ArtReview Asia Winter 2021 Explores Power, Geography, and Subversion Through Asian Artists

The Winter 2021 issue of ArtReview Asia examines connections between power structures and geography through diverse artistic practices. Bangkok-based filmmaker Taiki Sakpisit employs cinematic techniques to address Thailand's complex history, with his experimental works exploring themes from family dysfunction to historical trauma through formalist editing approaches. Shirin Neshat discusses her latest series 'Land of Dreams,' which interrogates her identity as an American immigrant and its relationship to her Iranian upbringing. Cian Dayrit utilizes 'counter-cartography' through handsewn maps that challenge conventional power structures in the Philippines, with his work appearing in next year's Biennale of Sydney. The issue also features coverage of the Yolngu/Macassan Project ahead of the 10th Asia Pacific Triennial, examining cultural exchanges between Australia's Aboriginal Yolngu people and Sulawesi's Macassan fisherpeople that predated European contact. Haneda Sumiko's documentary work receives attention for its subtle exploration of postwar Japan's urban-rural dynamics and women's roles. Additional content includes Deepa Bhasthi's commentary on migrant-built mansions in Kerala, Ross Chen's analysis of Hong Kong cinema's future, and Max Crosbie-Jones's examination of contemporary Thai drama conventions. The publication contains global exhibition and book reviews alongside these features.