Research: Asia Triennial Manchester

Research summary

• Asia Triennial Manchester is an ongoing yearly project

• ATM was held 12 — 24 November 2021

Asia Triennial Manchester (ATM) explores the complexity of the British Asia diaspora through art.

The two-week long project celebrates Asia through different themes by bringing together international artists and audiences.

Launched in 2008, this is Europe’s only triennial event dedicated to contemporary visual art in Asia.

ATM develops new collaborative curating models to create contemporary visual art, and to reach new audiences and communities.

Building diversity agendas and curatorial development initiatives are part of ATM’s impact. The event also produces new commissions across exhibitions, performances. collaborations, workshops and research projects.

Previous themes have included:

• protest, time and generation
• conflict and compassion
• Who do you think you are?
• Love Thy Neighbours

Love Thy Neighbours

The Love Thy Neighbours exhibition was displayed in Manchester Poetry Library for Asia Triennial Manchester 2021 (ATM21). It used artists’ postcards to explore the history of Asian art.

The theme explored how we navigate neighbourhood tensions in communities that face issues around identity, migration, citizenship, gender and sexuality. It also investigated the need to share common values of care and love to build more compassionate relationships with our neighbours.

Highlights included work by visual storytelling artist Louise Soloway Chan based in Hong Kong. Their pieces capture the essence of the rapidly-changing city, and the silent voices and invisible hands that keep the city functioning.

Meanwhile, contemporary Indian artist Rekha Rodwittiya’s work explored the complex issues of life, living, alienation, belonging, discrimination, acceptance, accord and discord.

The event also featured:

• a ghazal — an ancient form of poetry with Arabic origins — written by Anjum Malik
• live music by percussionist Arian Sadr
• Islands, a dramatic installation designed by performance artist Mingmei Zhou
• a unique Asian food experience, curated by Haleh Moravej

Alnoor Mitha is the principal investigator for research on the Asia Triennial Manchester festival.