Group Exhibition ShanghART Singapore, Singapore
During Singapore Art Week 2024, ShanghART Singapore will disappear and make space for “Translations: Afro-Asian Poetics”, a large-scale, multi-site exhibition featuring works by artists from Africa and Asia. Presented by The Institutum, a non-profit institution founded by a Southeast Asian philanthropist, and curated by Dr Zoé Whitley, Director of Chisenhale Gallery (an artist-run space based in London), the exhibition runs from January 18 to 30, 2024.
Beginning from 1996 when the gallery was first founded in Shanghai, ShanghART has been committed to promoting the most cutting-edge contemporary art, first from within the city, across China, then expanding to Singapore and Southeast Asia. The gallery is now excited to be part of this expansive show that delves into the vibrant and interconnected narratives of the African and Asian diasporas. This exhibition features approximately 100 internationally acclaimed artists representing diverse voices from both continents, drawing on the inherent commonalities between the two diaspora cultures.
About the Curators
DR ZOÉ WHITLEY is Director of Chisenhale Gallery, a leading non-profit space founded by artists in London's East End. She writes widely on contemporary artists and 20th century designers, including children’s books, and has served on the 2020-22 Arts Council Collection committee in England.
In 2020, Zoé curated Frieze London’s special themed section, Possessions, exploring spirituality and contemporary art, and co-curated Elijah Pierce's America at the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, USA. Previous exhibitions to her credit include curating the British Pavilion presentation of Cathy Wilkes at the Venice Biennale (2019) and co-curating the award-winning international touring exhibition Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power (2017-2020).
Zoé also serves on the boards of Creative Access, the only organisation in the UK dedicated to recruiting under- represented talent in the creative industries, and Decolonising Arts Institute, University of the Arts London. She’s formed part of international arts juries for the
Wolfgang Hahn Prize (2022), Turner Prize (2021), Preis der Nationalgalerie Berlin (2021) And Future Generation Art Prize selection committee, among numerous others.
Her previous professional roles include Senior Curator (Hayward Gallery); Curator, International Art (Tate Modern); and Curator of Contemporary Programmes (V&A).
CLARA CHE WEI PEH is an independent curator and art writer in Singapore. Her research and practice focus on new media, emerging technologies, and the intersections of art and money. She was recently Curator for Art Dubai Digital 2023 and Guest Curator at ArtScience Museum, where she co-developed, “Notes From the Ether” (2023). Her work has been published on Yishu: Journal of Chinese Contemporary Art, Asian Art Biennale Reader, The Brooklyn Rail, Hyperallergic, The Art Newspaper, among others. She was a member of Shanghai Curators Lab 2023 and is currently a Asia Collection Fellow at KADIST.
About ShanghART Artists
Significant works by Geng Jianyi, Sun Xun, Tang Da Wu, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, and Robert Zhao Renhui represent the Asian voices in this dialogue with the African artists. Ranging from Geng Jianyi’s experimental books to Sun Xun’s imaginative film, the works represent a multifaceted exchange with the world, through an insightful examination on the building blocks of cultures and societies.
Robert Zhao’s durational photography work places the lens on our immediate surroundings while echoing the wider environmental concerns, while Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s contemplative video projection juxtaposes dreams and memories against our reality. Lastly, Tang Da Wu’s large-scale installation featuring the poem “Invictus” (1875) by William Ernest Henry, famously recited by Nelson Mandela during his imprisonment, expresses the resilience and perseverance that has backed humanity in the face of crises, across time and cultures.
Presented alongside other artists of African and Asian diasporas, the selection of works invites a cross-cultural conversation among the artists originating from diverse backgrounds, speaking about the universal values and concerns that have coexisted with us through the ages. ShanghART’s participation in such a unique and multicultural presentation signifies the gallery’s future directions, as we strive to towards a diversified conversation with the world.
About The Institutum
The Institutum is a non-profit institution based in Singapore dedicated to expanding the horizons for Singapore art by developing relationships with the global contemporary art community through international projects that respond to the local and South East Asian context. Notable past projects include the publication Contemporary Art in Southeast Asia, Justice For All: Yinka Shinobare, a 2019 installation at The Arts House, and State of the Arts, a series of interviews with artists globally on their practices and philosophies.
Starting September 2023, The Institutum embarks on a new chapter at Gillman Barracks with a six months pop-up exhibition space. This exciting endeavor will feature a dynamic line-up of exhibitions bringing an approach to contemporary art that focuses on bridging people and places. The Institutum aims to bring number of collaborations to Gillman Barracks to contribute to the arts ecosystem in Singapore.
More Pictures:
ShanghART Singapore | Translations: Afro-Asian Poetics | ShanghART WeChat
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