The Korea Arts & Culture Education Service (ARKO) announced on September 23 that it will host the 'Asian Art Roundtable (AAR)' in collaboration with Japan's Cultural Agency on October 3 and 4 at the Artist House in Seoul.
The AAR is an international collaboration project launched by Japan's Cultural Agency in 2023 to support exchanges and joint research among the next generation of curators in Asia. Approximately 20 curators from regions including Korea, China, Japan, and Taiwan will participate.
These curators will share issues faced by contemporary Asian society and art, focusing on themes of 'Community,' 'Spirituality,' and 'Migration,' while exploring new questions and artistic practices. The AAR in Seoul will publicly present research and discussions that have previously been conducted behind closed doors.
On October 3, an international symposium will take place, featuring keynote speeches from philosopher and cultural theorist Han Byung-chul, Takahiro Nakajima, a professor at the University of Tokyo specializing in East Asian philosophy, and Hyun-mi Kim, a cultural anthropologist at Yonsei University who has researched gender, migration, and caregiving.
Participating curators will present their research findings on the three core themes (Community, Spirituality, Migration) and offer diverse perspectives on visual art from different regional and social backgrounds. Following this, the keynote speakers and AAR curators will engage in discussions with advisory members, including Mami Kataoka, director of the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo, Sunjung Kim, artistic director of the Art Sonje Center, and Pi Li, director of the Long Museum in Shenzhen, China, to deepen the conversation around contemporary social and artistic issues in Asia.
On October 4, a series of small, themed roundtables will be held, bringing together AAR curators with local curators and artists. Participants will share their diverse regional and social experiences based on the three core keywords, understanding Asia as a space where various perspectives intersect, and expanding research and discussions on contemporary society and art in Asia.
Chairman Lee Beom-hun stated, “This roundtable is a meaningful opportunity for Asian curators and researchers to share their different socio-cultural experiences and examine key agendas in contemporary visual art surrounding Asia. We hope that the AAR will further stimulate interest and research in the diverse societies, cultures, and artistic practices of Asia within the domestic art community.”
Registration for the international symposium and roundtable is available online. Detailed information regarding keynote speakers, presenters, and registration can be found on the ARKO website and Eventus.
Meanwhile, the AAR is a long-term project for the next generation of curators from various regions in Asia, addressing issues faced by Asian societies from the perspective of contemporary art.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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