three recent announcements/postings from the asia art archive (hong kong, http://www.aaa.org.hk)

cf: http://www.aaa.org.hk/newsletter.html
Last updated 3 Mar 2005

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International Art Archive Workshop

"Archiving the Contemporary: Documenting Asian Art Today, Yesterday and
Tomorrow"

organised by the Asia Art Archive in conjunction with the Gate Foundation

Date: 18th-20th April, 2005

Introduction and Objectives

The workshop will bring together art professionals from around the world
to look at issues of archiving, documentation, preservation, knowledge
management and sharing of information on contemporary art from Asia. It
also comes as a response to the serious lack of documentation for the
growing number of Asian contemporary art exhibitions world-wide and the
rapid developments within the region's visual art scene over the past
two decades. Despite the importance of these developments there exists
only a handful of centres where information and in-depth research,
discourse and critical writing within this complex area can be found.

We will address issues critical to the much-needed development of
platforms in Asia for knowledge management and sharing, and provide an
arena in which existing models of archives and resources for
contemporary Asian art will be examined and future collaboration,
networks and models considered. Issues of digital versus the tangible,
classification systems, collection policies, conservation, language,
accessibility and technology will be discussed in detail. As an
unprecedented number of Asian artists engage with multimedia approaches
to their work in the past decades, such as installation, digital and
performance, we will touch upon issues of the preservation of non
traditional media artworks and how this overlaps with the role of the
archivist. The workshop will also look at additional roles of the
archive as a generator of knowledge and information.

Why are Archives so Important for the Future?

The Asia Art Archive is at the forefront of acknowledging the shifting
role of the archive; from collecting printed material and ephemera for
preserving information relating to an artist's work, to one that also
plays an active role in generating knowledge and awareness of
contemporary art in the region. The traditional purpose of an archive,
originating in ancient Greece, as an arkheia for storing the public
records that form the administrative basis of democracy, is no longer
at the core of its activities. Archives need to respond to and be
proactive in forging new modes of presenting their holdings to wider
audiences and to be seen as commissioning and producing publications,
and undertaking related activities.

At a time when museums are aiming to attract greater audience through
more innovative and dynamic relationships between artworks and their
environment, art archives must also change their strategy to draw
attention to and make the best use of their holdings or collections. For
contemporary art archives to exist in this day and age, their strategy
for dynamism is vital, and it is for this reason that more relevant
programme and events accompany their activities. It is this dynamic
approach to archiving and to new resource centres that will have an
important place in the future of contemporary art in Asia, and other
parts of the world. These institutions are essential for recording
cultural roots and diversity, yet can simultaneously be adapted to
emphasise and draw attention to historical links. Archives will play an
important role in building networks of communication and information
exchange within Asia and in presenting Asian art to the world.

This workshop sees the beginnings of a body of diverse organizations and
individuals with similar goals all coming together today to form strong
partnerships, as well as encourage similar initiatives in countries
where such centres of documentation currently do not exist.

Workshop Participants

Keynote Speakers
Ms Beatrice von BISMARCK (Deputy-Director, Academy of Visual Arts,
Leipzig, Germany)
Mr Thomas BERGHUIS (PhD student, University of Sydney)
Ms Pamela KEMBER (Independent art critic, historian and curator)

Participants (subject to change)
Ms Michelle ELLIGOTT (Museum Archivist, Museum of Modern Art, New York, USA)
Ms Judy GUNNING (Head, Information and Publishing Services, Queensland
Art Gallery, Australia)
Ms Lisa HORIKAWA (Curator, Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, Japan)
Ms Claire HSU (Executive Director, Asia Art Archive, Hong Kong)
Mr Micheal KATCHEN (Senior Archivist, Franklin Furnace Archive, Inc.,
New York, USA)
Mr KOH Nguang How (Artist / Art Researcher, Singapore)
Mr Robert LEE (Executive Director / Curator, Asian American Art Centre,
New York, USA)
Mr Sebastian LOPEZ (Director, Gate Foundation, The Netherlands)
Mr Peng LU (Independent art historian, China)
Mr Daravuth LY (Founder, REYUM Institute of Arts and Cultures, Cambodia)
Dr Charles MEREWETHER (Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Cross Cultural
Research, Australian National University, Australia)
Ms Nunuk Ambarwati (Coordinator, Documentation & Publication Section,
Cemeti Art Foundation, Indonesia)
Ms Lioba REDDEKER (Managing Director, Basis Wien, Austria)
Mr Didier SCHULMANN (Chief Curator, Musee National d'art Moderne and
Chief Executive, Kandinsky Library, Centre Pompidou, France)
Mr Peter, Perng-Juh SHYONG (Executive Director, Dimensions Endowment of
Art, Taiwan)
Ms Judy Freya SIBAYAN (Artist, The Philippines)
Prof Akira TATEHATA (Director, The National Museum of Art, Osaka, Japan)
Mr Sen UESAKI (Japan)
Ms Yuko YAMAKI (Curator, Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, Japan)
Mr YAO Juichung (Artist, Art historian and Curator, Taiwan)
Mr ZHENG Shengtian (Managing Editor, Yishu: Journal of Contemporary
Chinese Art, Canada)
Ms Anja ZIEGLER (Librarian and Information Manager, Institute of
International Visual Art (inIVA), UK)

