New Photography from Southeast Asia

During the Cold War, Southeast Asia was kept on the keep-in-view list amongst news agencies around world. The region was then at the frontline of proxy wars waged either openly or covertly. However, since the reunification of Vietnam in 1975 and the fall of Pol Pot four years later, the region has quietly slid off the radar of international media outlets.

Today, the region breathes in the shadow of China. In a way, this shift in global attention mirrors the development of photography in Asia.

Nowadays, curators and gallery owners fly into China from around the world and offer her photographers a place on the global arena. On the other hand, there is still an absence of initiatives in Southeast Asia where people can see different kinds of photography produced by local photographers within the same setting.

There are initiatives in Southeast Asia that attempt to promote the medium but they act as though the region doesn't have autonomous "histories" of photography. If not, why do we see influential Southeast Asian photographers like Sonny Yabao (Manila), Oscar Motuloh (Jakarta), Po Po (Yangon) and Ismail Hashim (Penang) perennially snubbed at these events? Worse, some of these events confound their very preamble of having these initiatives by featuring regional photographers only in portfolio review sessions. In a way, these photo festivals "prove" to the world that Southeast Asian photographers are only good enough to be "reviewed".

As such, perhaps it is only appropriate that we have to gather in Changsha to experience Southeast Asian photography. China certainly has the potential to be a mover in that regard. After all, the relationship that she has enjoyed with Southeast Asia over the centuries has always gone beyond economic concerns. Myopic commentators who peddle hysteria to foreign policy magazines often ignore the cultural and religious linkages that exist between the region and China.

Not only has the spice trade made some of the merchants richer, it has in fact added to the palette of south Chinese cuisine. Today, thanks to the work of historians like Claudine Salmon and Mary Somers Heidhues, we have a clearer picture of the roles played by Chinese Muslims (alongside Muslims of other ethnicities) in bringing Islam to Indonesia, and in helping to found and run those sultanates since the 15th century.

Clearly, there is no reason to doubt the potential of initiatives like this in China to act as a conduit for Southeast Asian photography, just as the Singapore International Film Festival had served as the initial platform for sixth-generation China directors not so long ago.

Within the constraints of a group show, I have tried to present a cross-section of contemporary photographic practices in Southeast Asia. It is by no means exhaustive but offers the template, for instance, to consider the works of Nge Lay (Yangon) and Lâm Hiếu Thuận (Saigon)--two very different artists addressing the medium in different ways--in the same setting. Some of the featured artists like Khvay Samnang (Phnom Penh) and Souliya Phoumivong (Vientiane) are at the start of their photographic journey, while others like Kamthorn Paowattanasuk (Bangkok) and K Azril Ismail (Kuala Lumpur) are already well exposed in their respective countries. All of them share the same passion in terms of articulating the concerns of their generation and using the medium to understand the societies where they come from. Away from the spotlight of global news conglomerates, these photographers are our intermediaries to the complexity of the region. They bring with them notes from the south.

Oct 26 -- 14:30am-16:00am
The meeting room on the 8th floor in Wanbao Mansion, Wanbao Road 267# , Changsha, Hunan, China

Zhuang Wubing

As a third-generation Chinese, Zhuang Wubin (b. 1978; Singapore) uses photography to understand the Chinese communities in Southeast Asia (ASEAN). His previous photo books include "Chinatowns in a Globalizing Southeast Asia" (2009 /Singapore) and "Ten Chinatowns of Southeast Asia" (2010/Indonesia). His forthcoming photo book is titled "Chinese Muslims in Indonesia".

As a photographer, he is drawn to social issues and the nuances of daily life. His photo-essays have been published in Asian Wall Street Journal , Post magazine (HK), zonezero.com (Mexico/US) and Rhythms Monthly (Taiwan), amongst others. His work has also been exhibited in cities like Ballina (I Often Dream of Trains , Ballina Arts Centre, Ireland), Surabaya (Fighting for the Rights of Sex Workers in Calcutta , Galeri CCCL, Indonesia), Kolkata (Women Struggle, Women Resist , Gorky Sadan) and Dhaka (Eye on Southeast Asia , Drik Gallery, Chobi Mela III). His series on Taipei Subway Love has also been hosted on the SAFOTO web galleries in conjunction with FOTOSEPTIEMBRE USA 2007.

Zhuang is also an independent researcher specializing in contemporary photography in Southeast Asia. His articles have been published on "Asian Art Newspaper" (UK), "Visual Arts" (Indonesia) and "Art Monthly Australia", among others. In 2010, he presented a small part of his findings at the 2nd Luang Prabang International Image Biennial in Laos. In the same year, he received a grant from the Prince Claus Fund (The Netherlands) to further his research.

Source: IOPF website