Asia Now 2018 Contemporary Japanese Art in the Spotlight

Paris, 8 June 2018

ASIA NOW 2018 CONTEMPORARY JAPANESE ART IN THE SPOTLIGHT

17 – 21 October 2018 9 avenue Hoche | 75008 Paris

View of ASIA NOW 2017 © ASIA NOW

¬ ASIA NOW, Europe’s first “boutique” art fair dedicated exclusively to contemporary Asian art, returns to 9, avenue Hoche in Paris from October 17 to 21.

¬ Drawing on the success of its three previous editions, ASIA NOW affirms its commitment to presenting the richness and effervescence of artistic scenes across Asia, from China to Japan, through rigorous and pertinent projects representing over 10 countries.

¬ For this fourth edition, ASIA NOW will welcome the artistic proposals of some forty galleries, recognized as being the most influential in the promulgation and the support of contemporary Asian artists on an international scale. ASIA NOW continues to emphasize the quality of its artists while at the same time presenting new perspectives and challenges facing contemporary Asian art and its market: the value of its artists, its potential for development, and its rising stars.

¬ The 2018 fair features a series of new developments: an exhibition space dedicated to Japan and designed by Sou Fujimoto Architects, leading-edge special projects and performances, the launch of a video programme.

Paris, 8 June 2018

Japanese platform

¬ While the 2017 edition explored South Korea’s creative territories, ASIA NOW 2018 will highlight the richness and dynamism of the Japanese artistic scene. The fair will host the Japanese Platform curated by Emmanuelle de Montgazon, associate curator of A Japanese Season at the Centre Pompidou-Metz in 2017-2018. The Japanese programme will be organised as part of Japonismes 2018, a series of cultural events celebrating the 160th anniversary of Franco-Japanese relations.

¬ ASIA NOW expands this year with a new 150 m2 exhibition space dedicated to the Japanese Platform. The scenography will be conceived by the notorious Sou Fujimoto Architects. It will welcome ten renowned galleries, including established galleries such as Misa Shin Gallery (Tokyo) and young, emerging galleries.

¬ Throughout the week, ASIA NOW will be a place of exchange, of discovery, and of exclusive presentations thanks to a programme which will introduce, for the first time in France, major figures of the Japanese scene, including both established and up-and-coming artists.

¬ Among the in situ projects created specifically for ASIA NOW will be a spectacular installation by Makoto Aida, a provocative artist whose works blend manga, painting, video, photography, and installations and question the norms of contemporary Japanese society.

¬ Another highlight of the fair, the performance programme will include the collective Contact Gonzo with a viral performance that combines contact dance and street-fighting, shown for the first time in France. ¬ For the third consecutive year, ASIA NOW will renew its collaboration with Christie’s in the organization of a Design Project which will be dedicated to Japanese creation this year.

Conversation platform and film screenings

¬ The Conversation Platform is a unique place for exchanges, dialogue and teachings around contemporary Asian art in Paris and a yearly meeting place for key opinion leaders in the art world. The speakers, who will appear alongside the numerous artists present, include Catherine David (Chief Curator, Centre Pompidou), Hou Hanru (Artistic Director, MAXXI, Rome), Yuko Hasegawa (Chief Curator, Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo), and Akiko Miki (International Artistic Director, Benesse Art Site, Naoshima). ¬ This Conversation series is complemented this year by an enhanced video programme, presenting video art and documentaries, both by and about artists. It will include the short documentary “Wind and Water” starring Chinese contemporary artist Zheng Guogu, directed by Felicitas Yang and produced by Martina Koeppel-Yang, as well as “A New Energy in Chinese Art: Zhao Zhao (Stockholm & Beijing)” on contemporary artist Zhao Zhao, directed by Fabien Pacory.

Paris, 8 June 2018 the Galleries

¬ For this fourth edition, ASIA NOW welcomes some fifteen additional galleries, for a total of over forty-five Asian and Western galleries. Among the galleries faithful to ASIA NOW, A2Z Art Gallery (Paris, Hong Kong), A3 (Berlin, Singapore), Chi-Wen Gallery (Taipei), The Drawing Room (Makati), Fabien Fryns Fine Art (Beijing), MadeIn Gallery (Shanghai), Magda Danysz Gallery (Paris, Shanghai), New Galerie (Paris), ON/gallery (Beijing), Pierre-Yves Caër Gallery (Paris), Primo Marella Gallery (Milan, Lugano), Vanguard Gallery (Shanghai) will be participating again this year.

