Contemporary Art in Asia: Traditions/Tensions

In 1997 the Asia Society organized and presented a large traveling exhibition that began in New York , traveled to Canada and then to Asia. The name of the exhibition, as the name of this book, was CONTEMPORARY ART IN ASIA: TRADITIONS/TENSIONS and we have a fine documentation of what must have been an extraordinary show in this sumptious, highly informed book/catalogue. The art displayed is from India, Indonesia, the Philippines, South Korea, and Thailand. The curatorial thread is one of demonstrating how contemporary work in these very different countries is loosely united in each artist's use of traditional imagery to address contemporary tensions - gender, sexual, political, national, religious, and philosophical. The book has beautifully concise and erudite essays by writers from each of the cultures and there has rarely been a selection of commentators so well selected. Then come the visuals and the treats in store for those who do not know Asian art are endless. Some of the artists are extremely well known: Cho Duck Hyun and Kim Ho-Suk from South Korea, ChatChai Puipia and Navin Rawanchikul from Thailand, Nalini Malani from India, etc. But the real pleasure of this book is in the discovery of many lesser know, immensely exciting artists whose works are so gripping that the images jump off the page. The color reproductions are superb and the design of the book is elegant. This leaves us with the hope that the Asia Society will soon again curate another exhibition of this magnitude. This book is more than a fine art monograph - it is a fine history and philosophy text, as well.