Symposium and Exhibition on Asian Transformations, media and visual art in Asia

15 May 2009 at York University

In celebration of York University's 50th anniversary, the York Centre for Asian Research is presenting two events celebrating Asian transformations.

The Global Modern: Transnationalism and the Media in Asia symposium* and the launch of the /transpulsation /– new asian canadian imaginings exhibition

Both events will take place on Friday, 15 May 2009 on the Keele campus of York University, 4700 Keele Street in Toronto.

Details about the symposium and the exhibition can be found below or at

www.yorku.ca/ycar/Events/U50_Asian_Transformations.html

For more information, contact ycar@yorku.ca.

1) The Global Modern: Transnationalism and the Media in Asia symposium
Friday, 15 May 2009 | 10am to 5pm | 280 York Lanes | York University

The symposium explores the transnational origins and dimensions of the modern mass media in Asia. Demonstrating that various forms of South and East Asian media were global from their inception, the workshop both reinforces themes explored in the accompanying exhibition on diasporic Asian art and belies the commonly held conception that globalization is a post-modern, post-capitalist, late twentieth century development.

The paper givers: Joan Judge (Humanities, Women’s Studies), Shobna Nijhawan (Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics), Xueqing Xu (Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics), Wendy Wong (Design), Sailaja Krishnamurti (South Asian Studies) and Doris Sung (Social and Political Thought) will explore these themes looking at various forms of media including women’s journals and comics from China to India to Canada.

Julia F. Andrews, a specialist in Chinese painting and modern Chinese art from Ohio State University, will present the keynote speech at 4pm on 'Publishing and the Birth of China's Modern Art World: /Shanghai huabao/ (Pictorial Shanghai) in the 1920s'.

Advance registration is appreciated to ycar@yorku.ca.

2) transpulsation - new asian canadian imaginings exhibition
15 May to 12 June 2009 | Gales Gallery | 105 Accolade West Building | York University

Artists: *Shelly Bahl, Will Kwan, Meera Sethi, Amy Wong*
Curated By: Doris Sung and Jooyeon June Rhee

Opening Reception: 15 May / 2009 / 5:30 to 7:30pm

Cultural traversing and globalization are (re)shaping our understanding of the 'connected world.' These processes have significant importance for the members of Asian Diaspora in Canada, whose interactions with their cultural origins transform their social, economic, political and cultural experience. Asian Canadians, one of Canada’s largest groups of
immigrants, illustrate the possibilities of building meaningful links between their native places and newly-adopted homes. They reveal a good deal about the enriching of life experiences through traversing between 'here' and 'there'.

From the 1970s to the early 1990s, the desire to belong, identity politics and cultural memory were among the common themes in the works of Asian Canadian artists. Since then, 'transnationality' has become an important trend. As opportunities for travel to and from Asia have increased, the geographical distance—both physical and emotional—between
one’s place of cultural origin and Canada is shorter than ever before.

The exploration of 'identity' remains crucial in the works of the four artists in this exhibition, *Shelly Bahl, Will Kwan, Meera Sethi and Amy Wong*. However, the artists reconstruct the paradigm of identity politics through the experience of transnationality. They explore a broadened scope of cultural interactions that attempts to create and enhance the socio-cultural and historical connections between Asia and
Canada.

The imagination of the four artists moves tirelessly across the dynamic spaces of cultural interaction. They are travelers, exploring the world, encountering their own stories and life experiences and those of many others. By being 'here and there', they converse with themselves and with others, transforming, sensing and connecting the 'pulses' of
multiple locales, identities and individuals.

Direction to Gales Gallery, York University: Accolade West Building, #93 on map:
http://www.yorku.ca/web/futurestudents/map/webmap.html

For more information, contact Doris Sung/ June Rhee (curators):
mailto:asian.imagination@gmail.com