¬ Newcomers to the fair include: Amy Li Gallery (Beijing), Art Seasons (Singapore, Beijing), Galerie ARTVERA’S (Geneva), Beijing Commune (Beijing), C-Space+Local (Beijing), GALERIE DA- END (Paris), Finale Fine Art (Makati), Ginkgo Space (Beijing), HdM Gallery (Beijing, London), Leo Gallery (Shanghai), , Tong Gallery+Projects (Beijing), and Vinyl on Vinyl (Makati).

¬ Following the success of the Korean Platform in 2017, a large number of Korean galleries and galleries presenting Korean artists will be returning this year, including 313 Art Project (Seoul), ArtLOFT/Lee-Bauwens Gallery (Forest), CHOI&LAGER Gallery (Cologne, Seoul), The Columns Gallery (Seoul), Galerie Maria Lund (Paris), Gallery SoSo (Gyeonggi-do), Gallery SU: (Seoul).

¬ The full programme of ASIA NOW 2018 and the definitive list of galleries will be announced shortly.

PARTNERS

¬ ASIA NOW’s partners include: Christie’s, ARDIAN, Amundi, SIACI; more specifically for the Japanese Platform: BANQUE NOMURA, PITCH Promotion, Japan Foundation, Ambassade du Japon en France, l’Institut Culturel Franco-Japonais, la Maison de la Culture du Japon à Paris, Japonismes 2018, l’Ambassade de France au Japon, l’Institut Français.

ASIA NOW I Paris Asian Art Fair 17 – 21 October 2018 9 avenue Hoche I 75008 Paris

Press preview on 16 October at 2 pm. _ Alexandra Fain – Co-founder & Director of ASIA NOW – [email protected] Emmanuelle de Montgazon – General Adviser & Curator of the Japanese Platform – [email protected] _ www.asianowparis.com Facebook I Asia Now Paris Instagram I @ASIANOW _

PRESS CONTACTS LONDON BRUNSIWCK ARTS Katie Campbell I +44 20 7396 5366 I [email protected] Paris, 16 July 2018

ASIA NOW 2018 Presenting an ever-expanding selection of Asian artists

17 – 21 October 2018 9 avenue Hoche | 75008 Paris

View of ASIA NOW 2017 © ASIA NOW

¬ ASIA NOW continues once more to explore and immerse itself into the contemporary Asian art scene with a varied selection of established and emerging artists represented at this year’s edition. Now in its fourth year, ASIA NOW will take place from October 17 to 21, and welcomes over 40 Asian and Western galleries committed to promoting and supporting contemporary Asian artists internationally.

¬ Reflecting the diversity and dynamism of the Asian art world, ASIA NOW presents galleries from over 10 countries within the region, from Japan to Thailand to China, offering a key insight into the region’s arts scene, how the market has developed and is likely to over the coming years.

SPOTLIGHT ON EMERGING JAPANESE CREATION

¬ This year, ASIA NOW turns its attention to the Japanese artistic scene with a Japanese Platform that will be housed in a dedicated exhibition space and with a special programme curated by Emmanuelle de Montgazon. The scenography of the Japanese Platform will be designed by one of the most influential contemporary Japanese architects, Sou Fujimoto Architects.1 Committed to discovering new talents, ASIA NOW will present a cutting-edge

1 Supported by PITCH Promotion 1

Paris, 16 July 2018 selection of contemporary Japanese artists, whose work has never before been shown in Europe.

¬ ASIA NOW continues on its mission to act as a platform for discovery and this year offers an expanded selection of Special Projects to collectors and visitors. Emmanuelle de Montgazon, Associate Curator of “A Japanese Season” at the Centre Pompidou-Metz in 2017/2018 explained, “For the Japanese Platform of ASIA NOW 2018, I selected projects which would provide the keys to understanding the scene over the last twenty years, a scene which I saw evolve under renewed cultural, artistic, and political influences. I also wanted to establish a link between the current emerging scene, which has its own codes, and more historical and well- known periods, from the end of World War II to the year 2000.”

