Under Construction
This was a collaborative project in which nine young curators in their twenties and thirties from seven Asian countries (China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, and Thailand) conducted local art surveys, debated their findings, and created exhibitions. The project was particularly significant in that its process involved the partner curators understanding each other’s culture and art environments, and then sharing their awareness of problems and collaborating in order to overcome them.
Starting with the first working seminar held in August 2000, each curator surveyed two or three cities from October of the same year. At the second working seminar in February 2001, after delivering their reports and holding discussions, the curators decided on a project framework. Between October 2001 and March 2002, each curator then organized a local exhibition either alone or in collaboration with another curator in, respectively, Ashiya, Manila, Seoul, Beijing, Bandung (Indonesia), Mumbai (India), and Bangkok. After bringing together the results in the third working seminar in April 2002, the collective exhibition, which included all 43 artists or groups from the local exhibitions, was held from December of that year in Tokyo.
This three-year endeavor of “crossing the curation border” was a chance to build a mutual network between curators and artists over multiple countries and develop further opportunities for collaboration.
- Catalogues
Collective Exhibition
Under Construction: New Dimensions of Asian Art
Through its focus on Asian contemporary art, which has increased levels of attention at international exhibitions all over the world since the start of the 21st century, this exhibition asked the question “What actually is Asia?” Against a backdrop of underdeveloped cultural infrastructures in comparison to Europe, the United States, or Japan, the viewpoints of the curators from seven Asian countries (China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, and Thailand) uncovered abundant examples of artistic expression furnished with compelling critical faculties. This exhibition followed on from the local exhibitions held around Asia the previous year and took place in Tokyo in two venues, featuring artworks by a total 43 artists and groups from the same seven countries.
| Dates & Venues (Tokyo) |
December 7, 2002–March 2, 2003 |
|---|---|
| The Japan Foundation Forum Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery |
|
| Curators | Patrick D. Flores (Professor, University of the Philippines at Diliman) Gridthiya Gaweewong (Curator, Chiang Mai University Art Museum) Ranjit Hoskote (Art Critic) Asmudjo Jono Irianto (Lecturer, Bandung Institute of Technology) Kamiya Yukie (Independent Curator) Kataoka Mami (Chief Curator, Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery) Kim Sunjung (Chief Curator, Artsonje Center) Pi Li (Assistant Researcher, Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing) Yamamoto Atsuo (Curator, Ashiya City Museum of Art & History) |
| Advisors | Mizusawa Tsutomu (Chief Curator, The Museum of Modern Art, Kamakura) Nanjyo Fumio (Deputy Director, Mori Art Museum) Tatehata Akira (Professor, Tama Art University) |
| Program Directors | Furuichi Yasuko (Exhibition Coordinator, The Japan Foundation Asia Center) |
| Artists | China Chen Shaoxiong, Cui Xiuwen, Jiang Zhi, Kan Xuan, Miao Xiaochun, Wang Gongxin, Yang Zhenzhong India Subodh Gupta, Jitish Kallat, Bharti Kher, Shibu Natesan, Baiju Parthan, Sharmila Samant Indonesia Handiwirman, Gusbarlian Lubis, Syagini Ratnawulan, Sofwan, S. Teddy D. Japan Futana Yoshihi, Kitao Hiroshi, Noguchi Rika, Ozawa Tsuyoshi, Rogues' Gallery, Saki Satom, Shinoda Taro Korea Gimhongsok, Ham Jin, Jung Yeondoo, Kim Beom, Kim Sora, Lee Mikyung, Rhii Jewyo Philippines Alfredo Juan & Maria Isabel Aquilizan, Alfredo Esquillo, José Legaspi, Mark Maestro, Mike Munõz + Paloy Cagayat Woodcarving Workshop, Wire Rommel Tuazon Thailand Mareeya Dumrongphol, Thasnai Sethaseree, Michael Shoawanasai, Montri Toemsombat, Apichatpong Weersethakul |
| Organizers | The Japan Foundation Asia Center; Tokyo Opera City Cultural Foundation |
