2024 9th Asian Art Biennial in Taichung, Taiwan, China

The 9th Asian Art Biennial brings together 35 groups of artists from more than 20 countries in East [...]

The 9th Asian Art Biennial brings together 35 groups of artists from more than 20 countries in East Asia, Central Asia, West Asia and the Pacific region. It showcases 83 works including sound, video, photography, painting, sculpture and installation, among which 19 are newly created. Together, they question the theory of progress and the universal concept of time, guiding the audience to focus on the present moment and deeply think about alternative imaginations and practices of world order before transitioning to an uncertain future. The theme of this biennial, ‘How to Hold Your Breath’, reverses the original meaning of the English proverb ‘don’t hold your breath’ which means ‘don’t expect changes to happen soon’, thereby implying potential hope. Influenced by global capitalism, contemporary people are always in cultural and geographical migration and inhabit a multiverse where multiple worlds coexist and are constantly changing. This phenomenon continuously changes the identity, meaning and composition of humans and non-humans, and new connections and a sense of belonging are gradually emerging. Holding one’s breath, as a way to reimagine the world, evokes the potential to reconstruct relationships in the midst of disintegration. During the exhibition, a public program echoing the curatorial theme will also be launched, including multiple experimental performances based on the concept of ‘circularity’ and展开 with elements such as walking in circles, rotating and dancing, and circularly playing music; a series of artist discussions focusing on challenging the established logic of power domination and discussing issues such as displacement, imagined futures and dystopias; and a screening program ‘How Breath Moves’ expected to start from December, which will bring together 8 works with different artistic techniques but all regarding breathing as a collective film installation, composing a source of shared life and rhythm. The full text is open from November 16 to March 2. The specific business status is subject to the opening situation on that day.

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