Lee Weng Choy's blog

A response to Joselina:
Joselina cites an essay of mine, (“Biennale Demand”, Jan 2008, http://www.aaa.org.hk/newsletter_list.aspx?newslettertype=archive), where I contrast the notion of “convention” with that of “tradition”. She summarises me as saying that “biennales have conventions, but not tradition”. And then she goes on to say: “This may be true to an extent, but following his definition of tradition, biennales, either through the foundations or offices that run them, or through the curators chosen, are hardly oblivious to past biennales that occur around the world. The derivative models from Venice’s formula are a reaction to the original biennale’s framework. The exhibition concepts, thematics, ideas are never realized while the curator is unaware of what’s been done elsewhere. Curators and directors are hardly, never reflexive. Most are. And the biennales they come up with are products of these. Are these then not the creation of a tradition?”

Opening remarks by Susan, Michael, Carla, Thomas, Joselina and Weng Choy.

Models for (the) People, by Tiong Ang

Art from Asia is on the rise — or so it must seem. From Sydney to Shanghai, Busan to Berlin, Asian artists are all over the place. The year 2008 was a banner year for biennales in this part of the world. September alone saw several biennales and triennials opening, including Gwangju, Busan, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Singapore, Taipei and Yokohoma. However, research and analysis of contemporary art from the region have not kept pace with the spectacle of exhibition. And it’s arguable that this underdeveloped state of discourse is an urgent concern. What we need, perhaps, is less chatter, and more reflection. Hopefully, in this forum here, we’ll be able to serve up some of the latter along with some of the former.

The Asian Biennales Forum, Part II, is a follow-up from the forum which took place in November 2008. http://northeastwestsouth.net/?q=node/256

For many contributors, it’s been the summer holidays, and we’ve taken a break since the build up to the launch. But now it’s a good time to get working again on n.e.w.s.

We got good feedback about the website platform during ISEA — both in small discussions with the contributors in Singapore (Ingrid, Mustafa, Rich, Renée and myself), as well as during the launch itself, and in small groups again, after the event. It’s important to acknowledge the achievement of putting the website together — of all the contributions and discussions: for many of us, the issue of cultural diversity was recurring topic; Inti, Rich and Yuliya talked about their specific regions or specific projects; Mia and Stephen, the outside and inside of the artworld; Ade, Inti and Stephen, about traffic; Branka and Mia, about web 2.0 and immaterial labour; Ingrid, Thomas, Mustafa and Stephen, about “world art” ... and so on.

It’s been a few weeks since the launch of n.e.w.s. in Singapore at the end of last July, and I’ve been meaning to write a short report to n.e.w.s. contributors and readers about some of the discussions those of us in Singapore had following the launch. But, as it often happens, after the one thing, there are the next several things, and you get very busy, and before you know it, weeks have passed by, and you’re still trying to follow-up ...

Here are a few images from the launch event last Monday. More soon ....

Rich Streitmatter-Tran at the n.e.w.s. launch in Singapore, 28 July

Mustafa Maluka, Rich, Ingrid Commandeur and Renée Ridgway

Lee Weng Choy and Renée

When I met Renée and Sannetje, and they introduced me to n.e.w.s., I was drawn to participate in large part because I saw the website as a potential tool for greatly facilitating collaborative projects which involve regional networks.

I’ve been asked to be the moderator for this first phase of n.e.w.s., and I’d like to offer some reflections on what’s been happening so far on the website.

One project that I’m currently working on is called “Comparative Contemporaries”. It’s a website anthology, a collaboration between the Asia Art Archive, the International Association of Art Critics, Singapore, and The Substation. Five editors — Sue Acret, Patrick Flores, Ho Tzu Nyen, Ly Daravuth and Keiko Sei — each select what they believe are ten significant texts about contemporary visual art from Southeast Asia (I serve as the project manager). These selections, along with the editors’ introductory essays, will be published on the AAA’s website.