New Reader Explores Performance Art Histories Across East Asia from 1960s to 1990s
Edited by Victor Wang, "Performance Histories from East Asia 1960s–1990s: An IAPA Reader" is linked to an exhibition within the David Roberts Art Foundation’s Curators’ Series. This work advocates for the unique evolution of performance art across Asia, focusing on Japan, China, Korea, and Taiwan. Japanese groups such as Zero Jigen resisted Western influences, while Ma Liuming confronted gender norms in China. In Korea, artists under Park Chung-hee viewed their bodies as political instruments, and performances in Taiwan delved into issues of national identity. The reader features essays by Reiko Tomii on Hirata Minoru and Joan Kee on South Korea. Released in Winter 2018 in ArtReview Asia, this softcover publication is available for free.
Key facts
- Performance Histories from East Asia 1960s–1990s: An IAPA Reader is edited by Victor Wang
- It accompanies an exhibition in the David Roberts Art Foundation’s Curators’ Series
- The reader argues for a distinct Asian performance art history separate from the West
- It covers Japan, China, Korea, and Taiwan with geographic chapters
- In Japan, the Expo ’70 Destruction Joint-Struggle Group protested Westernization
- Chinese artist Ma Liuming challenged gender binaries through performance
- Korean artists under Park Chung-hee’s regime used their bodies as political sites
- The reader emphasizes documentation, with essays by Reiko Tomii and Joan Kee
Entities
Artists
- Victor Wang
- Ma Liuming
- Hirata Minoru
- Yoko Ono
- Ushio Shinohara
- Park Chung-hee
Institutions
- David Roberts Art Foundation
- Institution of Asian Performance Art
- ArtReview Asia
- Expo ’70 Destruction Joint-Struggle Group
- Zero Jigen
- Kokuin
- Hi-Red Center
Locations
- Japan
- China
- Korea
- Taiwan
- South Korea
- East Asia