Measuring Asian Art's Contribution to Contemporary Culture

This project provides comprehensive analysis of the role played by Asian (and Australian) visual art in understanding how places and communities are transformed by the impact of immigration/migration, displacement, and forms of social upheaval.

Through the development of an innovative methodology combining art theory and curatorial practice, this project provides comprehensive analysis of the role played by Asian (and Australian) visual art in understanding how places and communities are transformed by the impact of immigration/migration, displacement, and forms of social upheaval. Its evaluation of art’s relationship to other spheres of culture, and of the distinctive nature of art’s contribution to knowledge, constitutes a significant advance in visual culture theory, also allowing us to determine best practice in multicultural visual arts programming.

The project pioneers doctoral level curatorial training, focused on Asian/multicultural art. This project is funded by an Australian Research Council ARC Linkage grant with partners: Casula Powerhouse and Zendai Museum of Modern Art, Shanghai.

Project team

Scientia Professor Jill Bennett
Arts, Design & Architecture
Professor Xing Ruan
Arts, Design & Architecture
Associate Professor Felicity Fenner
Arts, Design & Architecture
Dr David McNeill
Operations Division

Key contact

Arts, Design & Architecture
(02) 9385 0691
j.bennett@unsw.edu.au