01 February, 2019

APT9 Asia Pacific Contemporary Arts Exhibition, Brisbane 2019



I had three hours today, so I went to this exhibition in order to immerse myself in the spirit of my wider region - Asia Pacific, and I came out fulfilled and richer, so much so, that I would like to share it now... 




Shinro Ohtake, Japan



--- Zooming in ---



Selects debris left from what has already past, put them in a new context, methodically creating layers of material inspired by geological strata, bringing  new perspective by looking for density on a given plane rather than a thematic connection between constituent elements. Below is a similar work done with multi-layered wood debris.



I thought about different layers of my life with not much connection between them, and then, I reflected on this: how about the density ... :)









Prayer houses in a building, encompassing many ways of worshipping, many aspirations and worries




Infinity signs made of little messages (?) of many kinds - this really transported me ...










A totally different register now...



Zheng Guogu, China

Colours and Painting techniques meant to convey qi flow - visual frequencies corresponding to rhythms of the body's meridian system - within Chinese traditional medicine
In the presence of that magnificent painting,  ... yes, I attest, I did feel the calmness



Htein Lin, Myanmar (Burma)


'The lotus flower blooms most beautifully from the deepest and thickest mud'

Installation in which 108 alms bowls - one a the few objects owned by Buddhist monks -  take the place of small rosary beads to construct an immense Buddhist rosary.
*Monks holding alms bowls over their heads is symbolic of their provocative gestures against Burmese kings, colonial power and the 2007 Saffron revolution...


Hassan Sharif, UAE, Dubai


Piles of common place objects found in markets, and take always the functional aspect of everyday items. He explores the irony of the art market - as a place in which consumers take useless-items-turned-into-artwork - by taking factory-produced ready-mades and weaving them into unique handcrafted works of art.. Here pieces of machine made rugs are cut into small pieces, wrapped around cardboards and secured with knotted pieces of cloth. He wants to bring attention to the absurdity of the desire to consume.





Political Embroideries paying homage to maternal ancestors




Jakkai Siributr, Thailand





Shilpa Gupta - legacy mechanical split-flatboard technology going wrong, that is
 *finally talking to you* 
in train stations


Maori Art Contemporary Art, Venus Voyage in Tahiti





Magnificent of simplicity and limpidity



Shinro Ohtake, Japan


Interesting and scary. Is it what we are? 
How useful is our quest of watching if no mindful action follows?











Zico Albaiquni, Indonesia

Explores relationship between the viewer, the subject and the artwork.






Refreshing now
If shells had been displayed like pearls or precious stones in museums for centuries, 
would we still wish to buy pearls and diamonds?



Tasmania, Shell Necklaces


 In my mind, this was the most beautiful piece: so much work, thoughts, and innovative techniques



Aisha Khalid, Pakistan




Persian and Moghul Art


Enormous tapestry stitched together with thousands of long gold-platted pins., taking ancient traditions to a new kind of art form that resonates with contemporary audiences, like a new language to say the same. The effect is light revealing a multitude of symbols, patterns and motifs,
Design based on the quintessential Islamic garden from the Qur'an. Within the section, you can see dragons and phoenix, geometric designs that represent water patterns, in which sea creatures and ships are scattered, emblematic of trade and the movement of people and culture.


'Water has never feared the fire' (Rumi, Persian poet)





























 And this was the funniest :)




Vincent Namatjira

First layers: Primes Ministers
Second layer: Aboriginal Senior artists and Lawmen from South Australia
Third layers: Richest people in the land

'I see them in the news and I wonder how and why they make decisions'...'I like to paint with a little bit of humour, humour takes away some of their power and keeps us all equal' - Author