A historic Venetian palazzo is a stage for the Southeast Asian artists to showcase during the 20204 edition of the Venice Biennale. The palazzo is located in the Cannaregio district near the grand canal and hosts an exhibition “The Spirits of Maritime Crossing”. A group exhibition by artists from Southeast Asia, examines topics of displacement, the diaspora, and colonialism using the ocean as a metaphor. The exhibition is on view from 20th April to 24th November 2024 at Palazzo Smith Mangilli Valmarana. The space hasn’t been accessible to the public for 11 years.
The exhibition highlights a timely topic of colonialism and wars that have happened throughout the Southeast Asian region. When the voices also include indigenous points of view, the artists have chosen to speak about the importance of nature and the spirituality that is embedded in the land and its ancestral connotations.
The Spirits of Maritime Crossing exhibition is curated by Prof. Dr. Apinan Poshyananda, who is also Chief Executive and Artistic Director of Bangkok Art Biennale (BAB). With the BAB Foundation, the Venice exhibition is co-hosted by One Bangkok.
The curator shares about the exhibition,
“We are delighted to present a survey of Southeast Asian artists to international audiences in the Global North to coincide with the Biennale Arte, ahead of Bangkok’s own biennale in October 2024. Moreover, it is a great honor that a new short film featuring world-renowned Marina Abramović, winner of the Golden Lion at Venice Biennale in 1997, will be shown within the exhibition. The contents of this film and exhibition that focuses on sea travel, displacement and diaspora relate directly with the main Exhibition. It is fascinating to see such synergy across Venice.” (Prof. Poshyananda)
Prof. Poshyananda created a film which brings the East and West together. The film features well known performance artist Marina Abramović together with Thai dancer and choreographer Pichet Klunchun.
Mediums such as painting, sculpture, mixed media and video installations, bring together fifteen artists from Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, The Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam and Thailand. The complex realities and diverse cultures, as well as the histories of the region, meet the Western narratives in this Venice exhibition.
Cambodian artist Khvay Samnang, directed Calling for Rain, which explores deforestation that has been a major problem in Cambodia. Other films include Hunting & Dancing: 15 years by Moe Satt; There’s no Place by Jakkai Siributr; The Sea is a Blue Memory by Priyageetha Dia and many more works by renowned artists displayed across the palazzo. A collaborative two-channel video installation by Chitti Kasemkitvatana and Nakrob Moonmanas, presents a montage reflecting on the parallel worlds of Italy and Thailand, displaying the multitude of languages and cultures.
The exhibition is a journey from Southeast Asia to Venice through cultural and diasporic experiences looked through the eyes of those who don’t live in their homeland; this includes both physical and spiritual aspects. Southeast Asian artists share many similarities, while also differing in ethnicity, religion, and their languages. This can create a sense of ‘foreignness’ among the artists. The legacy of each of them, however, resonates with a notion of a ‘cultural hybrid’, as among them are also refugees, immigrants, and stateless people, who create new identities in the diaspora.
Many of the artistic works dive into the indigenous histories, and narrate about the environmental impact of colonialism. Many of us know that environmental destruction, loss of land and livelihood as well as displacement, are common struggles told in the Southeast Asian stories.
Cambodian artist Khvay Samnang’s video work examines hegemony and deforestation in Cambodia. It is a story of local worship inspired by Ramayana, an ancient poem. Yee I-Lann’s film depicts a collaboration with weavers and local sea-based communities to revive ancestral knowledge. The story is about the maritime and indigenous histories in Malaysia. Jakkai Siributr has used textiles to provide commentary on ethnic cleansing in society. The topic resonates in the intricate embroideries that have been created together with asylum seekers. Moe Satt, who is a performance artist, uses his body for identity and estrangement. He has a voice about survival of the violence in his homeland Myanmar. Also, a performer, Kawita Vatanajyankur creates works about foamy blue dye highlighting female labor in patriarchal society and focusing on the role of water in the context of femininity and the textile industry. Priyageetha Dia’s video of the deep sea examines ancestral migratory movements from India to the Malay Peninsula. Truong Cong Tung shows an installation of gourds that draws upon mystical ritual and indigenous mythologies.
The Spirits of Maritime Crossing-exhibition also features paintings and a bronze sculpture by Natee Utarit, who blends Buddhist philosophy and Western art history, showing a meeting of East-West influences. Metal sculptures by Bounpaul Phothyzan are crafted using found bombshells, exploring the historical impact of American occupation in Southeast Asia, documenting the region’s tumultuous past.
Jompet Kuswidananto’s installation of shattered chandeliers examines the history of colonization, with a focus on missionary work across Indonesia. Alwin Reamillo’s mixed media work utilizes found objects and assemblages to reveal layers of colonialism. References to Christian iconography in the Philippines, and the influences of migration and globalization. The artist’s work presents the 14 Stations of the Cross. It is a Catholic devotion that commemorates Jesus Christ’s last day on Earth as a man.
The exhibition builds on the local voices and narratives. The regional histories are a significant meeting point of cultures with trade and cultural references overlapping from one area to the other. The proximity of geographical relationships between places is one strong signifier. Photo credits: Jakkai Siributr, There is no Place, 2020. Courtesy of the artist. |
Firstindigo&Lifestyle 