2019 Asian Art Biennial Explores Zomia's Lawless Frontiers Through Unconventional Materials
The National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts in Taichung is currently hosting the 2019 Asian Art Biennial, titled 'The Strangers from beyond the Mountain and the Sea,' which runs until February 9. Curated by Hsu Chia-Wei and Ho Tzu-Nyen, the exhibition showcases 30 artists who delve into themes of Asian decolonization, utilizing materials from areas lacking governance. Among the highlighted pieces are Jiandyin's 'Friction Current: Magic Mountain' (2019), Shilpa Gupta's 'Song of the Ground' (2017), and Park Chan-kyong's 'Kyoto School' (2017). Additionally, Liu Chuang's 'Bitcoin Mining and Field Recordings of Ethnic Minorities' (2018) critiques Asian dams and bitcoin mining. The exhibition intertwines intellectual inquiry with mystical aspects, referencing Zomia and the Sulu Sea while emphasizing frontier territories and fluid borders.
Key facts
- Exhibition runs through February 9, 2019 at National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts in Taichung
- Features 30 artists and collectives curated by Hsu Chia-Wei and Ho Tzu-Nyen
- Central work 'Friction Current: Magic Mountain' uses jadeite from Myanmar's Kachin state and meth-laced urine
- Conceptual framework references Zomia region and Sulu Sea
- Includes works by Park Chan-kyong, Shilpa Gupta, Charles Lim, Liu Chuang, and Lee Ufan
- Explores themes of Asian decolonization, ungoverned territories, and border regions
- Published in Winter 2019 issue of ArtReview Asia
- Title references 'The Strangers from beyond the Mountain and the Sea'
Entities
Artists
- Jiandyin
- Hsu Chia-Wei
- Ho Tzu-Nyen
- Shilpa Gupta
- Charles Lim
- Tcheu Siong
- Liu Chuang
- Lee Ufan
- Park Chan-kyong
Institutions
- National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts
- International Crisis Group
- ArtReview Asia
Locations
- Taichung
- Taiwan
- Zomia
- Southeast Asia
- Myanmar
- China
- Kachin state
- Thailand
- Malaysia
- Sabah state
- Philippines
- Sulu Sea
- India
- Bangladesh
- Teesta River
- Japan
- Kegon Falls
- Brussels