Ai Weiwei and the Bird's nest
Dr. Melissa Chiu is director of the Asia Society Museum in New York and vice president of the Society"s Global Arts program. She is also a curator of contemporary art and one of the world"s leading authorities on Chinese and Asia contemporary art and the author of several books on Chinese contemporary art. Her most recent work is Breakout: Chinese Art Outside China (2007). She also curated the first major retrospective of Zhang Huan"s works at the Asia Society in New York in 2007. She was formerly the founding director of the Asia-Australia Arts Centre in Sydney, Australia. She earned an M.A. and Ph.D. in Australia, where she studied Chinese art. She is based in New York. What follows is a Quesetion & Answer interview with Dr. Chiu, who was recently in China and is preparing a major new show at the Asia Society, on Chinese art after the revolution.
Lynn: Melissa, you have written several books on Chinese contemporary art. Can you tell us a little about what you’ve covered in them?
Melissa: One of my more recent books is called, “Breakout: Chinese Art Outside China,” and that was based on about twelve years of research focusing on Chinese artists living inside and outside China. I came to realize that the work being done inside and outside was very different, especially during the 1990`s, when we first saw the internationalization of Chinese contemporary art. During this period, Chinese artists living in China sought opportunities abroad to show their work, while Chinese artists who were living outside China also showed their work in their newly adopted homes.. In both cases these artists were creating very different types of works. For artists living outside China, we might see their work as the result of a Chinese Diaspora, a sense of longing towards China where they ,looked to Chinese culture or Chinese history as a frame of reference. In a way, we didn’t see this going on in China at the same time with the same generation of artists
In Australia [where Melissa grew up and studied], I was lucky enough to see one of the very first exhibitions of Chinese contemporary art in 1993. And from that I became more interested in what was going on in China. I visited it many times and I also worked with artists to create exhibitions such as a solo exhibition of Wang Youshen’s work. Also, of course, Australia benefited from the artists who had migrated there just prior to June 4, 1989 and there was a whole community that I had access to. I was able to interview many of them during this time and became very aware that there were two communities at this time in Chinese contemporary art: the one inside and the one outside of China. And that’s really what the basis of my argument for that first book.
Now, more recently, I have published a book called, “Chinese Contemporary Art: Seven Things You Should Know.” This is a book that really offers an introduction to the subject. While “Breakout…” is more in-depth and comprehensive based on a
theoretical argument. “Seven Things” is meant to provide an accessible, readable entry into the Chinese art world. It was based on a lecture I first gave in New York. I was asked to repeat the lecture at many other museums across the United States so I decided I would put the ideas into a book. In some ways the book is also a response to the questions people have asked me about Chinese contemporary art over the years. For example, I am always asked about censorship and its effect on art practice so I have made this one of the sections in the book. The first point in the book however is a statement that it is important to remember that Chinese contemporary art has a thirty year history, it was not born three years ago when the auctions began.
Lynn: Melissa, can you explain what your role is at the Asia Society?
Melissa: My position is museum director and vice president of global visual arts programs. What that means is that I oversee the Museum, its collections and its international exhibition programs. And in 2010 the Asia Society will open two new centers with museums. We currently have eleven centers around the world. But two centers in particular: Houston and Hong Kong, will open with museum facilities. My role will be to oversee those museum programs.
Lynn: I see. Does it mean you will live outside US?
Melissa: No, I will still be based in New York. New York is the headquarters for the Asia Society. But it means I will probably travel more frequently to these places than I already do. Asia Society itself has always played a leadership role in the presentation of Asian arts and culture. Although we began with traditional arts, we are also a leader in presenting contemporary art, often staging the first exhibitions in the United. Some examples include Inside Out: New Chinese Art curated by Gao Minglu in 1998 and Edge of Desire: Recent Art in India curated by Chaitanya Sambrani in 2005, both the first major museum surveys in the States.
Lynn: So the Asia Society has a large museum collection?
Melissa: We have a traditional collection that was given to us by our founders, John D. Rockefeller III and his wife Blanchette Hooker. And then, last fall, we announced our plans to establish a contemporary art collection, making us the first institution to really have this focus on cutting edge Asian contemporary art in United States.
And within that, we have a an area of focus in video, new media and photography. So a part of that strategy is really looking at where the strength of art work in Asia is today. And I really feel that a lot of artists working in Asia are really excelling in use of this media. They are being accepted in the international art world as some of the most influential artists in video and other mediums. So that’s the reason why we decided to focus on this for the time being.
Lynn: So will the Asia Society make new media the focus of its contemporary art collection?
Melissa: It means we will collect actively in this field. But it also means that we will exhibit a full range of ink painting, oil painting, installations, sculpture, and video. In terms of the collection, we will focus first on this group of media that really looks at the interaction between art and technology.
Lynn: Recently, I went to New York and saw your exhibition, which included an artist from Vietnam. He was doing video work.
Melissa: Yes, that’s a part of our collection, a promised gift to the collection from Hal and Ruth Newman. It is a video installation by Jun Nguyen Hatsushiba, one of his first major works in the medium. Other works by Chinese artists in our collection include Cao Fei, Zhang Peili and Wang GongXin.
Lynn: What major exhibitions are planned for the Asia Society?
Melissa: One of the important exhibitions I have been working on, for the past five years with Zheng Shengtian, is an exhibition called “Art in China’s Revolution.” It focuses on the period in China from the 1950s through to the late 1970’s. The idea behind the exhibition is that, this was such important formative period for what we see in today’s contemporary art scene. Many artists working now refer to those art works and say the works from that period were key to their own works. We also want to provide some background and context for our understanding of what’s going on in Chinese contemporary art today. It’s a prelude to the current experimental art movement.
