Issue 148
Art Asia Pacific’s Issue 148 rolls out a comprehensive snapshot of contemporary art across Asia and the Pacific, featuring an editor’s letter, in‑depth reports, artist profiles, essays, features, and global reviews. The issue spotlights urgent topics such as cultural heritage loss in West Asia and offers a preview of the 61st Venice Biennale. It also includes a market‑focused Art Fair Report titled “Stress Test” and a series of New Currents profiles highlighting emerging talent. The diverse content underscores the magazine’s role as a barometer for regional artistic trends and market shifts.
148 News: Awards & Obituaries
In February, Iraqi artist Ali Eyal captured the Hammer Museum’s $100,000 Mohn Award, supporting emerging Los Angeles talent. In March, Japanese creator Mari Katayama won the inaugural Mori Art Award in Tokyo, a JPY 10 million prize equivalent to $63,000. Korean media artist Jeamin Cha secured...
Inside Burger Collection: Tadanori Yokoo: A Visionary Renegade
Tadanori Yokoo, the 89‑year‑old Japanese visual pioneer, is preparing a new exhibition at Tokyo’s Setagaya Art Museum despite a recent bout of Covid‑19. His work is permanently displayed at the Yokoo Tadanori Museum of Contemporary Art in Kobe, which opened...
Dispatch: Beijing
Beijing’s contemporary art sector is in turmoil, with flagship institution UCCA reporting financial distress and its long‑time director Philip Tinari moving to Hong Kong’s Tai Kwun. Independent venues DRC NO. 12 and fRUITYSPACE have shuttered after lease failures, while tighter publishing rules...
Editor’s Letter: Still, Listening
The 61st Venice Biennale, titled “In Minor Keys,” opens under the late Koyo Kouoh’s curatorial vision, prioritizing quieter, under‑represented voices from the Global South and Indigenous cosmologies. The editor’s letter highlights flagship works by MacArthur Fellow Gala Porras‑Kim, whose interventions...
Khaled Sabsabi: Splintered Worlds
Lebanese‑Australian artist Khaled Sabsabi fuses Sufi mysticism, hip‑hop rhythms, and mixed‑media installations to explore spiritual perception beyond the material world. His 40‑year journey from war‑torn Tripoli to Western Sydney informs works like the 18‑minute video *Lefke Morning*, which juxtaposes war‑zone...
Whispering Gallery: The Cratable Hedge and the Colonial Hangover
During Art Basel Hong Kong, two major leadership changes were announced for Hong Kong’s art institutions. James Taylor‑Foster, a curator of architecture and design, was appointed director of Para Site, a role that has traditionally been filled by Asian curators. At...
Taiwan Strips National Prize From Sakuliu Pavavaljung After Sexual Assault Conviction
Taiwan’s National Culture and Arts Foundation stripped Indigenous visual artist Sakuliu Pavavaljung of the 2018 National Award for Arts and ordered the return of the NTD 1 million (~$32,000) prize after a Supreme Court upheld his four‑year‑six‑month sexual assault conviction. The award,...
Haitham Al Busafi to Represent Oman at 2026 Venice Biennale
Oman has appointed multidisciplinary artist Haitham Al Busafi to represent the nation at the 61st Venice Biennale, opening May 9, 2026. The Oman pavilion, curated by Al Busafi and commissioned by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, will showcase "Zīnah," an immersive...
2026 Art Basel Award Winners Announced
Art Basel unveiled 33 medalists for its 2026 Awards, highlighting a surge of Southeast Asian talent across categories such as Cross‑Disciplinary Creator and Established Artist. The roster includes Thai architect Kulapat Yantrasast, filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul, and a diverse group of...
Kazakhstan Presents “Qoñyr: Archive of Silence” At Venice Biennale
Kazakhstan’s national pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale, titled “Qoñyr: Archive of Silence,” is curated by artist‑curator Syrlybek Bekbota and features nine Kazakh artists across six interconnected rooms. The exhibition interprets the multifaceted Kazakh term Qoñyr—encompassing a brown hue, nostalgic...
Chantana Tiprachart Wins Han Nefkens Foundation’s Southeast Asian Video Art Grant
The Barcelona‑based Han Nefkens Foundation awarded its 2026 Southeast Asian Video Art Production Grant to Thai artist‑filmmaker Chantana Tiprachart. The $15,000 award funds a nine‑month project that will be shown in 2027‑28 at six partner institutions across Europe, Asia and...
Vietnam to Debut at 2026 Venice Biennale
Vietnam will make its debut at the 61st Venice Biennale with a dedicated national pavilion titled “Viet Nam: Art in the Global Flow.” Curated by Đỗ Tường Linh, the pavilion showcases ten contemporary Vietnamese artists, including Lê Hữu Hiếu, whose...
Venice Biennale Artists Call to Bar Israel, Russia, and the US From 2026 Edition
Over 70 artists and curators signed an urgent open letter demanding that the Venice Biennale bar official delegations from Israel, Russia and the United States for its 2026 edition. They argue that hosting governments accused of war crimes and genocide...
UCCA to Launch New Outpost in Guangzhou
UCCA Center for Contemporary Art announced its first South China outpost, UCCA OneM, in Guangzhou. The venue will occupy the OneM Center’s Pazhou CBD complex, famed for a Guinness‑record 31‑meter red steel staircase. Partnering with local nonprofit OneM, the space...