| Special Sponsors | Nippon Life Insurance Company |
| Sponsors | NTT Urban Development Co.; Odakyu Electric Railway Co., Ltd. |
| Cooperation | Yamadai Tetsusho Co., Ltd.; Sogo Bussan Co., Ltd.; The Korean Culture & Arts Foundation; Beams; Comet; LOTTE; Marunan; TCK Corporation (Tokyo Color Kogei) |
| Grants | Pola Art Foundation |
| Related Programs | Openeing Symposium “Thinking about Curation in Asia” December 7, 2002 / The Japan Foundation Conference Hall / Panelists: David Elliott, Hou Hanru, Patrick D. Flores, Gridthiya Gaweewong, Ranjit Hoskote, Asmudjo Jono Irianto, Kamiya Yukie, Kataoka Mami, Kim Sunjung, Pi Li, Yamamoto Atsuo The Japan Foundation 30th Anniversary: International Symposium 2002 “Asia in Transition: Representation and Identity” December 13-14, 2002 / The Japan Foundation Conference Hall / Panelists: Tony Bennett, Rey Chow, David Elliott, Koizumi Shinya, Lee Yong Woo, Mizusawa Tsutomu, Goenawan Mohamad, Sakai Naoki, Tatehata Akira, Anmol Vellani, Wang Hui, Yoshimi Shunya / Link: The Japan Foundation Asian Art Archive Artist Talk 1 December 7, 2002 / The Japan Foundation Forum / Kitao Hiroshi, José Legaspi, Baiju Parthan, Syagini Ratnawulan, Yang Zhenzhong Artist Talk 2 December 8, 2002 / Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery / Mareeya Dumronghol, Alfredo Juan & Maria Isabel Aquilizan, Gimhongsok, Jung Yeondoo, Kim Sora, Lee Mikyung, Rhii Jewyo, Thasnai Sethaseree, S. Teddy D., Wire Rommel Tuazon Artist Talk 3 December 15, 2002 / Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery / Futana Yoshihi, Noguchi Rika, Saki Satom, Shinoda Taro Performance “Clean” December 8, 2002 / The Japan Foundation Forum / Performer: Subodh Gupta Special Lecture February 6, 2003 / The Japan Foundation Conference Hall / Lecturer: Cai Guo-Qiang |
Catalogue (Collective Exhibition)
Under Construction: New Dimensions of Asian Art
Edited by Kataoka Mami
- Publisher:
Tokyo: The Japan Foundation Asia Center; Tokyo Opera City Cultural Foundation
- Year:
2002
- Total Number of Pages:
212
- Size:
27 cm
- Language:
Japanese (jpn); English (eng)
- ISBN
4925204130
- NCID:
BA62792546
[Contents]
| p. 5 | Foreword | |
| Project Overview | ||
| p. 13 | Asia: The Possibility of a Collaborative Space—Under Construction Project | |
| p. 20 | Beyond a Progressive Asia: Under Construction Collective Exhibition | |
| Curator's Text | ||
| p. 28 | From Dualism to Oneness: A Thought on the Potential of Asian Art | |
| p. 36 | Renewing the Contemporary | |
| p. 41 | Plates | |
| Curator's Text | ||
| p. 78 | On Under Construction and Localization | |
| p. 86 | India Ink, Manila Envelope: Three Meditations on Art and the Global Media | |
| p. 93 | Asia Now: Under Construction? | |
| p. 98 | Plates | |
| Curator's Text | ||
| p. 133 | Communicative Approach, from Asia | |
| p. 141 | In Search of an Oasis | |
| p. 149 | Fantasia: an Imagination toward the Daily Life | |
| p. 154 | Plates | |
| p. 181 | Appendix | |
| p. 182 | Selected Artists' Biography / Bibliography | |
| p. 204 | Project Structure and Process | |
| p. 206 | Local Exhibition Outline | |
【PDF】
Under Construction: New Dimensions of Asian Art
- Furuichi Yasuko [ eng ] (PDF:9.11MB) [ jpn ] (PDF:5.67MB)
- Kataoka Mami [ eng ] (PDF:9.02MB) [ jpn ] (PDF:6.94MB)
- Yamamoto Atsuo [ eng ] (PDF:6.21MB) [ jpn ] (PDF:4.51MB)
- Patrick D. Flores [ eng ] (PDF:9.86MB) [ jpn ] (PDF:10.22MB)
- Gridthiya Gaweewong [ eng ] (PDF:7.70MB) [ jpn ] (PDF:6.74MB)
- Ranjit Hoskote [ eng ] (PDF:7.81MB) [ jpn ] (PDF:8.00MB)
- Asmudjo Jono Irianto [ eng ] (PDF:6.05MB) [ jpn ] (PDF:6.19MB)
- Kamiya Yukie [ eng ] (PDF:8.10MB) [ jpn ] (PDF:6.24MB)
- Kim Sunjung [ eng ] (PDF:7.76MB) [ jpn ] (PDF:7.98MB)
- Pi Li [ eng ] (PDF:6.17MB) [ jpn ] (PDF:7.85MB)
Local Exhibition (Ashiya)
From the Sea of Trees
This was an exhibition of works by five artists and groups from Manila in the Philippines and Japan’s Kansai region. Given the keywords of “sea of trees,” the artists considered the state of the binary opposition between nature and humans—in particular, exploring trees, which have been seen as sacred since ancient times, and how that holiness is being lost due to modernization.
