Making Art Global (Part 2) Magiciens de la Terre’ 1989 Lucy Steeds and other authors Pane Ns aU 5 Re Peed Pad eee ae aCe Pie WN de Tee ae eee ee yee Ce Deed a ee) a pais eed ‘i Prey paid F baled on A LE ed Exhibition Histories Ee ee ie ee ag Pg aed ae aed Cad Deed Lor aeyReview of the Paradigms and Interpretative Machine, or, The Critical Development of 'Magiciens de la Terre’ Jean-Marc Poinsot Ieis not by chance that ‘Magiciens de la Tete’ (1989) features among the cmblemstic exhibitions of the lace twentieth cencury.' On the one hand, i sade its appearence s¢4 moment when modernist stances had been made cxtieme by being reduced to a restricted historical and geographies! con- ception of Western space, and by a dogmatic recuperation of the so-aled ‘primizve’ ars according to a single, simplistic reading. On the other hand, {nits discursive output, including the catalogue, and special issues ofthe journal Les Cahier de Mate national dart maderne and Third Tex, the cxhibicion called upon authors highly representative of antagonistic posi- tions (critics ar historias, etbrologits and cheorevcians) io order co discuss the globalisation of are" These authors, and many more who responded to the cabibition atthe sim and wroce about it subsequently, developed chrough ‘helt writings what Magiciens de laTere has become inthe history ofthese past 25 years a springboard and a forum for debate. Its enduring influence is well illustrated, for example, by the 2012 edition of che Triennale that took place atthe Palais de Tokyo in Paris under the tide Intense Proximiré: Une anthologie &u proche et di lointsin’ (Intense Proximity: An Anthology ofthe Near and the Faw’) The voluminous publication accompanying the show puts forward a ser of sss and proposes 2 compilation of texts that return under the unexplained section title of ‘La Licence curstorale etl pensée ethaographique’ (Curatorial Licence and Ethnographic Thought’), to discussions that emerged in relation to the exhibitions “Primitivisn” in 20ch Century Art: Affinity ofthe Tribal and the Modern’ (1984-85) and ‘Magicens de la Terce.® The exhibition’ long- "am thinking hereof eahibitions such 2s ‘Wher Autinudes Become Foray, Kunsthalle Ber, 1969; ‘Information, Museum of Moder Ar, New Yor, 1970 and documents 5, Kail, 1972 We migh thus concras at one end ofthe specrum "Weslarst: Zligendsische Kuna set 1939" (Westen Are Contemporary Art since 1959), held in Cologne in 1981, and on the other "Primigi in 20dh Century Are Affinicy of the “Thibal and the Moder, Maseum of Modern Am, New York, 984-85 » See Les Cabiera bude national dr moderne, 20.28, Spring 1989; Third Tet 0.6, Spring 1989, 0.7 "The eahibicion was on view at che Plas de Tokro and several other venues in Dare fem 20 April to 26 Aagust 2012; it was organised by Otwal Enwezor tis ‘worth noting in passing tht the ve ofthis event includes no indexing of pce, Inthe same way th the name of che Musée da qua Branly, the museum in Pais devoted tothe indigenous cultures ofthe world refers toll wis location "Pamir" in 20 Cescary Arc: Afinity ofthe Tibal andthe Modesn'ceok pice tthe Museum of Modern Ar, New York fom 27 Seprerber 1984 v0 15, Januaey 1985, The section in the Tsieenial catalogue included a series of lees between William Rubia sad Kick Varedoe, the earaor of "Primitivis", and tie Thomas McBviley in the pager of Afra an iotrview between jean 9¢ Review ofthe Paradigms and ntrprtetive Machine lating influence is alo illustrated by the subsequent revisiting on the pare fits curator, Jean-Hubert Martin, of simulacra proposals in writings, int ‘ews, exhibitions and, indivecy, in the comprehensive website about the show that he helped launch in 2011." But its ably to endure in the collective snerory tends 0 obscure the manner in which ths interpretative machine suas sein motion, and also the dffeene phases ofits developmene and the Uiversity of the challenges co which i ares 1 was century ago, asthe 1889 Word’ Far (Exposicon univer) Visitor: proceeded