Ceremony
Co-curated by Alexander Burenkov and Nicolas Bourriaud, Radicants
The main exhibition of the 10th edition of Asia Now is an international curatorial project that features 18 artists, who shine a light on the concept of ceremony, weaving rituals with art, philosophy, science, and poetry. A ceremony is usually composed of a prescribed sequence of actions, words, and artifacts, frequently enacted at rhythmic intervals, whether daily, weekly, or annually, or during significant milestones. While the term ” ritual ” traditionally evokes images of solemn religious rites, the ceremony opens the door to the cultural practices embedded in daily existence. From culinary rituals to the communal exuberance of festivals, these moments pulse with significance, bridging the sacred and the mundane.
Within the exhibition’s intermediate spaces at La Monnaie, the artistic practices on display engage in earnest inquiries into the rituals of conviviality and social connectivity. The work transcends mere representation, exploring ceremonies through shared experiences, mutual care, and the exuberant expressions of life. At the heart of this exhibition lies a profound motif: cheerfulness as a survival strategy intertwined with the healing power of social connectivity. It invites contemplation on how artistic expressions can facilitate the processing of loss and trauma, particularly in these times marked by conflict and political upheaval. Ultimately, Asia Now stands as a vital testament to the enduring necessity of ceremonies in fostering empathy, resilience, and a shared vision of a more interconnected existence.
Exhibiting artists
• Charwei Tsai (supported by Mor Charpentier)
• Marcos Kueh (supported by Ron Mandos)
• Mohammad AlFaraj (supported by ATHR and Mennour )
• ZADIE XA (supported by THADDAEUS ROPAC / Paris)
• Trevor Yeung, (supported by GALERIE ALLEN / Paris)
• Nil Yalter
• Minja Gu (supported by NIKA PROJECT SPACE / Paris)
• Leelee Chan (supported by KLEMM’S / Berlin and CAPSULE SHANGHAI)
• Qian Qian (supported by RICHARD Saltoun GALLERY / London)
• Özlem Altın (supported by THE PILL ® )
• Yohan Han ( supported by Parliament)
• Natsuko Uchino (supported by GALERIE ALLEN / Paris)
• Bobby Yu Shuk Pui (supported by VI, VII GALLERY / Oslo)
• Ariuna Bulutova
• Ming Wong (supported by Carlier Gebauer)
• Nina Jayasuriya (supported by Mennour)
• Rain Wu
• Faina Yunusova (supported by JEAN-CLAUDE MAIER)
• Farah Al Qasimi (supported by The Third Line )
Performances
• Hamid Shams (supported by Simine )
• Isaac Chong Wai (supported by ZILBERMAN GALLERY)
• Yao Qingmei
• Darius Dolatyari-Dolatdoust
Guest Curator: Radicants
Asia Now is thrilled to welcome the curatorial cooperative RADICANTS, under the artistic direction of Nicolas Bourriaud, as Guest Curator of our 10th edition.
Radicants is an international nomadic curatorial cooperative founded by Nicolas Bourriaud in 2022. Radicants is conceived as an organic and nomadic cooperative model, in phase with the evolution of the art world. The platform creates innovative international exhibitions conceived by independent curators. Radicants specialises in exhibition production and cultural engineering. Notable exhibitions include FROZEN FOREST at Abu Dhabi Art in Abu Dhabi (2023), PICKLE BAR by Slavs and Tatars (2023), Cloud Point (2022), and PLANET B: Climate Change and the New Sublime (2022), which was presented during the 59th Venice Biennale.
Nicolas Bourriaud’s practice focuses on human relationships and communication, often at the intersection of technology, media and networks. Bourriaud was co-founder and co-director of the Palais de Tokyo in Paris (1999-2006) and Gulbenkian Curator of Contemporary Art at Tate Britain (2007-2010). His curatorial achievements include major exhibitions such as the Tate Triennial (2009), the Taipei Biennial (2014) and the Istanbul Biennial (2019). His seminal works, including Relational Aesthetics (1998), Postproduction (2002), The Radicant (2009) and Inclusions: Aesthetics of the Capitalocene (2020), have shaped the discourse on contemporary art. Nicolas Bourriaud is the artistic director of the current edition of the Gwangju Biennale, which runs until 1 December 2024.