Lynn: I see. Who is Zheng Shengtian?
Melissa: Zheng Shengtian is my co-curator. He lives in Vancouver where he is managing editor of a magazine called “Yishu.” We have been working together for many years on this exhibition. With this exhibition of Chinese art from the revolutionary perio
Lynn: Melissa, you have written several books on Chinese contemporary art. Can you tell us a little about what you’ve covered in them?
Melissa: One of my more recent books is called, “Breakout: Chinese Art Outside China,” and that was based on about twelve years of research focusing on Chinese artists living inside and outside China. I came to realize that the work being done inside and outside was very different, especially during the 1990`s, when we first saw the internationalization of Chinese contemporary art. During this period, Chinese artists living in China sought opportunities abroad to show their work, while Chinese artists who were living outside China also showed their work in their newly adopted homes.. In both cases these artists were creating very different types of works. For artists living outside China, we might see their work as the result of a Chinese Diaspora, a sense of longing towards China where they ,looked to Chinese culture or Chinese history as a frame of reference. In a way, we didn’t see this going on in China at the same time with the same generation of artists
In Australia [where Melissa grew up and studied], I was lucky enough to see one of the very first exhibitions of Chinese contemporary art in 1993. And from that I became more interested in what was going on in China. I visited it many times and I also worked with artists to create exhibitions such as a solo exhibition of Wang Youshen’s work. Also, of course, Australia benefited from the artists who had migrated there just prior to June 4, 1989 and there was a whole community that I had access to. I was able to interview many of them during this time and became very aware that there were two communities at this time in Chinese contemporary art: the one inside and the one outside of China. And that’s really what the basis of my argument for that first book.
Now, more recently, I have published a book called, “Chinese Contemporary Art: Seven Things You Should Know.” This is a book that really offers an introduction to the subject. While “Breakout…” is more in-depth and comprehensive based on a
theoretical argument. “Seven Things” is meant to provide an accessible, readable entry into the Chinese art world. It was based on a lecture I first gave in New York. I was asked to repeat the lecture at many other museums across the United States so I decided I would put the ideas into a book. In some ways the book is also a response to the questions people have asked me about Chinese contemporary art over the years. For example, I am always asked about censorship and its effect on art practice so I have made this one of the sections in the book. The first point in the book however is a statement that it is important to remember that Chinese contemporary art has a thirty year history, it was not born three years ago when the auctions began.
Lynn: Melissa, can you explain what your role is at the Asia Society?
Melissa: My position is museum director and vice president of global visual arts programs. What that means is that I oversee the Museum, its collections and its international exhibition programs. And in 2010 the Asia Society will open two new centers with museums. We currently have eleven centers around the world. But two centers in particular: Houston and Hong Kong, will open with museum facilities. My role will be to oversee those museum programs.
Lynn: I see. Does it mean you will live outside US?
Melissa: No, I will still be based in New York. New York is the headquarters for the Asia Society. But it means I will probably travel more frequently to these places than I already do. Asia Society itself has always played a leadership role in the presentation of Asian arts and culture. Although we began with traditional arts, we are also a leader in presenting contemporary art, often staging the first exhibitions in the United. Some examples include Inside Out: New Chinese Art curated by Gao Minglu in 1998 and Edge of Desire: Recent Art in India curated by Chaitanya Sambrani in 2005, both the first major museum surveys in the States.
Lynn: So the Asia Society has a large museum collection?
Melissa: We have a traditional collection that was given to us by our founders, John D. Rockefeller III and his wife Blanchette Hooker. And then, last fall, we announced our plans to establish a contemporary art collection, making us the first institution to really have this focus on cutting edge Asian contemporary art in United States.
And within that, we have a an area of focus in video, new media and photography. So a part of that strategy is really looking at where the strength of art work in Asia is today. And I really feel that a lot of artists working in Asia are really excelling in use of this media. They are being accepted in the international art world as some of the most influential artists in video and other mediums. So that’s the reason why we decided to focus on this for the time being.
Lynn: So will the Asia Society make new media the focus of its contemporary art collection?
Melissa: It means we will collect actively in this field. But it also means that we will exhibit a full range of ink painting, oil painting, installations, sculpture, and video. In terms of the collection, we will focus first on this group of media that really looks at the interaction between art and technology.
Lynn: Recently, I went to New York and saw your exhibition, which included an artist from Vietnam. He was doing video work.
Melissa: Yes, that’s a part of our collection, a promised gift to the collection from Hal and Ruth Newman. It is a video installation by Jun Nguyen Hatsushiba, one of his first major works in the medium. Other works by Chinese artists in our collection include Cao Fei, Zhang Peili and Wang GongXin.
Lynn: What major exhibitions are planned for the Asia Society?
Melissa: One of the important exhibitions I have been working on, for the past five years with Zheng Shengtian, is an exhibition called “Art in China’s Revolution.” It focuses on the period in China from the 1950s through to the late 1970’s. The idea behind the exhibition is that, this was such important formative period for what we see in today’s contemporary art scene. Many artists working now refer to those art works and say the works from that period were key to their own works. We also want to provide some background and context for our understanding of what’s going on in Chinese contemporary art today. It’s a prelude to the current experimental art movement.
Lynn: I see. Who is Zheng Shengtian?
Melissa: Zheng Shengtian is my co-curator. He lives in Vancouver where he is managing editor of a magazine called “Yishu.” We have been working together for many years on this exhibition. With this exhibition of Chinese art from the revolutionary perio