¬ Among the Japanese galleries, ASIA NOW will welcome COHJU Contemporary Art (Kyoto), The Container (Tokyo), MORI YU GALLERY (Tokyo, Kyoto), S.O.C. Satoko Oe Contemporary (Tokyo), Talion Gallery (Tokyo), and Galerie Tokyoïte (Paris, Tokyo).2

¬ Although Japan is at the forefront of ASIA NOW 2018, this edition will also feature strong contingents of Chinese and Filipino galleries, as well as the return of Korean galleries, following a third edition dedicated to Korean creation.

LEADING CHINESE ARTISTS TO BE SHOWN

¬ The participation of Chinese galleries is particularly notable this year, with a selection of over ten galleries, including several market leaders. The breadth of contemporary Chinese creation is amply represented by a multitude of group shows and leading artists: Beijing-Commune (Beijing) will devote its collective space to an exhibition around concepts of identity featuring Ma Qiusha, Xie Molin and Zhao Yao, MadeIn Gallery (Shanghai) returns with Xu Zhen, Tang Contemporary Art (Bangkok, Hong Kong, Beijing) with Zhao Zhao, Cai Lei, and Xu Xiaoguo, and Vanguard Gallery (Shanghai) with Ye Linghan, among others. Other Chinese galleries participating include Amy Li Gallery (Beijing), C-Space+Local (Beijing), Fabien Fryns Fine Art (Beijing), Ginkgo Space (Beijing), HdM Gallery (Beijing, London), and Leo Gallery (Hong Kong, Shanghai).

¬ Witnesses of the increasing visibility of Chinese artists, a number of international galleries, New Galerie (Paris), Magda Danysz Gallery (Paris, London, Shanghai), A2Z Art Gallery (Hong Kong, Paris) and VNH Gallery (Paris) will also devote their spaces to Chinese artists including Li Shurui, Li Hongbo, Li Donglu, and Zhao Zhao respectively. VNH Gallery (Paris) will also present a selection of Chinese artists, including Zhao Zhao.

¬ If this edition confirms the central place of Chinese creation, the Chinese galleries will also be presenting artists from across the region, most notably, the presentation of Japanese artist Yuki Onodera by Vanguard Gallery (Shanghai).

A selection of Renowned southeast Asian artists

¬ The 2018 edition is also distinguished by the increased representation of Filipino galleries. The three participating galleries, from Makati City, will be representing the contemporary local scene: The Drawing Room (Makati City) returns this year with the works of Vermont Coronel Jr., Alvin Gregorio, and Dominic Mangila, while newcomers Finale Art File (Makati City) and Vinyl on Vinyl (Makati City) will show works by Ayka Go and Reen Barrera, respectively.

2 Official Logistic Partner of the Japanese Platform: TERRADA ART ASSIST Co., Ltd. 2

Paris, 16 July 2018

¬ To reflect the increasing recognition of Filipino artists on the international stage, A3, a gallery based in Berlin and Singapore, and Primo Marella Gallery of Milan will dedicate their spaces to Filipino artists Yeo Kaa and Ronald Ventura.

¬ A selection of artists from Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, and Burma will also be presented by the galleries Art Seasons (Beijing, Singapore), Galerie Da-End (Paris), and La Patinoire Royale-Galerie Valérie Bach (Brussels).

Return of the Korean Galleries

¬ Following the success of last year’s focus on Korean art, ASIA NOW welcomes the return of a number of Korean galleries; 313 Art Project (Seoul), CHOI&LAGER Gallery (Cologne, Seoul), The Columns Gallery (Seoul), Gallery SoSo (Gyeonggi-do), Gallery SU: (Seoul).

¬ South Korea is also represented by several leading European galleries who, buoyed by the success of the Korean Platform last year, devote their attention to this scene, at once established and evolving. Such is the case of the Parisian gallery Galerie Maria Lund (Paris), the Belgian ArtLOFT/Lee-Bauwens Gallery (Forest), as well as the Swiss newcomer, Gallery ARTVERA’S (Geneva).

