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June 2010
First Cirebon Cargo Auction is Scuppered in Indonesia
May 2010
Riding the Crest of The Chinese Art Market
April 2010
New Islamic Gallery Opens at the Detroit Institute of Arts
MARCH 2010
Guggenheim Museum Celebrates 50th Anniversary
February 2010
The Tomb of Cao Cao found in Henan Province in China
Asian Art Newspaper January 2010
New Galleries for Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver
October 2009
Shezad Dawood
Shezad Dawood
Withthe growing interest towards contemporary art from Asia, it isastonishing to see how, within that specific field, our horizon and scope has grown immensely. While in the late 1980s, contemporary art from Asia almost exclusively meant contemporary art from China, we now equally follow China, Japan, Thailand, India, Pakistan, or Iran. In recent years, our attention has also turned towards artists with a more diverse background. One of them is Shezad Dawood, born to Indian and Pakistani parents and who grew up in London. A tremendously diverse artist, Shezad Dawood (b. 1974) works in diverse media ranging from photography, painting, installation, performance, sculpture, to video and film. His knowledge of the Eastern and Western worlds allow him to complete more challenging projects with references to various cultures. As an insider to some of these cultures, Shezad Dawood has a legitimacy and a relevance that many other artists lack when touching upon sensitive issues related to politics or colonialism for example. In this interview, he further discusses some of these topics with the Asian Art Newspaper.
The Power of Dogu
The Power of Dogu
Dogū, abstract clay figures with recognisably human or animal features, have a fascinating history in Japan, dating back thousands of years. These enigmatic figures have long captured the imagination of antiquarians, archaeologists and the public alike. They provide a tantalising link to the mysterious yet remarkable Jōmon period (about 12,500-300 BC) of Japanese history. The exhibition at the British Museum features 67 extraordinary objects, lent by many different public and private collections in Japan. Three have been designated National Treasures of Japan, including the so-called ‘Venus’ fromTanabatake, Nagano prefecture and Dogū with palms pressed together from Aomori prefecture, designated by the Japanese government in 2009. An additional 25 examples rank as Important Cultural Properties andImportant Art Objects. It is the first time that such a wide range of the finest dogū have been brought together in a single exhibition.
International Film Festival Locarno
International Film Festival Locarno
The 2009edition of the international film festival in Locarno had a strongemphasis on films from Asia this year. The festival was the first to offer abroad retrospective on the world of manga, from its earlieststeps to the latest productions. Manga enthusiasts had the choice betweensequences shot for television, full feature films, or segments devoted to greatmasters of the medium. Locarno had clearly taken a risk by staging such athorough retrospective as these films, even though they represent a relevantsegment of the international film industry, that are not necessarilyblockbuster crowd-pleasers. It was, nevertheless, a rewarding decision forLocarno, all the more as it precedes an unprecedented Japanese animéretrospective that takes place in Turin at the Museo Nazionale del Cinema untilJanuary 2010.
Documentary Photography as Self-Expression
Documentary Photography as Self-Expression
The case of Erik Prasetya and Oscar Motuloh in Indonesia.
Staking his case for the artof photography in Indonesia, Firman Ichsan noted that there are manyphotographers who have used the medium as self-expression. Within thejournalistic genre, the curator highlighted the works of Ed Zoelverdi, KartonoRiyadi, Rama Surya, Oscar Motuloh, Arbain Rambey, Julian Sihombing and ErikPrasetya, which not only fulfilled the requirements of their profession, butare also imbued with personal and aesthetic considerations.