Rivalry between nations during wars from the 1960s up to the 90s tore some Asian countries into pieces and killed hundreds of thousands of the innocent. It also gave birth to a rise of nationalism, rapid modernisation and democratic ideology across the region.
With the Cold War as a backdrop, artists developed a gigantic wave of social and political consciousness and expressed their hopes through their creations amid the turbulent time. To examine the powerful role of artists during those periods, the National Gallery Singapore is holding an exhibition entitled "Awakenings: Art In Society In Asia 1960s-1990s", which is now on view for three months.
"This [period] has been 30 years of a quite turbulent time in the region. And I don't think we are away from the conflicts," said Adele Tan of the National Gallery Singapore, one of the exhibition's curators.
Jointly organised by the National Gallery Singapore, the Museum of Modern Art Tokyo, the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Korea and the Japan Foundation Asia Centre, Awakenings features 142 provocative artworks by over 100 artists from 12 countries in Asia, including China, Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, India and Southeast Asian countries. The works on display -- many considered artistic experimentation -- chronicles what happened in the region from the 1960s up until the 90s as the byproduct of wars and how artists stepped out to respond to the upheaval, as well as to question conventions and at the same time challenge society in order to create positive change.
"The exhibition is not chronological or geographic, as we really want the works to speak across geographical boundaries," said Charmaine Toh, curator of the National Gallery Singapore.
Awakenings is divided into three chapters, said Tan, which are "Questioning Structures", "Artists And The City", and "New Solidarities". While the first chapter looks at artists who were not just questioning politics and society but also different ways of making art, the second part of the exhibition shifts gears a bit to situate the artist more directly in society and see how they respond to the urban environment they are in.
The last chapter -- and perhaps the most socially and politically provocative -- is a reflective section that retrospects to certain historical moments in Asia. "Here we look at how artists come together as a collective unit to achieve more as a group than as a singular effort," Tan explained.
5.18 Series — Early Morning by a South Korean artist specialising in woodcuts, chronicles the Gwangju Uprising that took place in 1980 in protest of the country's then-military government. National Gallery Singapore
By the exhibition's definition, Awakenings refers to the emergence of political consciousness among artists across Asia and its manifestation in new ways of thinking about and making art.
Thai artist Sinsawat Yodbangtoey of the United Artists' Front of Thailand, whose works are on display, believes however that political consciousness actually exists in everybody in society, albeit to different degrees, and should serve as a starting point where one becomes more aware of what happens in society at a certain period of time.
"To create a movement, society needs a stream of political consciousness, not just that from any one person. Among artists, political consciousness is a significant drive throughout the world. Artistic and cultural tools can be used as stimuli to awaken people in the mass to fast become politically conscious. In a way, [art] is a shortcut given that emotions can play a vital part in enabling people to have more awareness and better understanding of the political situation," said Sinsawat.
Formed in 1974 immediately after the October 1973 violence that took place in Thailand, the United Artists' Front of Thailand created their artworks based on the mottos silapa phua cheewit and silapa phua prachachon, art for life and art for the people.
Sinsawat's work on show is part of a four-piece series titled Billboards. They are reproductions of billboards displayed at the United Artists' Front of Thailand's exhibition along Ratchadamnoen Avenue back in 1975. The then-exhibited works were to commemorate the student uprisings that led to the fall of Thailand's military regime.
Singaporean artist Tang Da Wu's They Poach The Rhino, Chop Off His Horn And Make This Drink criticises consumerism's role in destroying nature. Arusa Pisuthipan
As the artworks on display in Awakenings comprise a number of those from Southeast Asian countries which bring important social issues to the fore, Sinsawat sees they share one thing in common: reflective messages from colonisation.
"Many countries in Southeast Asia had been colonised, which was in a way an important drive towards the notion of independence among those nations," commented the artist.
"During these colonisation periods, citizens in these countries were being oppressed, which was somehow reflected through many artworks. In Thailand, although we have had an explanation that we have never been colonised, people in the country were still oppressed by class and capitalism."
Sinsawat's Billboards critiqued the then-military regime and American neo-imperialism, depicting Thai soldiers as enemies of the people sporting uniforms and weapons supplied by the United States. He admitted that after the Oct 14 massacre, which resulted in many deaths and injuries, people felt overwhelmed by grief and uncertainty, which affected how artists created visual art.
"[Billboards] reflected the brutality that the state authorities, especially military dictatorships, did upon not just the people but the country as a whole," the artist said.
Many years have passed since those turbulent times, but Sinsawat believes that many artists of today are still creating their works to question and challenge society as well. Yet the threat facing them is not going anywhere. "Artists who express their political ideology to the public must always understand and accept that they along with people surrounding them can be threatened. They need to be prepared for possible consequences. Especially now that we have social networks, artists can be monitored all the time."
Despite colossal change in social structures, extreme urban development and the existence of technology that seem to distract people from their interest in society and politics, the artist strongly believes modern people have not lost their interest and still want to get involved with what happens in the political realm.
Labyrinth by Indonesian artist Dede Eri Supria addresses the interconnectedness of his country's social issues such as urban poverty, environmental destruction and consumerism. Photo courtesy of National Gallery Singapore
"People these days do not have less political consciousness," Sinsawat concluded. "Especially if you look at how they express themselves and their political point of view on social media. But on such an online platform, they are just more careful in expressing themselves. There are many lessens we have learned since the October 1973 events. The violence back then caused us a lot of pain and loss. So now it is not that people are not politically conscious. It is just that they take a more careful approach when it comes to self-expression."
"Awakenings: Art In Society In Asia 1960s-1990s" is on display at the Singtel Special Exhibition Gallery, the National Gallery Singapore, until Sept 15.
Reptiles by Chinese-born French artist Huang Yong Ping explores the cultural connections and conflicts between the East and the West. Made by running French newspapers through three washing machines, the installation, shaped like a Chinese cemetery, is placed according to feng shui principles, which interrupts the flow of the exhibition space. Arusa Pisuthipan
