Herman Chong, a Singapore artist interested in developing a contemporary art discourse in Asia, is currently working as artist in residence in Künstlesrhaus Berlin, Germany. Chong tends to tackle various trans-discipline practices in the creation of his works that explore the potential of graphics, photography, text, and video. His works cover a large number of issues, among them being: mobility or nomadism, cinema and off-screen spaces, and urban settlements or cities.

Isabella Carnavo lives and works in Paris. In general, Carnavo's works consist of drawing, text and video, although not infrequently these three media interact one with another. In 2003 Carnavo collaborated with Herman Chong within the context of a contemporary Asian fine art documentary that has over the past decade attracted the attention of the mainstream art world in Europe and America.

The work, The End of Traveling (trip to Asiatown and back) is a documentary video project constitutes a critical note on the impact of globalization on contemporary art in Asia, which is occurring simultaneously along with changes in the societies and cultures existing in Asia. In relation to this, there are problems that are not easy to solve involving the existing tension between fact and cultural myth (between the history of colonialism and imperialism of history), as well as between the potential and legitimacy of the values inherent in the power system or structure of modern states.

In an attractive manner, Chong and Carnavo draw our attention toward a collection of snippets presenting the stances and commentaries of several contemporary Asian artists concerning their situation and struggles related to working within the framework of 'international culture', and also having to face the cultural conditions of their own individual countries of origin. Perhaps Asian contemporary art is undergoing its own process of globalization? Or, is it simply the case that the development of contemporary art itself is a sign of globalization?

Chong and Carnavo are bringing up the issue of 'legitimization' in an interesting and challenging manner. Who will provide legitimization for the contemporary art of Asia? Will it be the art world of the West? Or will it be the development of art in Asia itself that will provide this legitimization? And how and in what way will this legitimization be realized? Are the advances taking place in Asia now the basis for this legitimization process? Are not the developments and advances now taking place in the countries in Asia also determined by their relationship to the advances happening in the developed countries of the West? Certainly, any discussion of the development of contemporary art in Asia, within the conditions and dynamics of social and cultural change, will not be easy to place readily within only one framework of thought or opinion. The process of cultural interaction with the West and the impact of the internal dynamics of the various countries will not only require persistence of the human players involved (including artists), but will also require an unending process of negotiation.

Rizki A. Zaelani

HERMAN CHONG
Born on October 24, 1977.
Studied at Temasek Polytechnic, Singapore (Diploma in Visual Communication; 1997), Royal College of Art, London, UK (MA; 2002).

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
1999 " Departure Hall", The Substation Gallery, Singapore.
2002 " The End of Travelling", The Substation Gallery, Singapore (with Isabelle Carnavo).
2003 " The Silver Sessions", Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin, Germany; " The End of Travelling", Sparwasser HQ, Berlin, Germany (with Isabelle Carnavo); " Lost (Found Tracks)", Sparwasser HQ, Berlin, Germany.

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
1999 " BrainStorm [What's that in your head ?]", Singapore Art Museum, Singapore.
2000 " Asian Art Festival 2000" Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, Fukuoka, Japan; " PhotoEspana 2000 : The Mind on the Edge", Circulo de Bellas Artes, Madrid, Spain.
2001 "10th India Triennale", Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, India.
2002 " The Show 2002", Royal College of Art, London, UK.
2003 " In Transit : The Global Soul", Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin, Germany"; 50th Venice Biennial (Singapore Pavilion)", Venice, Italy.

ISABELLE CARNAVO
Born on 1974.
Studied at École du Louvre (History of Art), Paris, France (1992 – 1996), École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, Paris, France.

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2002 " 24 hours of the Incersed World", Looking Glass Gallery, Brussels, Belgium; " The End of Travelling", Substation Gallery, Singapore (with Herman Chong)
2003 " The End of Travelling", Sparwasser HQ, Berlin, Germany (with Herman Chong).

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2001 " Interim 2001", Royal College of Art, London, UK; Recontres Internationales Paris-Berlin", Aroma/Brotfabric, Berlin, Germany.
2002 " Single Screen", Nikolaj Contemporary Art Center, Copenhagen, Denmark; " Beelden Buiten 2002 / Fractals", Tielt Garden & CD Gallery, Tielt, Belgium; " The Show", Royal College of Art, London, UK.
2003 " The President's Young Talent Exhibition", Singapore Art Museum, Singapore; " Transmediale.03", Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin, German.

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