CoBo Social

A pioneer of the contemporary art scene in Japan, Fujiko Nakaya is widely known for her early experiments in art and technology, as well as her work in video art. She co-founded the collective Video Hiroba and opened Japan’s first video art gallery. Renowned for her groundbreaking fog sculptures, Nakaya has collaborated with international artists like Bill Viola, Robert Rauschenberg, and Dumb Type, among others. TEXT: C. A.

I used to think about summer flying by as something sad, like you are wasting an opportunity to have fun and enjoy your life before the inevitable doom and gloom of winter get you. But since summers in Hong Kong could be rated, even by the most loyal person, as not the most enjoyable (and unbearably blazing hot). I am counting weeks until autumn.

In our series of conversations, Coffee With A Curator, contributing writer Caroline Ha Thuc sits down with curators working at the fore of Hong Kong’s contemporary art scene to take a deep dive into their careers to date, curatorial vision, and more. TEXT: Caroline Ha Thuc IMAGES: Courtesy of various For our tenth conversation, we sit down with Joel Kwong, Curator and Programme Director of Microwave International New Media Arts Festival.

Moon Kyungwon and Jeon Joonho’s science-fiction narratives transcend time and space to address current pressing issues and the role of art in society. The artists see the future as a mirror of the present, a space for reflection on our existence. We have a closer look at their collaborative efforts on their project “News from Nowhere”, now the subject of a solo exhibition at the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, Japan. TEXT: C. A.

In our series of conversations, Coffee With A Curator, contributing writer Caroline Ha Thuc sits down with curators working at the fore of Hong Kong’s contemporary art scene to take a deep dive into their careers to date, curatorial vision, and more. TEXT: Caroline Ha Thuc IMAGES: Courtesy of Tai Kwun For our 12th conversation, we sit down with Xue Tan, Senior Curator at Tai Kwun Contemporary in Hong Kong. You did not study curating but wanted to be an artist instead.

Cambodian multidisciplinary artist Khvay Samnang engages with the humanitarian and ecological crises in his native country, Southeast Asia, and beyond. His surreal filmscape and narratives, set in beautiful rural landscapes, appear like legends out of folklore, with dancing performers wearing woven vine animal masks.

In a central London street most known for bespoke tailoring, South Korean artist Koo Jeong A introduces stern three-headed eagles and clusters of five-pointed stars. The palette of bright yellow and fiery red turns the heat up still further on a sweltering London day. We spoke to the artist, who has been active since the mid 1990s, in advance of the show about the symbols explored, and what we should expect from them next.

Africa’s vibrant and diverse fashion world is quickly gaining recognition. An exhibition at London’s V&A shines an overdue spotlight on its post-colonial history and contemporary stars. TEXT: Herbert Wright IMAGES: Courtesy of various “Africa Fashion”, installation view at Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 2 July 2022 – 16 April 2023. Image courtesy of Victoria and Albert Museum, London. “Africa Fashion”, installation view at Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 2 July 2022 – 16 April 2023.

Gallery director, art adviser, collector and erstwhile documentary film-maker John Cruthers tells Luise Guest about his ambition to connect Australian audiences with Asia through art. TEXT: Luise Guest IMAGES: Courtesy of 16albermarle Project Space Art adviser, collector, (in a previous life) documentary film-maker, and director of Sydney’s 16albermarle Project Space John Cruthers describes himself as “a bit of a bowerbird”.

On the occasion of Gordon Hookey’s first solo exhibition at a major Australian institution, contributing writer Michael Young speaks with the Australian First Nations artist about his art, life and the politicism of being Aboriginal Australian. TEXT: Michael Young IMAGES: Courtesy of various Gordon Hookey, Reiteration in Perpetuity, 2010, oil on canvas, diptych: 183 x 122 cm each. © Gordon Allan Hookey / Copyright Agency, 2022. Image courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery, Brisbane.