The Japan Foundation Asian Art Archive

The Japan Foundation established the ASEAN Culture Center in January 1990 to introduce and showcase the diverse cultures of Asia with a focus on ASEAN countries. In line with an emphasis on the contemporary art and culture of each country, the Japan Foundation in 1990 hosted the exhibition “Narrative Visions in Contemporary ASEAN Art” (February 12–26, 1990), and with it launched its cultural exchange program on Asian art. This program has since undergone various organizational changes but continues to this day to host exhibitions and symposiums and train new curators, selecting whatever format is most appropriate for the age.

Since the 1990s, as the Japan Foundation has administered this program, the world has come to hold a strong interest in art from the Asian region, though it was previously often ignored. Asian contemporary art moved beyond its infancy preoccupied with passive acceptance of Western styles, and individual artists discovered their own individual methods and styles. Today there are ever greater numbers of Asian artists active on the international stage.

To reflect back on the Japan Foundation’s history of work in support of these developments in Asian art, we have established the Japan Foundation Asian Art Archive, which is described here. We, as direct witnesses to the journey of contemporary art in Asia, hope that sharing it here will help to serve as a foundation for relationships with Asia in the future.

1990s

1990

January ASEAN Culture Center established

1991

Poster: Narrative Visions
Narrative Visions in Contemporary ASEAN Art
Poster: Tradition, the Source of Inspiration
Tradition, the Source of Inspiration
Poster: Contemporary Indonesian Prints
Contemporary Indonesian Prints
Poster: Montien Boonma
Montien Boonma

1992

1993

1994

September Japan Foundation Forum opens (closes on March, 2008)

1995

October ASEAN Culture Center expanded and recognized into the Asia Center
Poster: New Art from Southeast Asia 1992
New Art from Southeast Asia 1992
Poster: Floral Cosmology
Floral Cosmology
Poster: Beyond the Border
Beyond the Border
Poster: Vision of Happiness
Visions of Happiness

1996

1997

1998

1999

Poster: Asian Modernism
Asian Modernism
Poster: Fang Lijun
Fang Lijun
Poster: Art in Southeast Asia 1997
Art in Southeast Asia 1997
Poster: Private Mythology
Private Mythology

2000s

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

April Asia Center closes and its art-related activities in Asia subsequently managed directly by the Japan Foundation’s headquarters
Poster: Heri Dono
Heri Dono
Poster: Under Construction
Under Construction
Poster: International Symposium 2002 “Asia in Transition—Representation and Identity”
International Symposium 2002 “Asia in Transition”
Poster: Lee Bul
Lee Bul
Poster: Out the Window
Out the Window

2005

2007

2008

2009

2010s

2011

2012

2013

Poster: Have We Met?
Have We Met?
Poster: Cubism in Asia
Cubism in Asia
Poster: Omnilogue
Omnilogue
Poster: Time of others
Time of others

2014

April New Asia Center opens

2015

2016

Book: Art Studies
Art Studies
Book: RUN & LEARN
RUN & LEARN

2017

2018

2019

2020


  • *A PDF file of all pages of catalogue / report.
  • *B PDF file of texts only.
  • In addition to the above data published on the website, catalogs and reports, exhibition / symposium/ event images, audio, and film archives are available for browsing and viewing at the Japan Foundation Library.
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