CONVERSATION PLATFORM AND VIDEO PROGRAMME

¬ ASIA NOW will also feature a Conversation Platform - a stage for cultural exchange and dialogue - the programme of which will feature key artists and leading voices within the art world. They include, Catherine David (Chief Curator, Centre Pompidou), Hou Hanru (Artistic Director of the MAXXI, Rome), Yuko Hasegawa (Chief Curator of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo), Akiko Miki (International Artistic Director at the Benesse Art Site, Naoshima), and Clélia Zernik (Professor in Aesthetics, Ecole des Beaux-Arts de Paris)

¬ To complement the Conversation Platform, ASIA NOW will also be offering an expanded video programme this year that will include video art as well as films and documentaries by and about artists. The videos to be presented include the documentary “Wind and Water” about contemporary artist Zheng Guogu, directed by Felicitas Yang and produced by Martina Koeppel-Yang, as well as “A New Energy in Chinese Art: Zhao Zhao (Stockholm & Beijing)” about the artist Zhao Zhao, directed by Fabien Pacory with the support of the John Dodelande Collection. This year, Odile Burluraux, Curator at the Musée d’art moderne de la Ville de Paris, has been given carte blanche to develop a selection of videos by Asian artists. The selection offers visitors the chance to see works created over the past twenty years, that reflect the changing perspectives of an entire generation of artists who grew up at time of major economic transformation in Japan.

¬ Another highlight of the ASIA NOW 2018 video section is CoBo Social’s curatorial programme, which will present a selection of the best video works by Asian artists for the first time in France. Produced over the course of the last twenty years, these works reflect the change in perspective and sensitivity of an entire generation of artists who grew up in the context of major economic transformation.

SPECIAL PROJECTS 2018

Paris, 16 July 2018

¬ ASIA NOW renews and enriches its Special Projects section this year with a cutting-edge selection specifically coordinated within the framework of the Japanese Platform.

¬ Roppongi Crossing 2019 Prelude, in partnership with the Mori Art Museum, Tokyo ASIA NOW joins forces with the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo to present a sneak preview of the exhibition “Roppongi Crossing 2019,” curated by Reiko Tsubaki and Hirokazu Tokuyama, which will take place from 9 February to 26 May 2019 at the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo. Held triennially since 2004, “Roppongi Crossing” is an exhibition series that offers a comprehensive survey of the Japanese art scene, through a selection of 20 to 40 artists at a crossing of generations and creative practices, varying from street art to theatre and design.

¬ Ground No Plan, by Makoto Aida, represented by Mizuma Art Gallery An iconic Tokyo-based artist, Makoto Aida pursues his provocative social commentary of Japan’s modern culture through his in-situ installation “Ground No Plan,” presented for the first time outside of Japan. Using various media, ranging from drawing to film and scale models, Aida took over an abandoned building to shed light on the problems facing Japan’s urban areas.

2018 Partners

¬ ASIA NOW 2018’s partners include: ARDIAN, Amundi, SIACI, Bernard Controls, Christie’s and more specifically for the Japanese Platform: NOMURA, PITCH Promotion, Warehouse TERRADA, TERRADA ART ASSIST Co., Ltd., Japonismes 2018, the Institut Français, the Ambassade du Japon en France, the Institut Franco-Japonais de Tokyo, the Maison de la Culture du Japon à Paris, and the Ambassade de France au Japon.

The complete program of ASIA NOW and its Japanese Platform, as well as the Conversation Platform, Design Project, Special Projects will be announced shortly.

Paris, 16 July 2018

ASIA NOW I Paris Asian Art Fair 17 – 21 October 2018 9 avenue Hoche I 75008 Paris

Preview presse on 16 October at 2pm. _ Alexandra Fain – Co-founder & Director of ASIA NOW – [email protected] Emmanuelle de Montgazon – Curator of the Japanese Platform – [email protected]

_ www.asianowparis.com Facebook I Asia Now Paris Instagram I @ASIANOW _

PRESS CONTACTS

BRUNSWICK ARTS Marina David I +33 6 86 72 24 21 I [email protected] Roxane Latrèche I +33 6 34 27 13 64 I [email protected] Katie Campbell I +44 20 7396 5366 I [email protected]

Paris, 16 July 2018

LIST OF PARTICIPATING GALLERIES

Paris, 16 July 2018

Vanguard Gallery | Shanghai, China Vinyl on Vinyl Gallery | Makati City, Philippines VNH Gallery | Paris, France

List as of 16 July 2018