Jane Lombard Gallery is pleased to present island time, a collective exhibition curated by gallery artist James Clar. Showcasing a wide range of practices, the exhibition explores the subjective notion of time and its social, cultural and historical fluidity from the perspective of emerging and mid-career artists in the Philippines. island time includes works by Poklong Anading, Miguel Aquilizan, Leslie De Chavez, Corinne De San Jose, Kiko Escora, Gregory Halili, KoloWn, Christina Lopez, Gary-Ross Pastrana, Luis Antonio Santos, Shireen Seno and Derek Tumala.
Techno-Orientalism: imagining Asia in speculative fiction, history, and media offers a theoretical basis for the central premise of the exposition. Described as a concept that “…symmetrically yet contradictorily defines…a modern West by producing an oppositional, pre-modern East”, techno-orientalism refers to “a complicit and futurized Asia” which “further affirms[s] the centrality of the West” (David S. Roh 2015, 7). From this different perspective, however, artists who have been subjected to the techno-orientalist gaze intend to creatively divert the dynamic towards their own goals.
The title of the exhibition takes up the term of its pejorative origins, often used to designate a disordered, non-rigorous, non-Western environment, which operates on its own mechanisms and systems. In a provocative act of decoloniality, these alternate temporalities are embraced by the selected artists as spaces to exist outside of Western hegemony. In the psychological, conceptual, and communal realm of “island time,” Clar aims to organize a meaningful exchange between diverse artists at the forefront of contemporary art in the Philippines.
island time hopes to challenge audience expectations for a summertime group show, challenging viewers to confront elements of history and identity that run counter to their preconceptions.
The exhibition is visible until July 29 at Jane Lombard Gallery At New York.
For more information, visit janelombardgallery.com.