with greas delight from she Jepanese pavilion 10 che Kanak village, rom the Tuareg encampment to the APitcan but, Cast, fiom Borsbuas, Papuan and Guinean fevshes, peoples from ‘ur cole ‘rerpwhere oddities and novel, meonsrucion: and simulacra raged in Sach a sway a: to make a pleasant stall for the promeading linear Geography, echography and the history of religions and the art were ‘tru, somewhat poorly treaied. No one tried to understand objects and costumes, bus the pienuresgu, forts part, enjoyed te apotheosis. Huge ‘cco, bards of estos. A bearifal exhibition say st paste te sisit Magiciens de la Terre’ without thinking that today exhibition is rpraducing more or less the stem ofa century age?” ‘That is how Phillipe Dagen scarted his review in Le Monde, indicating bis reservations in the name of an absent scientific perspective - one that, if present, would have contributed to 2 more respectful ardicude towards those cultures porcrayed than chat acrually employed by the museographic display, which he considered too directly talored ro che general public. According 10 Dagen, the incorporation of contemporary art within 2 museum display “kills non-Western works while claiming to glorify chem." His words exemplify facly common reaction at chat particular ime ~ namely, that itis Hubert Metin and Benjamin Buchloh published ia the special ie of Let Cahiers tte Muse neional d'art moderne, 9.28, Spring 1989, pp-5—43 (with English versions published ig. Third Te, val. no, Spring 1988, pp.19-27 and Arvin America, ¥.77, 805; May 1989, pp-150-39 and 213: and epeined inthis volume, p-224-37) and the seemingly unconnected essay by Hal Foster "The Arist 35 Ethnographe', originally published in George E Marcus sed Fred R. Myers, (e.), ‘he Tha im Calne, Berkeley: Univesity of Cabfornia Pres, 1985, pp.302-09 (se alto The ere of he Real Cambridge, MA ane London: The MIT Pres, 1996, p.171-203). See Oka Enweaoe with Mélanie Bouteloup, Abdelh Karr, Eile Renard and Claire Sacbler (a), Inte Prexnite (exh cat), Paris Cente ational des ars plestiques ~ Ardy, 2012, pp.284-360, "See hep: mapciensdelaerefr (las accessed o0 18 December 2012). For 2 discussion of some of Martin curatrial projec after “Magicies de ln Tete’, See Licy Steis, "Magiiens de ls Tere” aad the Development of Transnational Projct-Based Curating’ inthis volume, ep. pp 90-93, " hulippe Dagen,/Eposition univenle, Le Monde, 19 May 1989, p28, Bia Jean-Marc Poinsot $5ela Yere, Grande Hale ‘Le Vilte Pia, 1988, possible co engage with works from those cultures, but only by isolating them, by not putting them on a level wich Western works. Such compart: mentalisasion separated wo worlds regarded as incomparable, and this is precisely the approach that Martin and his ceam wished co avoid in their ‘curatorial approach, The actual meaning of such a curatorial exercise was, however, an object of dispute, and reruleed in opposed readings. And so Deke Dusinberre wrote in Art Monthly The second quality which emerged was tha ofthe power of transformation: arnwork as an intervention which changes the enviroxment (or our perception and understanding of i). This certainly comes closer s0 i ‘curators’ ambitions, approaching perhaps the authentically ‘magic x ‘of art. One end of che hall at La Villene, for insance, was occupied by nigr0-n Esther Mablangu’s geomerrcally decorated house and biomorphic earth fig17-79 ena painting done by the Yaendumu community agzinst the backdrop of Richard Longs 30-foor high Red Earth Circle (painted in earth taken from Long home iown). Facing these was an apparently unrclased work aoe ‘by Claes Oldenburg and Coorje van Bruggen, From the Enceopic Library (1989), am oversized shelfof math-eazem, dog-cared notebooks are papers The combination was particularly effective, not only because of harmo ious colours, of forms which hold their own against thet counterpars, of similar rale .. bus also because af the way they rect one another Te house is not only a ‘machine for ving, i becomes “dynamic machine t0 look atthe earth eivcle is sun te the house, moon to the ground, bulls tye t9 the notebvaks; the Yuendumu trangformazian of the ground from profane to sacred is emblematic af all other works and the irony of the (Oldenburgivan Bruggem sculpture suddenly lies in the enormity of iis trivielity (the futility of entropic transformation experienced here at comic, not as tragic)” My dlsappoinemens with the exhibition is not de t0 the quality of the tuork, or the display In fac the exhibition looks ney attractive: abmost all the works are given equal space and are arranged in such a wy that in same cates tis aifieult to disinguish vizualy between the moder’ and the ‘raditional’.. I muct alco express my appreciation of some very beautfel works, particularly shoe ofthe Chinese, Chilean and Brazilian arises" Aracen, Nicolas Bourriaud, Thomas McEoilley and Jean Fisher, among many others, wrote about che seduction exercised by the exhibition over them, without leting this sway them from their criticism. In the face of this diversity of positions and approaches, and in order o put things straight a yea after the eahibition, McEvilley tried in patt co arrange all these critiques in Kantian and Hegelian families, right and left, bur in conclusion, and despite such classification, what remains isthe contradictions that characterise all che critiques ~ contradictions as powerful as those sfecting the show itself" ‘There were unconditional supporters of Magiciens de la Terre’, like Miche! Nuridsany of Le Figaro, who, in 2 chauvinistic mood, was delighted that France had rediscovered jts ability t produce an event ‘in che grand univer- salist tradition of yore’s® and the out-and-our imperialists who, like Jack Flam, in the Well Street journal, declared Exonamic and technological inequalities are to some degree sil ranlated into cultural inequalities. This ts specially apparent in the non-Western works that astempr t0 adapt themselves 10 the Wevtern art scene, mos of which look provincial or outdated.” (Over and above slogans packed with popular misconceptions, preconceived ideas and prejudices, what scems striking om reading the abundant press ‘overage on the exhibition is the number and diversity of artists referred to by the critics, with an emphasis on those who were hitherto nameless or Deke Dusinberse.‘Conjusations:“Magiciens de la Tere", Art Monahy, 0.129, Seprember 1989, 7, Rasheed Araecm. ‘Our Bauhaus Other? Madhouse’. Thind Text, no.6, Spring 1989, p7:eeprintd inthis volume, p.241 See Thomas MeEvilley,‘Marpinlta: Thomas MeEvilley on The Global Issue Anforum, ¥0.28, no.7, Match 1990, p.19-21. Reprinted in this volume, p268-72. Pisce Mic 24 May 1989, "Jack Fam, ‘labal Ar: Getting the Big luidsany, "Du Monde enter au coeur au monde’ Le Figara crn’, Wall Se Journal 25 Jly 1989.unknown. This is an interesting point, especially if we consider how the cxhibicion had unsettled the critic, as Bourtiaud reflected in his second ang somewhat favourable article on the show: ‘In any cave it ie impossible «g subjece this “first worldwide exhibition of contemporary ae” 10 che caegoricg of traditional criticism.” He thus shared his doubss with Clémentine Deliss, author of a long and ‘well-reasoned article in Arsicribe nzernational, who asked: row cam se relate arcs’ work t0 present artistic, cultural and politcal anifenasions wishin heir own connie, and further, bow doc it coincide swith variations in the market for non Wentern arto" Where, how and with what tools was the diversity of works o” view eo be examined? Thar question applied not just to the unknown Third World artists, but also to the fifty Westerners whose inclusion and relevance in that ‘context commentators queried. All the artists were actually treated equally inthe display, in absence of any geographical, formal ar other kind of order, with work from the First, Second and Thied Worlds in jaxcapositions that were often condemned 2s meaningless (che words ‘bazaar’, ‘dime sto “puie-i-brac’ and ‘air, all commercial metaphors, were used). Based on the ideological inclinations of those writing, these comparisons would either contribute to sideliaing the Thied World artists, or, on the contrary, would reveal the weakness of the Western works. Rare were those ctities who found any interest in the not explicitly comparative likenesses that the ‘exhibition established berwee works, but all those writing benefited in one ‘way or another from being forced into an exercise that involved a more atcentive eye chan encouraged by other contemporaneous exhibitions. [A brief run-through ofthe press coverage published atthe time ofthe show auite clearly reveals thar fora large number of people it was difficuk co assimilate the exhibition's fundamental proposition: to place all the works on the same level. Simultaneously, the response makes apparent the efecive- ness ofan arangement chat obliged everyone visting, including professionals, to look closely ae what was being presented to them u The ewental socal function of art is 10 define the eallectve ego ~ and reap it based othe way the group develpa®? "Nicolas Bourriaud ‘Magicens de ln Tere (ans. MR, Rubenseln), Fla Ar 0.14, Ocober 196, p19. ' Clementine Delis, "Cori wing Tricks: "Magicens dela Tere™, Artrite Iterations, Sepenive-Ocrber 1989, 26.77, p52 ‘Foran exumple ofthe formes se, Flam, “Global Av op. cts and P Dagen, "TExpesiion univesele’ op eit Fr the later, se C. Delis, ‘Conjuing Tks ap ets N. Bourraud, ‘Magiciens dela Tere’, of it, oF Daniel Souci "La Preave parle mune’, Libération 27-28 May 1989, 7p.33-34 “Thomas McEvilley, in his contribution to the Magiciens de la Tere catalogue, tmbarked on the telling of the history of the postmodern exhibition = history that was being announced by a series of redefinitions not only of fri, but also of the exhibition in general, its viewers, its venues and, last of Hl, modernism. The essay, iled “Ouverture du piege: Exposition post- moderne et “Magiciens dela Terre™ (Opening of the Trap: The Postmodern Exhibition and “Magiciens de la Terre”), listed che stages of modernism hefore defining the goals of the postmodern exhibition: breaking with the bniversal canons ofa history dominaced by progress and the transcendence Of pure form, The exhibicion ‘"Primicivism’ in 20ch Cencury Ar at the Museum of Modern Ar in New York had revesled for McExilley the doctrinaire modecnism of ics curators, Wiliam Rubin and Kirk Varnedoe, nd of the institution itself. That exhibition and is organisers imposed {simplistic reading, hallmark of the dominant, imperialist conception of at: ‘The fact that the primitive ‘ooks like’ the modern is interpreted as sulidating the modern by showing that its values are universal, while at the same time projecting it ~ and with it MoMA — inte the future as 4 permanent canon.” arallel commentaries on the New York show had been made by sharp- minded anthropologists. The frst of chem, James Clifford, offered an Zralysis ofthe symptoms of a pervasive postcolonial criss of ethnographic suthority!" He located the exhibition within a narrative that had ro do with contacts, with the collecrion of objects” with the experience of hit- Uricl impurities, and withthe vision thatthe peoples concerned had of che presentation of theie own works. It is undeniable char some of Clifford's [eas were present in the mind of Martin, who, for example, saw in che borrowing ofcerain emblems of modernity by the non-Western artists not the sign of loss of identity, but proof of the vivality of contemporary traditional cultures, Clifford ideas would be developed in depth in the Save conducted by Silly Price among collectors of primitive an, Primitive ‘Ars in Ciilzed Paces (1989). While Clifford opened up a general line of 7, McBvilley,“Ourerute da pige 'Exposcion postmoderne t "Magicens de Ja Tere”, in Jean-Hubert Matin fo) Mapcfens de le Terre (eth, eat), Dass te Georges Pompidou, 1989, p20. 