Ceremony
Co-curated by Nicolas Bourriaud, Alexander Burenkov, and Radicants
Asia Now at La Monnaie, Paris, France
16 ~ 20 October 2024
Courtesy of Asia Now, Photo by Lionel Belluteau
Exhibited works: “Ancient Desires – One Taste” and “Ndewa & Hamanangu”
The new participatory installation by Charwei Tsai created specifically for the 10th edition of Asia Now will greet the visitors right in the entrance area: the perishable offerings, hand-inscribed with mantras inside the vessels proposed by the performers to the visitors, will serve as a gesture of gift-giving that benefits the collective well-being of all sentient beings. This project is the new iteration of Tsai’s “Ancient Desires – One Taste” created earlier this year In collaboration with the local community of Licchavi House in Kathmandu, founded by the world renown Bhutanese Buddhist teacher and filmmaker Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche.
The installation is accompanied by Ndewa & Hamanangu, a series of ikat textiles made in collaboration with a young weaver Nency Dwi Ratna from the island of Sumba in Indonesia through the support of curator Alia Swastika. For this ten-month project, the weaver closely followed traditional methods passed down through her mother. As a tribute to the tradition, hand-spun yarn from locally sourced cotton and plant based-dye from hand-picked native plants such as indigo, turmeric, and morinda took the form of a local totem ‘lobster’ that symbolizes re-generation. Every step of the preparation follows the natural rhythms of the land. What seems to be mundane labor manifests into sacred geometries representing the interdependence of micro and macro cosmologies. This is part of a series of project where Tsai works with craftswomen in rural regions to preserve their knowledge and skills of working with plant-based and locally sourced materials that are otherwise quickly dying out.
The main exhibition of the 10th edition of Asia Now is an international curatorial project that features 18 artists, who shine a light on the concept of ceremony, weaving rituals with art, philosophy, science, and poetry. A ceremony is usually composed of a prescribed sequence of actions, words, and artifacts, frequently enacted at rhythmic intervals, whether daily, weekly, or annually, or during significant milestones. While the term ” ritual ” traditionally evokes images of solemn religious rites, the ceremony opens the door to the cultural practices embedded in daily existence. From culinary rituals to the communal exuberance of festivals, these moments pulse with significance, bridging the sacred and the mundane.
Within the exhibition’s intermediate spaces at La Monnaie, the artistic practices on display engage in earnest inquiries into the rituals of conviviality and social connectivity. The work transcends mere representation, exploring ceremonies through shared experiences, mutual care, and the exuberant expressions of life. At the heart of this exhibition lies a profound motif: cheerfulness as a survival strategy intertwined with the healing power of social connectivity. It invites contemplation on how artistic expressions can facilitate the processing of loss and trauma, particularly in these times marked by conflict and political upheaval. Ultimately, Asia Now stands as a vital testament to the enduring necessity of ceremonies in fostering empathy, resilience, and a shared vision of a more interconnected existence.
Special thanks to Alexandra Fain and her wonderful team at Asia Now.
