150)
Organizers: The National Art Center, Tokyo; Mori Art Museum; The Japan Foundation Asia Center
Curatorial Team:[ The National Art Center, Tokyo ] Yoneda Naoki (Curator) / Kida Sayuri (Associate Curator) / Mukasa Yuiko (Assistant Curator) /Nagaya Mitsue (Curator)[ Mori Art Museum ] Kataoka Mami (Chief Curator) / Araki Natsumi (Curator) / Kondo Kenichi (Curator) /Tsubaki Reiko (Associate Curator) / Tokuyama Hirokazu (Associate Curator) / Kumakura Haruko (Assistant Curator)[ Independent Curators from Southeast Asia ] Merv Espina (Artist / Curator, The Philippines) / Vera May (Curator, Singapore) /Ong Jo-Lene (Curator, Malaysia) / Grace Samboh (Curator, Indonesia)
Open Hours:[ The National Art Center, Tokyo ] 10:00-18:00 | Fri & Sat: 10:00-21:00 |* Admission 30 minutes before closing. | * Closed on Tuesdays.

[ Mori Art Museum ] 10:00-22:00 | Tue: 10:00-17:00 | * Admission 30 minutes before closing. | * Open everyday.
Admission:
Ticket for Both Venues

Ticket for Single Venue

Day Ticket

Advance Ticket

Day Ticket

Group Ticket

Adult

1,800

1,600

1,000

800

Student (College / University)

800600500300(all in JPY)

* All students up to highschool and those less than 18 years of age will be free of admission fee upon presenting a valid form of ID.
* Disabled persons (plus one accompanied person) will be free of admission fee upon presenting Disabled Person's Handbook or an equivalent
form of government-issued ID.
* “Group” admission rate is applied to a party of more than 20 persons for The National Art Center, Tokyo and 15 for Mori Art Museum. GroupTickets are sold at each facility.
* Advance Tickets can be purchased through the exhibition website.
* “ATRo Discounts” (200-yen off) are applied to those who show ticket stubs of the exhibition held at the Suntory Museum of Art, The National
Art Center, Tokyo and Mori Art Museum (Only single ticket stubs of Mori Art Museum / The National Art Center, Tokyo are valid).
* Additional entrance fee to facilities adjacent to the Mori Art Museum (i.e. Tokyo City View observation deck, Sky Deck and Mori Arts CenterGallery) is required.

Exhibition Touring:
Fukuoka Asian Art Museum
November 3, 2017 [Fri] - December 25, 2017 [Mon]press release Press Contact Details: “SUNSHOWER” Exhibition PR Office [c/o Kyodo Public Relations]Tel: 03-3575-9823 Fax: 03-3574-0316 E-mail: sunshower2017pr@kyodo-pr.co.jp* For venue-specific inquiries, address them to Office of Communications and International Affairs [The National Art Center, Tokyo] and/orMs. Kayo Machino [Mori Art Museum].

2 /7

SUNSHOWER

Press Release vol.1

Access:

MARCH 8, 2017

乃木坂駅り ri S
通 Do
東 hi
苑 as
外 Hig

Naien

東京ミッドタウン
Tokyo Midtownt.

* Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line “Nogizaka Station” Exit
6 (direct access to the museum)* 5-minute walk from Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line
“Roppongi Station” Exit 4a* 4-minute walk from Toei Subway Oedo Line
“Roppongi Station” Exit 7G[ To The National Art Center, Tokyo ]http://www.nact.jp

Nogizaka Station

6

正門MainGate

7

六本木交差点西門WestGate

国立新美術館

RoppongiCrossing

The National Art Center, Tokyo

Roppongi Station(Oedo Line)

4a3
Ka六本木駅（日比谷線）

o線 No号 p3 oo状 (L環 ngoanjt.

or
Dki

星

Roppongi Stationn(Hibiya Line)

.3

Se

ijo

条旗iS

通り

S

* 0-minute walk from Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line
“ Roppongi Station ” Exit 1C ( direct access to
Roppongi Hills through concourse)* 4-minute walk from Toei Subway Oedo Line
“Roppongi Station” Exit 3

六本木駅（大江戸線）

ルネ elン nnト Tu木 gi本 on
六 opp
R[ To Mori Art Museum ]www.mori.art.museum)

横断地下道Underpass

1c 六本木ヒルズに直結
Direct Access to Roppongi Hillst.

Mori Art Museumpporon

giDbu

▲
駅 on番 ati十 St
布 an
麻 Jub-za

RoA

TV Asahi Dori St.

テレビ朝日通り

六本木iS

通り

森美術館

六本木ヒルズ 森タワー
Roppongi Hills Mori Tower

けやき坂通り Keyakizaka Dori St.

