An atlas of Asia

Abstract

The starting point of any atlas comes from the desire to define new perspectives and to outline the world outside of its conventional limits. Built on the multiplicity of contemporary art production, An Atlas of Asia opens another form of narration through the classification and connection of artworks and practices. A selection of 144 artists and territories is based on a thorough evaluation of the artistic practices primarily included in the bookshelves of the Asia Art Archive, and subsequently extended to other archives, art biennale catalogues, and art magazines. Together, they create an archipelago of related territories functioning in a composed yet diffused and fragmented geography. An Atlas of Asia is the result of multiple analytical processes and trajectories. If the map remains a primary component of the Atlas, the text and its narration, together with a collection of various drawings, compose a medium in which a new form of representation becomes possible. An initial trajectory follows the evolution of geography from the study of locations and relationships to a complex discipline able to digest socioeconomic and political knowledge of the world. The mythical foundation of Asia as a solid landmass has long been shaken by geopolitical interests, breaking it up into five specific zones of geographical proximity: Central Asia, Eastern Asia, Southeastern Asia, Southern Asia, and Western Asia.