The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in South Kensington has unveiled a groundbreaking exhibition, Rising Voices: Contemporary Art from Asia, Australia and the Pacific. This exhibition, produced in partnership with the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) in Brisbane, showcases over 70 works from artists across 25 countries, many of which have never been exhibited in the UK before. The show is a testament to the diverse and vibrant artistic landscape of the Asia-Pacific region, challenging traditional notions of global art history.
The exhibition's centerpiece is a life-size, fibreglass sculpture of a burly bouncer, Kapa Haka (Whero) by Michael Parekōwhai from Aotearoa New Zealand, standing guard at the main entrance. This symbolic guardian sets the tone for the exhibition's exploration of contemporary art from the Asia-Pacific region, highlighting the region's rich cultural heritage and artistic innovation.
The exhibition is a result of a growing trend in the art world, with international institutions increasingly recognizing and showcasing the talent and creativity of artists from the Asia-Pacific region. Last year, the Tate Modern hosted Emily Kam Kngwarray, in collaboration with the National Gallery of Australia, and the National Gallery of Victoria's exhibition The Stars We Do Not See: Australian Indigenous Art is now touring the US. Daniel Slater, director of exhibitions at the V&A, believes that these exhibitions are long overdue, and that it is the responsibility of institutions like the V&A to bring these incredible works to a wider audience.
The APT, established in 1993, was the first major exhibition dedicated exclusively to contemporary art from Asia and the Pacific. Since then, it has drawn more than 4 million visitors to QAGOMA and launched the careers of renowned artists such as Cai Guo-Qiang and Lee Bul. Despite its influence, QAGOMA has only toured a selection of works from one triennial once before, to Santiago, Chile, in 2019. This is the first time a triennial survey has been held anywhere in the world.
The practical challenges of transporting the works across the globe were significant, with conservation specialists at QAGOMA working tirelessly to ensure the safe journey of the works. Among the pieces that made the journey are Montien Boonma's monumental installation Lotus Sound, Takahiro Iwasaki's intricate wooden model of the Phoenix Pavilion in Kyoto, and delicate works made from feathers, shells, and shark's teeth. The exhibition also had to condense three decades of triennials into one cohesive show, a challenge that required careful curation and a deep understanding of the region's artistic landscape.
The exhibition is divided into four parts, with the first room providing a subtle introduction to the diversity of works on display. Visitors then move through thematic sections dedicated to politics, materiality, and spirituality. Two of the works in the introductory space are by Judy Watson, an Aboriginal artist from Waanyi country in north-eastern Australia, who has been a fixture in the APT since its inception. Her painting Memory Bones depicts a series of white, rib-like shapes lying over a splash of red, symbolizing the broken bones and blood of Mulrunji Doomadgee, an Aboriginal man who died in police custody in 2004.
Watson describes the creation of the work as a grieving process, reflecting on the ongoing colonial violence in Australia. Beneath the red stain is a wash of watery blue pigment, a nod to Waanyi country, which is dotted with springs and crisscrossed by creeks and rivers. Watson's use of blue is symbolic, representing memory, water, and the subterranean springs of her homeland.
Other works in the exhibition reflect on colonialism, including Brenda V Fajardo's vibrant paintings framed by tarot card characters, offering a reading of Filipino history during Spanish and American rule. Pala Pothupitiye reappropriates colonial maps to show how European imperialism has shaped Sri Lanka's art and society, depicting a garrison that was built by the Portuguese, taken over by the Dutch, and eventually surrendered to the British.
The exhibition challenges historical hierarchies by showcasing works from former British colonies in a museum that houses masterpieces from British history and monuments to the monarchy. Slater and Nagesh hope that visitors will take meaning from the juxtaposition, drawing connections between the blue flecks in Lola Greeno's shell necklaces and the sapphires in one of Queen Victoria's coronets. The exhibition aims to provide a sense of absolute discovery, encouraging visitors to see the story of Asian and Pacific art as central to global art-making, rather than peripheral.
In conclusion, Rising Voices is a groundbreaking exhibition that brings together diverse and powerful works from the Asia-Pacific region, challenging traditional notions of global art history and providing a platform for artists whose voices have long been overlooked. It is a testament to the power of art to transcend borders and connect people across cultures and continents.