| Dates & Venue (Ashiya, Japan) |
October 20–November 25, 2001 |
|---|---|
| Ashiya City Museum of Art & History | |
| Curators | Yamamoto Atsuo (Curator, Ashiya City Museum of Art & History) |
| Artists | Wire Rommel Tuazon, Futana Yoshihi, José Legaspi, Rogues' Gallery, Kitao Hiroshi |
| Organizers | Ashiya City Museum of Art & History; Ashiya Foundation of Culture; The Japan Foundation Asia Center |
| Endorsement | Philippine Consulate General in Osaka |
| Support | Gallery & Studio TAF; Gunzo-sha Co., Ltd.; Ashiya City Ise Kindergarten |
| Related Programs | Artist in Residence Wire Rommel Tuazon (October 1–30, 2001), Futana Yoshihi (Occational at his work) Performance “Ode to Atsuko Tanaka: In Full Bloom” October 20, 2001 / Ise Kindergarten, Ashiya City / Artist: Wire Rommel Tuazon Project 1 “Residual Noise” October 20, 27, November 3, 10, 17, 2001 / Ashiya City Museum of Art & History / Artist: Wire Rommel Tuazon Project 2 “Let's Go to ‘Hut on a Tree’!” November 4 (at Art Mountain, Awaji), November 18 (at Ikeda City Yourth Nature Activity Center), 2001 / Artist: Futana Yoshihi Symposium October 21, 2001 / Lecture room, Ashiya City Museum of Art & History / Panelists: Patrick D. Flores, Wire Rommel Tuazon / Moderator: Yamamoto Atsuo |
Local Exhibition (Manila)
Crafting Economies
This exhibition introduced seven artists and groups from the Philippines and Japan through artworks typically treated as “crafts” and the inherent uncertainty of defining the difference between art and crafts. This exhibition shared its artworks and concept with the previous “From the Sea of Trees” exhibition in Ashiya.
| Dates & Venue (Manila) |
February 5–March 17, 2002 |
|---|---|
| Cultural Center of the Philippines [CCP] | |
| Curators | Patrick D. Flores (Professor, University of the Philippines Diliman) |
| Artists | Futana Yoshihi, Kitao Hiroshi, Rogues' Gallery, Alfred Juan & Maria Isabel Aquilizan, Mark Maestro, Mike Muñoz + Paloy Cagayat Woodcarving Workshop, Wire Rommel Tuazon |
| Organizers | The Japan Foundation; Cultural Center of the Philippines [CCP] |
| Related Programs | Symposium February 7, 2002/ University of the Philippines / Panelists: Yamamoto Atsuo, Patrick D. Flores, Alfred Juan Aquilizan, Rogues' Gallery, Futana Yoshihi, Wire Rommel Tuazon, Mark Maestro, Mike Muñoz Terracotta Silkscreen, Paper-Mache Workshops February 7, 2002 / Philippine High School for the Arts / Workshop Leaders: Mark Maestro, Mike Muñoz, Wire Rommel Tuazon |
Catalogue (Ashiya and Manila)
Crafting Economies / From the Sea of Trees
Edited by Yamamoto Atsuo; Patrick D. Flores
- Publisher:
Tokyo: The Japan Foundation Asia Center
Ashiya: Ashiya City Museum of Art & History
Manila: Cultural Center of the Philippines - Year:
2001
- Total Number of Pages:
64
- Size:
21 cm
- Notes
Catalogue for two venues
Two kinds of page numbers exist - Language:
Japanese (jpn); English (eng)
- NCID:
BA80960777
[Contents]
| p. 4 | About the Under Construction Project | |
| p. 5 | Introduction: Crafting Economies / From the Sea of Trees | |
| Artists | ||
| p. 8 | Mark Maestro | |
| p. 14 | Mike Muñoz | |
| p. 17 | The Paloy Cagayat Woodcarving Workshop | |
| p. 20 | Wire Rommel Tuazon | |
| p. 26 | Alfred Juan & Maria Isabel Gaudinez-Aquilizan | |
| p. 33 | Futana Yoshihi | |
| p. 40 | Rogues' Gallery | |
| p. 46 | José Legaspi | |
| p. 52 | Kitao Hiroshi | |
| Essays | ||
| p. 11 | Make/shift | |
| p. 24 | From the Sea of Trees | |
Local Exhibition (Seoul)
Fantasia
This exhibition introduced artists from China, Japan, Korea, and Thailand who create art out of aspects of everyday life. Overcoming barriers between high and low culture, these artists re-examined our prejudices and commonsense through artworks that turned daily life into fantasy and illusion.
