V&A Rising Voices: Three Rooms of Asia Pacific Art Falls Short

The Victoria and Albert Museum in London has opened 'Rising Voices', an exhibition drawn from three decades of the Asia Pacific Triennial, but critics argue its three-room format cannot do justice to the vast scope of art from Asia, Australia, and the Pacific. Indigenous and First Nations artists are highlighted, including Lila Warrimou and Pennyrose Sosa with bark cloth paintings from Papua New Guinea, Aline Amaru with a Tahitian quilt, and Elisabet Kauage depicting colonial encounters. The show features works addressing historical and political oppression, such as Pala Pothupitiye's painted-over colonial maps of Sri Lanka, Brenda V Fajardo's depictions of Filipino women under Spanish rule, Svay Ken's quiet paintings from Khmer Rouge Cambodia, Heri Dono's cubist critiques of Suharto's Indonesia, and Maryam Ayeen and Abbas Shahsavar's portrayal of contemporary Iranian life. The exhibition design is criticized for dull grey lighting and a looping mournful piano ballad. The review concludes that the show offers only a glimpse into a vast region, with each segment deserving its own exhibition.