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New Commissioned Works at the Asia Society and Museum
made possible by the W.L.S. Spencer Foundation
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The splendid architectural features of the renovated Asia Society and Museum building are enlivened by the striking new works of art that inhabit its public spaces. While some of these works are readily visible, others are found in unexpected spaces. Together, they manifest the Asia Society's strong commitment to new art and artists as the Society enters the twenty-first century. These works simultaneously evoke the complexity of Asian artistic expressions worldwide and suit the unusual and specific locations in the new building. |
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The artists' initial tour of the building during remodeling, January 2001. Nilima Sheikh, Yong Soon Min, Xu Bing, Vishakha N. Desai, Vong Phaophanit, Bartholomew Voorsanger (architect), and Asia Society staff. Photo: Josh Harris |
We will be featuring each artist and his or her work on this site. The artists selected for the inaugural phase of the art commissions project include:
Heri Dono
Born in Jakarta, lives and works in Yogyakarta
Yong Soon Min
Born in Suwon, South Korea, lives and works in California
Vong Phaophanit
Born in Vientienne, Laos, lives and works in London
Navin Rawanchaikul
Born in Chiang Mai, lives and works in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and Fukuoka, Japan
Nilima Sheikh
Born in New Delhi, lives and works in Vadodara, India
Shahzia Sikander
Born in Lahore, Pakistan, lives and works in New York
Sarah Sze
Born in Boston, lives and works in New York
Xu Bing
Born in Beijing, lives and works in New York and Beijing
Xu Guodong
Born in Shanghai, lives and works in Shanghai
Although at different points in their careers and with diverse approaches to their art, all of these artists traverse countries and cultures with fluidity and create their work at the interstices of diverse, globalizing cultures. Some of them are of Asian origin and make their homes in the West; others continue to have their primary residence in Asia. In their work and in their lives, these artists illuminate the layered complexities of East/West connections and make evident the changing dynamics of Asian experiences.
These long-term installations are intended not only as enhancements of the architectural spaces of the new Asia Society and Museum but also as powerful symbols of the institution's commitment to the creative powers of artists today. For much of the twentieth century, the Western world ignored the creativity of living artists of Asian origin in the belief that their works were not authentically Asian enough or were too Western in appearance. The assumption was that most of the Asian region stopped producing any art after the nineteenth century that was worthy of study or appreciation. In the 1990s, this perception began to change, and we are proud that the Asia Society played a role in this change. These art commissions reflect the institution's intention to make the study and presentation of twentieth- and twenty-first-century art an integral part of its artistic mandate. There is no doubt that these exciting new works will engage visitors to the new Asia Society and Museum and encourage ways of thinking about Asia that befit the realities and aspirations of this rich and complex region.
Vishakha N. Desai
Vishakha Desai is the Asia Society’s Senior Vice President and Director of the Museum and Cultural Programs. |
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