Specializing in Thai & Asian Contemporary Art

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FORWARD/BACKWARD

Aung Myat Htay/Ma Ei/Maung Day/Min Thein Sung/Moe Satt/Thu Myat/Thu Rein/Wai Mar Nyunt

The avant-garde is dead, long live the avant-garde.

H Project Space is very pleased to announce a showcase of experimental works by artists from Myanmar who have emerged in the last ten years. These artists follow the precedents of an avant-garde from the 90s, the first generation to be exposed to international contemporary art practices further to the Myanmar government liberalizing its foreign policies in 1988.

The artists in Forward/Backward work outside the art market, and this exhibition is a snapshot of a contemporary art scene and an insight into the dedication of its members. The title raises a question about the current state of Myanmar: is this country improving or degenerating? Sometimes these artists gain a sense of the future and sometimes they feel trapped in the past.

Myanmar and Thailand have historically shared comparable values, in religion and in art. But contemporary Thailand is changing rapidly and differences between both countries are enormous. The Thai art scene is relatively more open and Myanmar’s artists have limited experience with international showcases and only partial knowledge of international art scenes. The artists in Forward/Backward come from a slowly changing society. How will Thailand perceive contemporary art from Myanmar? How will this audience appreciate us?

 

8 Second-Wave Contemporary Artists from Myanmar
November 26 – December 30 2011
Curated by Moe Satt