The art world is buzzing with excitement as the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London welcomes a groundbreaking exhibition, 'Rising Voices: Contemporary Art from Asia, Australia, and the Pacific'. This event marks a significant shift in the global art scene, bringing long-overdue recognition to artists from these regions. As an art critic and enthusiast, I'm thrilled to delve into this cultural phenomenon and explore its implications.
The exhibition begins with a striking symbol: a larger-than-life Māori bouncer, Kapa Haka (Whero), standing tall at the museum's entrance. This sculpture, created by Michael Parekōwhai, sets the tone for an immersive journey into the diverse artistic expressions of Asia-Pacific. It's a powerful statement, challenging the traditional Eurocentric perspective that has dominated the art world for centuries.
The show is a collaboration between the V&A and the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) in Brisbane, featuring over 70 works never before seen in the UK. This partnership is part of a recent trend of Australian galleries bringing their collections to international audiences, a move that is long overdue, according to Daniel Slater, Director of Exhibitions at the V&A. The responsibility, he says, lies with institutions like the V&A to showcase these incredible works, which have been largely overlooked in the past.
The exhibition's roots can be traced back to the Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT), established in 1993 as the first major exhibition dedicated to contemporary art from Asia and the Pacific. APT has been a launchpad for renowned artists like Cai Guo-Qiang and Lee Bul, attracting over 4 million visitors to QAGOMA. However, the influence of APT has been predominantly regional, with only one previous international tour to Santiago, Chile, in 2019.
What makes this exhibition truly remarkable is its ambition to condense three decades of APT into a single, cohesive show. Curators Tarun Nagesh and Daniel Slater faced the daunting task of capturing the essence of this vast artistic movement. They structured the exhibition into four parts, starting with a subtle introduction to the diversity of the region's art, followed by thematic sections exploring politics, materiality, and spirituality.
The inclusion of Aboriginal artist Judy Watson's paintings is particularly poignant. Her work, 'Memory Bones', serves as a powerful reminder of the ongoing colonial violence and the overincarceration of Indigenous people in Australia. Watson's use of color, particularly the blue representing memory and water, offers a profound reflection on history and identity. This piece, along with others like Brenda V Fajardo's tarot-framed paintings and Pala Pothupitiye's reappropriation of colonial maps, challenges the historical narrative and invites viewers to reconsider their understanding of colonialism.
One of the most intriguing aspects of this exhibition is its location within the V&A, a museum steeped in British history and royalty. The juxtaposition of these contemporary works from former British colonies with the museum's traditional collection is a bold statement. It encourages visitors to question historical hierarchies and discover new perspectives. For instance, the shell necklaces by Tasmanian Aboriginal artist Lola Greeno, with their flecks of blue, might evoke comparisons with the sapphires in Queen Victoria's coronets, prompting reflections on power, culture, and the complexities of colonial history.
In my opinion, 'Rising Voices' is more than just an art exhibition; it's a cultural dialogue. It challenges the notion that Asian and Pacific art is peripheral to the global art scene, positioning it as a central and essential component. This exhibition is a call to action for the art world to embrace a more inclusive and diverse perspective, one that recognizes the rich artistic heritage of these regions. Personally, I find this shift towards a more global and equitable art landscape incredibly exciting, and I eagerly anticipate the impact it will have on the international art community.
