Exhibitions
The Secretariat
Jan 19 - Feb 10, 2019
Written by Misao Kasamatsu / Translated by AURA ART
The extensive Secretariat Office (Ministers Office) is located in the middle block of the downtown area, which extends to the southernmost part of Yangon, the largest city in Myanmar. The contemporary art event 'Concept Context Contestation' was held in this building, which was designed by a British architect and was once used as the Burmese Governor-General's Office and government office building.
Around the entrance is a place where people can exchange conversation, and where a woman serves who is in charge of this table.
The event took place for three weeks from 19th January to 10th February 2019. Contemporary art artists from Myanmar and other Southeast Asian countries gathered to create an exhibition full of a wide variety of artworks, including installations and video works, using the whole of the building in this historic complex.
The definition of modern art is very difficult to explain, but it can at least be treated as 'not traditional or classical art'. In this sense, the event was truly a gathering of contemporary art from Myanmar and Southeast Asia.
Singapore's Lee Wen seemed to have found art in table tennis, which is familiar to the Japanese as well. He created a large, circular table tennis table that was completely different to the usual rectangular ones. In the center of the table tennis stand, there was an empty space in which people can move around, and bats and balls were also provided, so you could actually play opponents outside of the circle versus opponents inside the center of the circle. It was a new type of art that combined art and sport, involving all five senses.
The same is true of video works, which were unconventional. In art that takes advantage of the darkness created in a space separated by walls, the images projected on the walls simply changed in sequence, but only the mosaic-tinged screens showed masterful statements in a calm manner. It was impressive that the video changed with the clash of the projector.
Other works that allowed people to experience Myanmar's culture, such as the traditional Myanmar costume of a wrapped skirt (longyi) and a bamboo house, which expressed peoples' living space in black in one color, were also seen. There was also a group of musicians who used instruments made of wood and bamboo to parade through the venue while playing music. The artists in this exhibition were varied.
In contemporary art, there are works with very strong messaging qualities. The work by Indonesian artist FX Harsono may be one of them.
The work, which was also featured in the event brochure, was a massive stack of pistols made from vivid pink rice-crackers, with cracked pistols also placed on the ink sticks on the desk. It was also a good idea how the artist fused pistols and crackers, which have completely different uses.
Some of the works had a meaning of social satire that was easy to understand, with postings written on people's posters. On the other hand, there were many works that left their interpretation to viewers, such as a plastic coke bottle with a pacifier on white sand, bottles filled with 'corruption' and the smell of dead dogs. However, the appeal of contemporary art is that we can freely accept the message of the artists contained in any art.
The Secretariat
A historic building representing Myanmar and was once used as a government building. It is known as the place where General Aung San, the father of independence, was assassinated. Currently, restoration work is under way, and some parts of the building that have not yet been constructed are used for events and so on.