| Dates & Venue (Seoul) |
November 7–December 9, 2001 |
|---|---|
| Space imA | |
| Curators | Kim Sunjung (Chief Curator, Artsonje Center) Kamiya Yukie (Independent Curator) Pi Li (Assistant Researcher, Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing) |
| Artists | Mareeya Dumrongphol, Gimhongsok, Ham Jin, Jiang Zhi, Kan Xuan, Kim Beom, Kim Sora, Lee Mikyung, Ozawa Tsuyoshi, Rhii Jewyo, Saki Satom, Shinoda Taro, Yang Zhenzhong |
| Organizers | Ilmin Museum of Art; The Japan Foundation |
| Support | The Korean Culture & Arts Foundation; Kaywon School of Art and Design; Dong-a Ilbo; Samsung Electronics |
| Related Programs | Residence Program October 18–November 8, 2001 / Kaywon School of Art and Design / Participants: All Curators and Artists Symposium November 7, 2001 / Japan Cultural Center, Seoul / Panelists: Kim Sunjung, Kamiya Yukie, Pi Li, Mizusawa Tsutomu, Yoo Jinsang, Nanjo Fumio |
Catalogue (Seoul)
Fantasia
Edited by Kim Sunjung; Kamiya Yukie; Pi Li
- Publisher:
Seoul: Fantasia Project
- Year:
2001
- Total Number of Pages:
24
- Size:
18 cm
- Language:
Korean (kor); English (eng)
[Contents]
| p. 2 | Map |
| p. 4 | Looking for Fantasia in the Everyday Life |
| p. 5 | Fantasia, or Disenchantment of the World |
| p. 6 | Wings of Imagination |
| p. 7 | Artists |
| p. 21 | About the Under Construction Project |
Local Exhibition (Beijing)
Fantasia
The Beijing exhibition had the same curators as the “Fantasia” exhibition in Seoul. Exploring a reality full of artifice and gaudy plastic in which dreams and fantasy are difficult to grasp, this exhibition also shared many of the artists and artworks from the Seoul exhibition.
| Dates & Venue (Beijing) |
March 2–30, 2002 |
|---|---|
| East Modern Artcentre | |
| Curators | Pi Li (Assistant Researcher, Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing) Kamiya Yukie (Independent Curator) Kim Sunjung (Chief Curator, Artsonje Center) |
| Artists | Jiang Zhi, Kan Xuan, Miao Xiaochun, Yang Zhenzhong, Noguchi Rika, Ozawa Tsuyoshi, Saki Satom, Shinoda Taro, Gimhongsok, Ham Jin, Kim Beom, Kim Sora, Lee Mikyung, Rhii Jewyo, Jung Yeondoo, Mareeya Dumrongphol |
| Organizers | East Modern Art Centre; The Japan Foundation |
| Related Programs | Symposium “Imigration from Daily Life” March 3, 2002 / China Central Academy of Fine Arts / Participants: Pi Li, Kamiya Yukie, Kim Sunjung / Lecture & Discussion: Huang Du, Fan Dian, Nanjyo Fumio Event “Potluck Video Festa” March 3, 2002 / Loft: new media art space / Artist: Saki Satom |
Local Exhibition (Bandung)
Dream Project
The construction of a white cube gallery—still uncommon in Indonesia in 2002—paved the way for this exhibition of works by Indonesian artists. It brought Indonesian contemporary art, which had evolved differently from art in Europe and the United States and was still in the process of developing at this point, into a Western-style art space. In this way, the exhibition symbolically embodied the “under construction” theme of the whole project.
