Luo Yiping, Director of Guangdong Museum of Art said, “The Asian issue is associated with Asia itself, and also associated with the definition of Asia. So the First Asian Biennial will discuss Asian issues with a global vision. If there is a one-sentence summary, it is ‘Asian issue, global expression’.” On the afternoon of October 21, 2014, the press conference of the First Asia Biennial (Guangzhou•China) was held at the Guangdong Museum of Art.
Curatorial team is made up of 6 people
The 6 members of the curatorial team come from China, South Korea, UK, the Netherlands and Singapore. Among them, Zhang Qing, Director of the Department of Research and Planning of the China Academy of Art and Henk Slager, Head of the Postgraduate School of the Amsterdamse Hogeschool voor de Kunsten serve as the general curators. Luo Yiping introduced: “What we need is a global expression, so that we can invite Eastern and Western curators who are engaged in research on Asian issues to come to Guangdong Museum of Art to constitute a curatorial team with a global view.”
Curator Ute Meta Bauer is the Art Director of the Center for Contemporary Art, Singapore. She said: “I am a European, but I work in Asia, so in my opinion there is no single level of Asian concept. Guangzhou is a very important economic city, and the import and export fair in Guangzhou is also in full swing, so that I think it is very significant to discuss Asia and Asian history as well as the related issues at such a moment.”
Zhang Qing said that the Guangdong Museum of Art held the Asia Biennial, not only for the past 4 sessions of the Guangzhou Biennial was the foreshadowing, but also the Asian Curator Forum was the academic base. Zhang Qing said: “The Present Asian issue is a comprehensive problem. It is a presentation of the related themes on how to create and think about Asian history, Asian culture, Asian trade and the problemsfacing contemporary Asia.”
In addition, the First Asia Biennial also proposes an artist residency project. Henk Slager said: “We hope the artists are able to stay in Guangzhou for one month, to create new artworks; at the same time we hope that they can communicate and interact with local artists.” Henk said that, they hope to connect the residency projects in South Korea, Indonesia and so on, forming a communication network.
Corresponding to the exhibition theme, the First Asia Biennial will set up an individual academic section, to discuss cross-border Asian problems. Part of the academic discussion will finally become a unique achievement forthe Asia Biennial, namely it will edit and publish a book of the subject for each academic conference.
In addition, the 5th Guangzhou Triennial will be held during the same period. The opening ceremony of the First Asia Biennale is scheduled to be held on December 11, 2015, on show at the two themed exhibition venues Guangzhou Opera House and the Grandview Mall.
Courtesy of Guangdong Museum of Art, translated by Chen Peihua and edited by Sue/CAFA ART INFO.
