In the contemporary art world, the Western-centric viewpoint is a remnant from the colonial era. It regards all cultures outside of its sovereign subject as “Other.” All local cultures are eventually placed under a strong Westernizing mode and become exotic places with local colors. This is exactly Said’s criticism of Orientalism, in which the “East,” under the influence of the “Other,” is under the gaze of the “West” in search of novelties. When the “East Asia Contemporary Art Exhibition” at MoCA conforms exactly to this Western-centric viewpoint, one cannot help thinking it represents the fall of a curator.
Elsewhere, the multichannel video work by the Chinese artist Qiu Anxiong quietly shows us the tranquil life of the Chinese countryside and its yellow earth. Fields of curling smoke and leaves falling down after being shaken up by birds are the ripples that occasionally stir up these nature morte tableaux. Yet we have no way of avoiding the tense and helpless mood revealed in these beautiful landscapes. Glimpses of the city are already gradually permeating the countryside. Perhaps while we are watching, we have already lost our homeland. Here, Qiu Anxiong leaves behind the shell of a dead beetle behind to bring this kind of tasteless emotional deluge to an abrupt halt. Without a doubt, this piece of work is the most critical one in this whole exhibition.
