November 15—
December 15 2019
With artworks by
Heman Chong,
Fyerool Darma,
Ho Rui An and Erika Tan.
As The West Slept features artworks and performances that respond to the historical conditions of Asian capitalism as a global imaginary and as a performance of both hype and power. The title of the exhibition draws from a phrase, employed by Singaporean intellectual Kishore Mahbubani, to allude to the distinct moments in Western history that have obscured the mercurial rise of Asia. From quiet facades of power like the backdoor of embassies to bombastic performances of Asian Chippendales taking over a colonial estate, the artworks in this exhibition interrogate this historical period through displays of bravado that challenge prevailing narratives of an Asian future. In turn, the exhibition asks of us to re-consider the nature of geopolitical shifts we see today.