General Inquiries:+81-(0)3-5777-8600 (Hello Dial) http://sunshower2017.jp (Exhibition Website)

press release Press Contact Details: “SUNSHOWER” Exhibition PR Office [c/o Kyodo Public Relations]Tel: 03-3575-9823 Fax: 03-3574-0316 E-mail: sunshower2017pr@kyodo-pr.co.jp* For venue-specific inquiries, address them to Office of Communications and International Affairs [The National Art Center, Tokyo] and/orMs. Kayo Machino [Mori Art Museum].

3 /7

SUNSHOWER

Press Release vol.1

MARCH 8, 2017

SECTIONS@ The National Art Center, Tokyo

Fluid World
Throughout the histor y of time, maps have been the medium
into which countless politico-economic values and variances wereweaved. Indeed, maps drawn by the artists do not simply represent
the region ’ s geographical characteristics - they, instead, expose its
complex histories and spatio-temporalities. This section examines
the overlapping cartography of this space known as Southeast Asia
through multi-tiered maps that look at land and its significance, mapsof migration that stir up one ’ s memory of physical movement ofpeople, and imaginary maps that seek a world and society of the ideal.

Yee I-Lann
Fluid World (from the series “Orang Besar”)
2010
Direct digital Mimaki inkjet print, acid dye, batik crackle Japanese indigo
dye,100% silk twill
140.5 x 298 cm
Courtesy: Silverlens Galleries, Makati, The Philippines

Passion and Revolution
From the 1940s following the end of WWII well into the 1980s,
many Southeast Asian countries underwent a long transition fromcolonial rule to independence. It was during this time that struggle
for independence, the Indochina Wars, the Vietnam War, theCambodian Civil War, and other conflicts erupted. In some countries,
this was also a time of continual suppression and censorship ofartistic expression. It was in such an environment that many artists
stepped forward to demand democracy, freedom of expression, andfreedom of speech. This section introduces artworks by artists wholived through such a tumultuous time.

ArchivingWith recent IT advancements, information, previously hard or
sometimes nearly impossible to find, has become readily accessible.
Based on the findings from such access, efforts to archive materials
are now underway. While many documents accumulated in all partsof the region are open to the public in Southeast Asia, more artists
are using these documents themselves as materials for their artworks.
This section presents a number of examples, among them Koh
Nguang How’ s Singapore Art Archive Project (2007), an undertaking
that offers a comprehensive view of the activities of Singapore’ s The
Artists Village (TAV).

Ho Rui An
Solar: A Meltdown (still)
2014Video, digital print, solar-powered toy
60 min.
Courtesy: Maezawa Hideto; TPAM Performing Arts Meeting in Yokohama,
2016

Koh Nguang How
Shui Tit Sing - 100 Years of an Artist through His Archives
2014
Ephemera, original works at NTU CCA Residencies Studio, Singapore
Dimensions variable
Collection: Shui Tit Sing and Singapore Art Archive Project
Photo: Koh Nguang Howpress release Press Contact Details: “SUNSHOWER” Exhibition PR Office [c/o Kyodo Public Relations]Tel: 03-3575-9823 Fax: 03-3574-0316 E-mail: sunshower2017pr@kyodo-pr.co.jp* For venue-specific inquiries, address them to Office of Communications and International Affairs [The National Art Center, Tokyo] and/or
Ms. Kayo Machino [Mori Art Museum].

4 /7

SUNSHOWER

Press Release vol.1

MARCH 8, 2017

Diverse Identities
Entering the age of postcolonialism and the dawn of independence
and democracy, people began to question the various “identities” thatmake up who they are - specifically, their identities as a new nationstate, as members of a particular ethnic group, and also as individuals.
When the Cold War structure collapsed in 1989, this difficult question
was shared worldwide for those in search of new value systems toreplace previous ideologies. Many of the contemporary artworks
produced during this time attempted to examine the question ofidentity from these levels, a question which indeed remains as anextremely complex issue to this day.

Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook
When We Were Young (from the series “Female Figure”)
1990
Etching on paper
38.9 x 93.4 cm
Collection: Mori Art Museum, Tokyo

Day by Day
Beginning in the 1990s, many artists began to turn their attention tothe daily life and the everyday. With globalization and multiculturalism
storming throughout the world, discoveries of cultural, social, andhistorical contexts within the everyday scenes, and the translationof those contexts into art attracted people ’ s attention as a form ofexpression for the new generation. Memories with one’ s families, daily
meals and leisure times, and everyday activities carried out on thestreets were all incorporated into the context of contemporary art
through such media as paintings, photographs, videos, and installations.
Simultaneously, these new generation artists have garnered attention
at international exhibitions that rapidly expanded to all corners of theglobe, and Southeast Asian artists thereby found more opportunities
to make their presence felt on the global stage.

