Asian Contemporary Art Week in NYC Showcases Video Art

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Asian Contemporary Art Week (ACAW) kicked off here yesterday with the opening of a new exhibition at the Asia Society featuring work by emerging Asian video artists.

In its fourth year, ACAW is a city-wide event that celebrates the diversity of contemporary Asian art through exhibitions, lectures, performances and public programs. More than two dozen museums and galleries will participate in this year's series, which presents a special focus on contemporary Asian video art.

Organizers expect unprecedented levels of participation this year, reflecting a growing interest in video and new media artists.

"There is an excitement surrounding emerging Asian video artists, many of whose work is less culturally prescribed and more globally accessible," said Melissa Chiu of the Asia Society, which yesterday unveiled the exhibition “Projected Realities: Video Art from East Asia.”

This year's ACAW program will showcase works by internationally recognized artists such as Yang Fudong, Lida Abdul, Shilpa Gupta, Vivan Sundaram and Hiraki Sawa, as well as emerging artists from Japan, Turkey, India, Thailand, Afghanistan, Taiwan, China and Korea.

Events will take place throughout the city, with certain days devoted to certain neighborhoods: May 23 is focused on Midtown and Uptown; Tribeca, Soho and the Brooklyn Museum on May 24; Chelsea on May 25. On May 26, it’s the turn of the Rubin Museum as well as live sound works at the Diapason Gallery near Bryant Park; and Saturday, May 27 it’s the outer broughs, with events at the Bronx Museum of the Arts and the Queens Museum of Art.

A complete schedule is available at www.acaw.net.