| Dates & Venue (Bandung, Indonesia) |
February 1–March 1, 2002 |
|---|---|
| Fabriek Gallery | |
| Curators | Asmudjo Jono Irianto (Lecturer, Bandung Institute of Technology) |
| Artists | R.E. Hartanto, Syagini Ratnawulan, Gusbarlian Lubis, Sofwan, Handiwirman, S. Teddy D. |
| Organizers | The Japan Foundation; Gallery Soemardja of Bandung Institute of Technology |
| Related Programs | Lecture / Symposium “Contemporary Art and Its Consequences” February 23, 2002 / Fabriek Gallery / Panelists: Nirwan Dewanto, Arahmaiani, Asmudjo Jono Irianto |
Local Exhibition (Mumbai)
Clicking into Place
This exhibition brought together four artists from India and the Philippines to examine the political and cultural similarities between the two countries, including how their national identities were formed immediately after independence and how having English as an official language has brought them into contact early on with the modern values of Europe and the United States.
| Dates & Venue (Mumbai, India) |
February 9–28, 2002 |
|---|---|
| Sakshi Gallery | |
| Curators | Ranjit Hoskote (Art Critic) |
| Artists | Jitish Kallat, Baiju Parthan, Shibu Natesan, Alfredo Esquillo |
| Organizers | The Japan Foundation; Sakshi Gallery |
| Related Programs | Symposium “Re-Orienting Asia: Mutations of Cultural Identity in the Epoch of Globalization” February 25, 2002 / Auditorium, The National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai / Panelists: Arjun Appadurai, Ilija Trojanow, Patrick D. Flores, Ranjit Hoskote |
Catalogue (Mumbai)
Clicking into Place
Edited by Ranjit Hoskote
- Publisher:
Mumbai: Sakshi Gallery
Tokyo: The Japan Foundation Asia Center - Year:
2002
- Total Number of Pages:
24
- Size:
21 cm
- Language:
English (eng)
[Contents]
| p. 2 | About the Under Construction Project |
| p. 3 | The Critical Image: Annotations to “Clicking into Place” |
| p. 6 | Artists |
| p. 22 | Regarding Image |
Local Exhibition (Bangkok)
Sorry for the Inconvenience
The title “Sorry for the Inconvenience” refers to the suggestion of stopping to take a breath in both the real and virtual worlds. Ten artists from China, India, and Thailand asked this question through their art: In a constantly changing world, how do we handle such binary oppositions as tradition versus cutting edge and city versus countryside?
| Dates & Venues (Bangkok) |
February 23–March 30, 2002 |
|---|---|
| Project 304 Bangkok University Art Gallery Si-Am Art Space |
|
| Curators | Gridthiya Gaweewong (Curator, Chiang Mai University Art Museum) |
| Artists | Bharti Kher, Sharmila Samant, Subodh Gupta, Chen Shaoxiong, Cui Xiuwen, Wang Gongxin, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Michael Shaowanasai, Montri Toemsombat, Thasnai Sethaseree |
| Organizers | The Japan Foundation; Project 304; Bangkok University Art Gallery; Si-Am Art Space; Alliance Française |
| Related Programs | Performance “Bangkok Buffalo Boys Project” February 23, 2002/ Bangkok University Art Gallery / Performer: Montri Toemsombat February 23, 2002/ Si-Am Art Space; Chinese Temple / Performer: Thasnai Sethaseree Lecture & Discussion “Today's Asia—The Current Situation of Arts and Culture” February 24, 2002 / Japan Culture Center, Bangkok / Panelists: Gridthiya Gaweewong, Montri Toemsombat, Thasnai Sethaseree, Michael Shaowanasai, Thanom Chapakdee, Uthit Atimana, Wang Gongxin, Chen Shaoxiong, Samant Bharti Kher, Namba Sachiko |
Catalogue (Bangkok)
Sorry for the Inconvenience
Edited by Gridthiya Gaweewong
- Publisher:
Bangkok: Thankamol Publishing
Tokyo: The Japan Foundation Asia Center - Year:
2002
- Total Number of Pages:
58
- Size:
20 cm
- Language:
English (eng); Thai (tha)
[Contents]
| p. 4 | About the Under Construction Project |
| p. 7 | Today Asia; an Angle from Thai, Chinese and Indian Culture Workers |
| p. 18 | Works |
| p. 38 | Biography |
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