Presented and Organised by

Asia Art Archive (AAA), the first ever non-profit research centre in
Hong Kong dedicated to documenting the recent history of visual art from
the region within an international context. AAA acts not only as a
valuable resource and information centre, but also plays active role in
organising and participating in important exhibition and cultural forum
and serves as a network for those in the Asian art field
AAA is financially supported by Hong Kong Arts Development Council

Made possible by
American Center Foundation
Asian Cultural Council (Hong Kong)
Civic Exchange
Sino Group

Supported in part by
Hong Kong Arts Centre
Veda
The Austrian Consulate General (Hong Kong)
China Club

Workshop and Public Talk Venue
Hong Kong Arts Centre (Agnes b cinema and McAulay Studio Theatre)
2 Harbour Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong

Public Enquiry & Registration
Asia Art Archive
Tel: 2815 1112
Fax: 2815 0032
Email: project@aaa.org.hk
Website: http://www.aaa.org.hk
Address: 2/F no.8 Wah Koon Building, 181-191 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan,
Hong Kong

Media Enquiry
Ms Orlean Lai (Coordinator) Tel: 9628 4114 Email: project@aaa.org.hk
Asia Art Archive Tel: 2815 1112 Email: info@aaa.org.hk

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Extension of deadline to 15th March

"The Martell Contemporary Asian Art Research Grant"

Call for Research Proposals across Asia 2005

1. Project Overview
Made possible by the generous donation from Martell, the Asia Art
Archive (AAA) is commissioning goal-specific, thematic research projects
that collate documents, original materials and first-hand information on
contemporary Asian art. The AAA now calls for proposals for this project.

2. Objectives of Project
• To expand AAA's general research scope to goal-specific research
• To encourage further in-depth research in the field of contemporary
art in Asia
• To provide much-needed resources to individuals wishing to carry out
focused research projects in Asia

3. Project Details
3.1 Scopes
Definition of Asia: Our definition of 'Asia' and 'Asian art' is not
restrained to geographical location and includes artists of Asian
descent living around the world, as well as artists of non-Asian decent
living in Asia.

3.2 Project scale
Due to the scale of the grant we are looking for small and medium scale,
goal-specific projects.
Examples:
eg. Conduct a series of video interviews on prominent figures in the
contemporary art scene; and collect relevant materials/documents about
the artists.
eg. Thematic/ Chronological: Public Art in the 1990s in XXX, Museums in
Asia etc.

3.3 Eligibility of application
• Independent researchers and writers who prove that they have adequate
experience and solid track record in research.
• Academics currently working in tertiary institutions may also apply,
provided that the proposed project does not overlap with other research
funded by the educational institution concerned. Applicants are required
to make a declaration to this effect when they submit their proposals.

3.4 Application Period
Deadline for proposals: 7th March 2005
Announcement of results: 5th May 2005

3.5 Project Completion Date
Project must be completed within one year beginning 5th May 2005.
Documents and original materials on the researched subject, and a
written report accompanied with a bibliography must be submitted to the
Asia Art Archive by 5th May 2006.
Applicants are required to provide a tentative schedule in their proposals.

3.6 Budget
The AAA will award a total amount of HK$ 80,000 (approx US$10,000)
Applicants are required to provide a budget in their proposals.
Additional funds may also be considered for the purchase of books.

3.7 Assessment Criteria
The AAA will select suitable applicants based on the criteria listed below:
a. The relevant experience of the applicants;
b. The direction and approach of the research;
c. The practicability and feasibility of the research;
d. Funding conditions for research in applicant's country

Enquries & Submission of Proposal
Please send proposals to Asia Art Archive, via fax or email.
Please include:
• CV ( please include relevant past projects and references)
• Research Project Description: Objectives, Approach and Background
• Time line
• Budget
We may contact you for additional information.

Claire Hsu, Executive Director
Email: clairehsu@aaa.org.hk
Tel.: (852) 2815 1112
Fax.: (852) 2815 0032
Address: 2/F, No.8 Wah Koon Building, 181-191 Hollywood Rd, Hong Kong

********************

(D-Lab) 2 for the Second Guangzhou Triennial
4th-6th March, 2005

PRESS RELEASE

Curated by Hou Hanru, Hans Ulrich Obrist, and Guo Xiaoyan, the 2nd
Guangzhou triennial is titled 'BEYOND: an extraordinary space of
experimentation for modernization.'

In response to the proliferation of international biennales and
triennials across the globe during the last decade, questions of
relevance of these events are being posed and critically debated. The
Guangzhou Triennial as one of the youngest international triennials
offers a wonderful opportunity to further investigate the relevance of
contemporary art production relative to a rapidly changing urban
environment.

With the unique model of modernisation in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) in
China, BEYOND signifies an extraordinary condition that operates outside
of established conventions that requires experimentation with new and
innovative alternatives for making sense of such "exceptional" phenomena.

