TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The 9th Asian Art Biennial, hosted by the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, runs through March 2 in Taichung.
Titled "How to Hold Your Breath," this edition is led by Taiwanese curator Fang Yen-Hsiang and an international curatorial team.
The exhibition presents works by 35 artist groups from across the globe.
The title plays with the act of holding one's breath — a momentary suspension of life's vital functions — to evoke a state of anticipation. It cleverly subverts the cautionary English idiom "don't hold your breath" into a metaphor for latent hope.
In its curatorial statement, NTMFA describes how the deep intake and holding of breath anchor us in the present moment. As our world verges on new depths of crisis, we navigate the turbulent aftermath of late capitalism, perpetually migrating between settlement and displacement.
This deliberate act of calm breathing and contemplation prepares us for the transition between realities.
The exhibition encompasses 83 works, including 19 new commissions.
Milay Mavaliw's woven installation explores intergenerational tribal connections. Drawing inspiration from the artist's grandmother—a Puyuma shaman whose pre-journey blessing rituals provided spiritual sustenance—the work maintains Mavaliw's connection to her tribal community.
Through weaving, the artist transforms space into a manifestation of energy, creating an immersive environment that grounds viewers in the present while channeling collective power.
Niwa Yoshinori contributes two new iterations of previous works, including "Buying Rice Balls at 24-Hour Convenience Stores," which looks at concepts of ownership and wealth through the repeated purchase of identical rice balls at different stores.
Julia Sariesetiati's documentary "Vocabulary of Care" emerges from her 2019 "Round Trip" initiative, designed to facilitate dialogue among migrant workers.
Marwa Arsanios debuts a new chapter of "Who's Afraid of Ideology?" challenging conventional ownership paradigms and exploring non-extractive approaches to natural resources, agriculture, and housing.
Andrius Arutiunian's "Armen" extends beyond the museum into downtown Taichung, investigating diaspora through the artist's Armenian music collection, evoking the popular music heard in Yerevan taxis. The work will be distributed on cassettes and played in Taichung taxis throughout the biennial's opening.
(Taiwan News, Lyla Liu video)
