APT6

APT6

Finally! I've been wanting to get this out of my camera, hard-drive and head for the last week but a few little things (garage sale, moving house, zine project, overtime work, blah blah blah...) have held me up. So at last, here is my run-down on the best of the best of the 6th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art. Just writing this is making me wish I was back there right now.

All photos are by me, except for the ones borrowed from the GOMA publication....now completely sold out unfortunately!

So I enter the GOMA, duck into the ladies toilets and discover the first piece of art is washing its hands in the sink! It's Charwei Tsai's Water Project.
 

Then I stepped inside the Yoshitomo Nara house! This collaboration between Nara and YNG brings the artist's studio to life in a temporary, portable space that encourages the spectators to interact with the environment.

Iranian artist Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmian's Lightning for Neda is a breathtaking large-scale mirror mosaic. She draws on the Islamic tradition of using pattern and geometry in design, particularly architecture. The way this reflective piece lit up to room was incredible.

Detail from Lightning for Neda.

The impossible guitar creations of Rudi Mantofani's Nada yang hilang (The lost note). It took all of my willpower not to attempt to play these "instruments".

I'd like to see your guitar solo on these!

H the Happy Robot by Ho Tzu Nyen is the sweetest film ever. From the artist:

 "H is a happy robot who was born in a cardboard factory. We follow the journey of his life as he undergoes education and discovers the meaning of life, death and life after death. All that remains is a disk containing his memories — which are in the form of a film. Perhaps all that remains is art."

Aw, poor H dies. But hey, the video is on a loop so he lives again, right?

 

From afar I almost thought Wit Pimkanchanapong's Cloud was a permanent fixture in the GOMA interior....but on closer inspection the long strings of bulldog-clipped A4 paper made for a really eye-catching installation.

A piece from Shirana Shahbazi's Flowers, fruits and portraits series.

Choe Yong Sun's linocut print The construction site provides an artist's glimpse into life in the DPRK.

Thukral and Tagra's mixed-media installation Escape! For a dream land is a clever look at the subject of Indian citizens who have migrated to America, Australia and England hoping for a more meaningful and rewarding life. I had a good chuckle at the tongue-in-cheek song they posted on youtube which was playing in the "lounge room" of the installation.

 

This great video gives you an insight into Jiten Thukral and Sumir Tagra's creative process. I really hope to see more work by these guys.

Detail of Farhad Moshiri's Magic White Horse with Gold Saddle. I adored the kitcsh decoration of these pieces. Sweet tooth? 

The stand-out piece of the APT6, and for good reason, is Kohei Nara's PixCell-Elk#2. In person the taxidermed elk covered in glass and crystal beads is staggeringly beautiful. When I first saw it my jaw dropped warner bros cartoon style, and I just kept having to go back for another look. Seeing the animal with this "skin" really plays with your senses and perception of what is natural.

Another really breathtaking piece at the triennial was Subodh Gupta's Line of Control (1). Constructed entirely from brass and copper pots, pans and other vessels, it really creates a powerful image.

People viewing Tibetan artist Gonkar Gyatso's Reclining Buddha: Shanghai to Lhasa Express. The work is a total of 9m long, set up in elongated panels to reflect the concertina folding of traditional Tibetan books.

A closer look reveals the meaning behind Gyatso's work, which is the increasing global popularity of Buddhism. Some details such the one above also contained  a subtle comment on Tibet's political relations with China.

Chinese artist Chen Qiulin's Garden No. 1, in which she filmed a group of migrant workers delivering bouquets of fake flowers to apartment blocks in her hometown of Wanzhou. The work was so evocative and mesmerising to watch.

The incredible film project The Ground, the Root, and the Air: The Passing of the Bodhi Tree by Jun Nguyen-Hatsushiba documents a fleet of art students motorboating down the Mekong, mapping out it's terrain on their sketch boards. I won't tell you what the film's climax is...hopefully you get to see it yourselves!

Possibly my new favourite Japanese contemporary artist is Hiraki Sawa. His installation O explores the idea of journeys and cycles in the metaphor of the circle. The combination of video, music, sound effects and moving objects made the experience so immersive and hypnotic, I literally had to drag myself away to see the rest of the exhibition!

Sawa discussing his work for the APT6.

Production still from Vimukthi Jayasundara's Sulanga Enu Pinisa (The Forsaken Land).

The film centres around a period of ceasefire in 2001 during Sri Lanka's ongoing civil war.

Manit Sriwanichpoom's series of photos titled Waiting for the King presents a powerful portrait of the people of Thailand.

APT6 certainly didn't fail to deliver on photographic work. Yao Jui-chung's black and white series Everything will fall into ruin portrays abandoned and derelict sites around Taiwan that came to be after political and military turmoil in the country.

Prints from Tracey Moffat's vintage-styled photographic series Plantation were haunting and evocative.

Runa Islam's First Day of Spring was another of my favourite video works. The subjects remained completely still as the camera panned across the scene, making it quite a different experience as the viewer.

Detail of the inkwork in Minam Apang's beautiful The sleeping army may stir.

Charwei Tsai's Mushroom Mantra used locally grown mushrooms inscribed by monks from a Buddhist association in Brisbane. They were a bit stinky by the time I got there but the effect was still great.

Sopheap Pich's Buddha. Working predominantly with rattan, the room which housed Pich's works smelt just so good. I love rattan.

In Kibong Rhee's There is no place, the artist placed a willow tree behind a glass screen where it gently moved in a soft fog. The effect was so captivating. APT6 was full of works that you could sit in front of for hours. 

Kyungah Ham's Nagasaki Mushroom Cloud and Hiroshima Mushroom Cloud are two of the most recognisable images of modern warfare recreated in hand silk embroidery. I honestly believed they were photographs until I got up close and saw the thread floats.

Shinji Ohmaki's Liminal Air - descend - was a whole load of fun. I got a little scared when I walked right in and couldn't see anything but white string all around me...!

Wow, so that about does it for the APT6. There is soooooo much more I didn't touch on, and if you weren't able to visit I suggest you head to to GOMA website and download the full e-catalogue in PDF format to find out more about the artists. It was a truly extraordinary exhibition and I can't wait for the next!

E.