In reference to Rem Koolhaas' lecture from the opening workshop for the
2nd GZT, Koolhaas claims that the dictatorship of the new market economy
has created a totally different kind of city, and the PRD [where he
first visited in 1997] is the first clear evidence that cities are no
longer made in remotely classical principles and that there is an
entirely new condition in cities. The vitality of the PRD as a
conglomerate city-region is not so much defined by its stability, but
rather by a metamorphosis that shifts freely from one organic condition
to the next with little scrutiny. This phenomenon offers a timely
playground for rethinking how different artistic strategies can be used
to mediate the process of "glocalisation".

In an attempt to shift the paradigm of international biennale, the GMA
is hosting a number of regular laboratories/workshops, Delta lab or
(D-Lab) as markers for rethinking the triennial as a viable platform for
artistic production. Intended for generating research materials, (D-Lab)
underlines the notion of sustainability for urban development in the PRD
as a key research topic and focuses on long term collaborations between
selected artists/architects from China and abroad. (D-Lab) functions as
accumulative processes for producing in situ art projects relative to
the diverse contexts of the PRD. The projects generated from the process
will be realized for the final triennial exhibition in November of 2005.

(D-Lab) 2

The GMA has invited a number of international/local artists and
architects to present findings and from their research on the PRD. In
particular, the topic of self organization as a conscious form of
resistance will be the main theme for this workshop.

Mathieu Briand, currently on residency at the Vitamin Creative Space in
Guangzhou, will discuss his past installation projects that utilize new
media and sound. Stefano Boeri questions conventional definitions of
geography at a time when shifting demography poses a challenge to our
identity. Waling Boers will talk about the curatorial direction of
BuroFriedrich in Berlin, that is planning to open a new office in
Beijing. Yung Ho Chang and his Atelier Feichang Jianzhu team from
Beijing will collaborate with local students to probe how dense can a
city become. They intend to develop an urban research project with the
Guangzhou based artist Chen Shaoxiong. Chen Tong will talk about the
founding of a bookstore in Guangzhou which is named after Jorge Luis
Borges that has become a major platform of artistic and intellectual
exchanges in the region for the last decade. Kan Xuan will discuss her
recent video projects which convey sensitive voice of a woman artist
facing her world. Surasi Kusolwong will present his past installation
and activist projects that probe the value of art, and especially
self-organizing community collaborations, under an increasingly market
driven economy in the context of South East Asian modernization and
globalization. Doreen Liu Heng, as one of the chief architects for
Nansha, a city south of Guangzhou, will discuss different strategies
surrounding the urban planning of Nansha. Map Office (Valerie Portefaix
and Laurent Gutierrez) conducts field research in different factories in
the PRD in order to map the temporality conditioning the region. Yushi
Uehara and his students of Berlage Institute have studied closely the
formation of "villages in cities" as a vernacular form of resistance and
regeneration of urban societies. Zheng Guogu will talk about the
formation of an artist group from Yangjiang, a particularly interesting
provincial city in the PRD, and their independent position as artists.

Schedule for (D-Lab) 2

Friday 4th March - Researching Pearl River Delta
1-2:30 Introduction - Hou Hanru, Map Office
2:30-4 Doreen Liu Heng
4-5:30 Zheng Guogu
5-6 open discussion, lead by Yang Xiaoyan and Feng Yuan

Saturday 5th March - Self-Organisation, the Everyday and Artistic Actions
10:30-12:00 introduction - Hans Ulrich Obrist, Surasi Kusolwong
1:30-3:00 Yung Ho Chang
3-4:30 Yushi Uehara
4:30-5:30 Dialogue with Chang Yungho/ Yushi Uehara and local students

Sunday 6th March - Self-Organisation and Archive
10:30-12:00 introduction - Guo Xiaoyan/David Chan, Chen Tong
1:30-3:00 Kan Xuan and Mathieu Briand
3:00-4:30 Waling Boers
4:30-5:30 open discussion lead by the curators.

Organisers:
Guangdong Museum of Art
Museum Director: Wang Huangsheng
Artistic director: Hou Hanru
Curators: Hou Hanru; Hans Ulrich Obrist; Guo Xiaoyan
Project manager: David Ho Yeung Chan

General information:
Office of the Guangzhou Triennial
Guangdong Museum of Art
Er-Sha Island,
Guangzhou, China
Contact: Guo Xiaoyan
T:(0086)20-87351261
F:(0086)20-87351326
E: gztriennial@gdmoa.org

Acknowledgment:

"The realisation of the D-Labs was made possible by: the
American Center Foundation."

Additional support comes from The office of contemporary art and
culture, the Ministry of Culture of Thailand, Domus Magazine, and Times
Development Group

More Information:
www.gztriennial.org

General media enquiries:
Guo Xiaoyan/ David Ho Yeung Chan
ph:(86)20-87351261 ; fax:(86)20-87351326; gztriennial@gdmoa.org
Office of the Guangzhou Triennial
Guangdong Museum of Art
Er-Sha Island,
Guangzhou, China

__________________

with kind regards,

Matthias Arnold
(Art-Eastasia list)

http://www.chinaresource.org
http://www.fluktor.de

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