Asean though its art
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Asean this year, the Japan Foundation Asia Centre is working with the National Art Centre Tokyo and the Mori Art Museum to present “Sunshower: Contemporary Art from Southeast Asia 1980s to Now” – the largest-ever exhibition of Southeast Asian contemporary art to be held in Japan.
After 30 months of field research conducted in the Southeast Asian region, the team has selected approximately 180 artworks by 86 artist groups from the 10 Asean member countries to exhibit at the two museums from July 5 to October 23.
The exhibition gets its name from the “sunshower” –rain falling from clear skies – a frequently-seen meteorological phenomenon in Southeast Asia. The post-WWII decolonisation led the countries to democratisation and internationalisation despite periods of turmoil, but with the rapid economic and urban development that they have undergone in more recent years came truly drastic changes. It thus serves as a poetic metaphor for the region that has passed through various 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 nine different perspectives and aims to capture its dynamism and diversity.
The line-up of 86 artists groups includes the late Montien Boonma (Thailand) and Roberto Chabet (the Philippines), both of whom had an enormous influence on the next generation; Asia’s foremost star artists who began attracting attention in the 1990s such as Rirkrit Tiravanija (Thailand), Wong Hoy Cheong (Malaysia), Heri Dono (Indonesia) and Tiffany Chung (Vietnam); and, representing the younger generation born in the 1970s and 80s, Ho Rui An (Singapore) and Korakrit Arunanondchai (Thailand) that are already attracting offers from around the world.
The exhibition also includes many large-scale installations, interactive artworks and other works that can be photographed and shared on social media platforms. Among them is the site-specific “OK Store”, a replica of Thai artist Navin Rawanchaikul’s family fabric shop – the OK Store in Chiang Mai’s Varorot market – featuring paintings of some 50 people including family members, relatives and other shopkeepers from the market that deal with his personal odyssey.
Besides Montien, Rirkrit, Korakrit and Navin, other participating Thai artists and curators include Chalood Nimsamer, Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook, Vasan Sitthiket, Surasi Kusolwong, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Chai Siris, Mit Jai-inn, Uthit Atimana+Gridthiya Gaweewong, Udomsak Krisanamis, Sutthirat Supaparinya, Pratchaya Phinthong, Arin Rungjang, and Dusadee Huntrakul.
Find out more at http://Sunshower2017.jp/en.
