I guess that the whole world is aware that presently there is so much power and energy coming from the Asian countries.
Fever Variations- The 6th Gwangju Biennale 2006
Tobias Verlende
From Sep. 8 to Nov. 11 in Gwangju City, South Korea
I guess that the whole world is aware that presently there is so much power and energy coming from the Asian countries. This incredible variety of progress and activity also stronly affects the cultural scene worldwide. The Gwangju Biennale in South Korea–which will take place for the sixth time this year from September 8th to November 11th, organized by the artistic director Dr. Kim Hong-hee–highlights this movement and wants to present a view on the world at large from the standpoint of Asia. The program is packed with a range of different shows and topics. There are two comprehensive contemporary art exhibitions titled "The First Chapter_Trace Root: Unfolding Asian Stories" and "The Last Chapter_Trace Route: Remapping Global Cities," as well as "The Third Sector_Citizen Program: 1.4 Million Torches" and the special exhibition: "Color of Asia."
In the "First Chapter" the curators try to show the visitors the roots of the Asian spirit. They present their findings in four subsections: "Myth and Fantasy," "Nature and Body," "Trace of Mind" and "Past and Present" in order to point out the historical stages of contemporary art. The exhibition will include some 50 international artists. In the "Myth and Fantasy" section there is, for example, the very impressive work of the Korean-born and New York-based Michael Joo, who surrounded an ancient Buddha statue with numerous small cameras in order to form a kind of halo around the Buddha`s head. This clearly shows a very dynamic dialog with his cultural roots. Another impressive work is the work by Chiharu Shiota (Japan/Germany) which shows an old white piano set on fire.
In contrast to the "First Chapter," "The Last Chapter_Trace:Route: Remapping Global Cites" exhibition shows the development and the theme of a city. The three co-curators create connections between cities in Asia, Middle East and North America (Beck Jee-sook); Europe: Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Vilnius (Christina Ricupero); and Latin America: Buenos Aires, El Alto, La Paz, Caracas (Chris Gilbert and Cira Pascual Marquina). There are around 50 artists from these cities who will run workshops and on-site projects in order to establish and show the connection between them. This is an extraordinarly interesting project. "The Third Sector_Citizine Program: 1.4 Torches" is dedicated to connect the Biennale with the citizens of Gwangju and the general public. "The Special Exhibition: Color of East Asia" shows the colorful aesthetics of East Asia’s folk art including Minhwa (folk painting), ceramics, furniture, ornaments etc.
The Gwangju Biennale is packed with interesting exhibitions and themes which comes together with the incredibly powerful creative power from Asia, that I put it on my must-must-see list directly. I will see you there.
