The concept of the "Third World" came into being during the Cold War. It collapsed the binary division of capitalism and socialism and produced an alternative idea of political sovereignty.
Just Like The Other Shore, an installation by Lu Lei.
Around the same time, the philosophical concept of "World III" was introduced, which developed the independent sector of "objective knowledge" between the traditional divisions of the material and consciousness. As such, it placed emphasis on the independence of the cultural world.
Differing from the post-colonial theory, the Third World was not borne from the self-criticism of Western countries, but from the edge or outside the Western world. It originated from the political voice of the Third World itself. Therefore, what the theory of the Third World in the cultural domain brought was no longer a differential game of multiculturalism, but some possible construction of common culture instead.
In the practice of common culture under such political consciousness, the cultural politics of contemporary art will break through the said scenario of "political correctness" and change the set relationship between art and politics through strengthening art as the independent World III. Regardless of whether it is the Third World or World III, it all belongs to non-determinism and a constructive world view.
Any discussions over contemporary Chinese art as appearing in "The World III in the Third World" exhibition may be separated into the three topics — how to understand the consciousness of cultural sovereignty in the international political relationship; how to face the possibility of restructuring a blueprint for some international political practice in an increasingly de-politicalised diversified global cultural scenario; and how to re-comprehend the political independence of art in the delayed "post-historical" and "post-artistic" period.
A collaborative art project with Tang Contemporary Art and featuring various genres of art by dozens of Chinese artists, "The World III in the Third World" exhibition will be displayed at Chulalongkorn University's Art Centre from today until Oct 4. The opening reception is at 6.30pm, preceded by a talk by curator Bao Dong and some of the artists at 5pm.
The art centre is on the seventh floor of the Office of Academic Resources, Phaya Thai Road and opens on weekdays from 9am to 7pm and Sat from 9am to 4pm. Call 02-218-2965.
Love Letters, a print by Jiang Zhi.
