October 16–20, 2019
ASIA NOW - Paris Asian Art Fair, the first European art fair focusing on Asia’s contemporary art scene, celebrates its 5th edition at 9 Avenue Hoche, Paris 8e from October 16–20, with Collectors Preview and Vernissage on October 15, at 2–6pm and 6–9pm respectively.
The artist Cheng Ran, winner of the Nomura Emerging Artist Award, will present a special performance entitled Tattoo Station during the vernissage.
2019 participating galleries
ASIA NOW is expanding and this year will welcome over 50 of the most prominent and cutting-edge galleries presenting over 250 established and emerging artists from China, South Korea, Japan, Central Asia and Southeast Asia, who push the boundaries of contemporary art. For its 5th edition, ASIA NOW reinforces its support of the younger art scene, by inviting galleries who are under 5 years old.
2019 curatorial programme: IRL {In Real Life} Platform
Building upon the success of its previous guest curator programmes, ASIA NOW has invited Xiaorui Zhu-Nowell, Assistant Curator at the Guggenheim Museum New York, to devise this year’s Curatorial Platform. Taking its title from the popular internet abbreviation IRL {In Real Life}, their programme celebrates an emerging generation of artists who are digital natives and whose work critically engages with new media: aaajiao, Chando Ao, Chen Chen-Yu, Chen I-Hsuen, Chen Qiulin, ITEM IDEM, Jiu Society, Liu Yu, Liu Wa, Lui & Chang TM, Lo Sheng-Wen, MARTIN GOYA BUSINESS, Shi Zheng, Teppei Kaneuji, Victoria Sin, Wang Pei-Hsuan, Wang Ye, Wen Ling, Wong Kit Yi, Pixy Liao, Shen Xin, Timoteus A. Kusno.
This platform will be enacted in four sections, each of which will refer to a different mode of interaction: Unboxing, Peer-to-Peer, Hyperlink, and Chat Room.
Peer-to-Peer
This portion of the programme takes its name from the decentralized computer network systems made infamous through early internet sharing platforms such as Napster. Peer-to-Peer will place collectors at its heart through Special Projects and Salon-style encounters with visionary collectors who will present their latest discoveries: Michael Xufu Huang, collector and founder of X Museum, will introduce two curated projects within the IRL {In Real Life} Platform: Liu Wa’s first solo exhibition in France, presented by SABSAY (Copenhagen) and a VR project by artist duo Lui & Chang™. Lu Xun, co-founder of Sifang Art Museum (Nanjing), will present the museum’s residency programme “HUGE HUGE”.
Hyperlink
Hyperlink is a series of performances that will run throughout the fair and will occur across the site. The programme’s highlight, a nocturnal programme by Paris-based curators, Pierre-Alexandre Mateos and Charles Teyssou will be held on Saturday 19 October, with a DJ set by Erwan Sene and Antonin Roux, a DJ duo and founders of the Proxi label, and a DJ set by ShuShu, underground DJ, songwriter and vocalist, specially invited by the collective Nüshu. Hyperlink also features the lecture performance Hong Kong Weather Modification Office (Square Cloud) by artist Wong Kit Yi.
Conversation Platform | Chat Room
Using the idea of online chat rooms as a framework, the Chat Room will connect artists, collectors, curators, thinkers, and gallerists together, to discuss the latest topics from the contemporary Asian art scenes. Explore the full programme here.
Special projects
For its 5th edition, ASIA NOW will present a programme of special artistic projects: Qiu Zhijie presented by Galleria Continua (San Gimignano, Beijing, Les Moulins, Havana), Shanghai Express II by Galerie Hussenot, City Pop by TOKYOITE (Paris, Tokyo), Desiree Tham by VADA x Intersections (Singapore), Hsiao Li-Chi by ICI; Eugène Riconneaus and Liu Xiangyu by UNDUN, Emeline Piot x Mathon Paris, and a design project by Galleri Feldt, featuring Hu Fang, Ma Shu, Yang Jun. The fair is also the site of the launch of the first edition of KIRTI (Singapore) as well as a book signing of He Xiangyu’s Yellow Book with an introduction by curator Li Zhenhua. ASIA NOW also feature video screenings of Cernuschi art video#3: Transmissions, a selection of video art from the Far East by the Musée Cernuschi - Musée des Arts de l’Asie de la Ville de Paris, and Cinéhaïku, a series of poetic short films inspired by Japanese haiku.
OFF-SITE Programme
In partnership with other Parisian cultural institutions, the fair’s off-site programme features events organised in collaboration with the Musée national des arts asiatiques - Guimet / Musée Cernuschi - Musée des Arts de l’Asie de la Ville de Paris / Maison de la Culture du Japon à Paris / Les Maisons du Voyage.