Surasi Kusolwong
Golden Ghost (Reality Called, So I Woke Up)
2014Gold necklaces, industrial wool thread, neon work, mirror, photographs, et al.
Dimensions variable
Performance view: Taipei Biennial 2014

FOR OBTAINING THE EXHIBITION-RELATED PRESS IMAGES
Please make separate inquiries via E-mail to: sunshower2017pr@kyodo-pr.co.jp

press release Press Contact Details: “SUNSHOWER” Exhibition PR Office [c/o Kyodo Public Relations]Tel: 03-3575-9823 Fax: 03-3574-0316 E-mail: sunshower2017pr@kyodo-pr.co.jp* For venue-specific inquiries, address them to Office of Communications and International Affairs [The National Art Center, Tokyo] and/orMs. Kayo Machino [Mori Art Museum].

5 /7

SUNSHOWER

Press Release vol.1

MARCH 8, 2017

SECTIONS@ Mori Art Museum

Growth and Loss
With a total population of over 600 million, ASEAN’ s presence in theinternational community is expected to only accelerate, also attracting
attention from overseas investors as a vast emerging market due tothe advent of free trade. Although growth rates vary depending on thecountry, high economic growth and the developments that accompany
it throughout the region are rapidly transforming the urban landscapesand bringing dramatic changes to people ’ s lives. At the same time,
there are concerns about resulting social disparities and the loss oftraditional cultures. As artists frequently look at such changes witha critical eye, this section closes in on the driving forces and issues
generated by growth and development.

Jompet Kuswidananto
Words and Possible Movement
2013
Motorbikes without machine, fabric flags
Dimensions variable
Collection: Mori Art Museum, Tokyo

What Is Art? Why Do It?
In Southeast Asia, as public art museums and other institutions forcontemporary art are still in the process of formation, the purposeof creative activities is not always limited to the success within suchinstitutions. Instead, there is a noticeable amount of young artists whoquestion and investigate the role of art to resolve the many challenges
communities face such as environmental issues and the scatteringof local societies to name a few. Socially-engaged art practices
that intervene in communities and demand the participation of thegeneral public and practices as collectives are a couple of traits thatcharacterize Southeast Asia today, much more so than Japan.

Medium as Meditation
Southeast Asia is home to a diverse mix of ethnic groups, languages,cultures, and religions that coexist side by side. Even in this ageof rapid growth and development, annual events/functions andreligious rituals passed down over the generations continue to be an
important part of Southeast Asia ’ s daily life, directly linked to theirinterests in not only the world of the living but also the afterworld
and the supernatural. This section presents artists who frequently use
traditional artistic techniques and concepts, ranging from ancientnature worship to specific religions, to create artworks depicting thebroader worlds of mysticism and spirituality.

New Zero / Aye Ko
Village Art School
2015-Korakrit Arunanondchai
Painting with history in a room filled with people with funny names 32015
Video24 min. 55 sec.
Courtesy: Carlos/Ishikawa, London; Clearing, Brussels/New Yorkpress release Press Contact Details: “SUNSHOWER” Exhibition PR Office [c/o Kyodo Public Relations]Tel: 03-3575-9823 Fax: 03-3574-0316 E-mail: sunshower2017pr@kyodo-pr.co.jp* For venue-specific inquiries, address them to Office of Communications and International Affairs [The National Art Center, Tokyo] and/or
Ms. Kayo Machino [Mori Art Museum].

6 /7

SUNSHOWER

Press Release vol.1

MARCH 8, 2017

Dialogue with History
Among the new generations of artists in Southeast Asia, there arethose who are trying to revisit the region ’s repetitious histories ofpolitical, economic, and social change - particularly its histories of war
and repression - and to integrate its memories as one ’s own. At thesame time, there are also those who seek to pass on the legacies andcontributions to contemporary art by artists of past generations to thepresent. This section of the exhibition showcases artworks that revisit
the past and engage in cross-generational dialogues in an attempt tosituate contemporary society and art within a much larger narrative ofhistory.

Ise
Study drawing for anOther story
2017

FOR OBTAINING THE EXHIBITION-RELATED PRESS IMAGES
Please make separate inquiries via E-mail to: sunshower2017pr@kyodo-pr.co.jp

press release Press Contact Details: “SUNSHOWER” Exhibition PR Office [c/o Kyodo Public Relations]Tel: 03-3575-9823 Fax: 03-3574-0316 E-mail: sunshower2017pr@kyodo-pr.co.jp* For venue-specific inquiries, address them to Office of Communications and International Affairs [The National Art Center, Tokyo] and/orMs. Kayo Machino [Mori Art Museum].

7 /7