5 Mebrilley, ‘Doctor Lawyer Indian Chief “Pritvis? #2 200 Century ‘cd atthe Mincurn of Madern Ar in 1984, Argforum, v.23, no.3, November 1984, 9.56 junes Ciford, The Predcament af Caenre: Tentieth-Centary Ethegrepby. Litrnur, and Art, Cambridge: Harvard University Pres, 1988, 0.8. 5" Over and above dives eqprts like thu caborated by Michel Levit, whue Gffords questions result in tthe wriang of the history of ethnographical Callections As examples ofthis typeof wing se Benoit de IEsolle, Le Got tds aures De [Expriion clonal aux as Proms, Paris: Flamasion, 2007, find Maureen Morphy. De llmaginare eu mute: Ler Aras dfigue 2 Pars et ‘New York (1931-2006), Dijon: Les press du te, 2008, 2 See Sly Pie, Primitive Arn Clan Pacer, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1988,‘enquiry abous the history of the eye cast by Westerners on the culture of production of tribal peoples ~ an enquiry chat was close to culcural studies ané to the deconstruction of Orientalism embarked upon by Edward Seid — Price put more concrete quettions co the organisers of Magiciens de la Terze. ‘These had to do with criteria for apprecistion, in particular with the notion of qualicy ~ @ notion chat Martin rejeced in @ conversation With Benjamin Buchloh that took place in advance of che exhibition. With this dismissal, ‘Marcin rejected the one-way universality of the modeens, and instead ‘embraced reciprocity by inviting all che artists to meet oneanocher on the actual turf ofthe exhibition and ‘dialogue’ By doing this at last the anonymity and alosence of temporality typical of the modern petspective were abolished at La Villette and ac Beaubourg, as they were in the catalogue. ‘The lesson thar Martin drew from “*Primitivism” and the debates chat ensued was ambiguous. If he left behind the handicaps that were normally associated with the radiional arts, he nevertheless favoured artists whe had been identified co im by ethnographers on the basis of informacion that was already fifteen or twenty years old. He was rebuked for those choices, which included producers of masks, painters of mandalas and makers of earth drawings. He was also criticised for his liking of exoticism, his old fashioned colonialism, bis inability to understand che real ‘autheaticity’ ‘of what he was exhibiting, and, further, his refusal co take into consideration the'modetns' and the ‘professional aris’ who were contemporary with and fellow countrymen ofthe traditional ‘creative’ artist, Lovers of primitive at, for whom, to borsow Sally Price's werds,'s work originating outside of the Great Traditions must have been produced by an unnamed figure who represents his community and whose craftsmanship respects the dieears ofits age-old traditions joined forces withthe eis, “The journalist Olivier Cena, writing forthe television magazine Telersma, cried hoax’ and ‘treason’ He gave voice co 2 man dedicated to locating and sourcing important works of ‘primitive’ art for the Western market, ‘who stated thatthe objects he normally purveyed to Western dealers had been forgotten by the populations within which chey were made, uncon- cerned by remembering ot conserving the beauty that they had produced. He considered that the works on view in. Magiciens de Ia Terre” were, in contrast, ‘works in an age-old spirit made by uproored people whase imagination drives fom a culture which they are no longer par of 2 -The term “quality” har heen eliminated from my vocabulary, since there i simply no convincing system to exablish relative and binding ecteri of qualiy for such 4 project: Benjamin HD. Buchloh, “The Whale Earth Show- An Interview with Jean-Hubert Marcia’, Third Tex, 00.5, Spring 1988, p.. Reprinted inthis volume, .232. PS. Price, Primitive At in Cine Placer, ost p56 » See Olivier Cena, ‘EAventure de fart perdu’ Tera, 10.2038, 31 May 1989, pp.6-9. Ibid 100 Review ofthe Paradigms and interpretative Machine _ Certain zestheric features common to objects coming to Europe as a result feolonial plunder undeniably found a lasting place in the Western imag- {nary i commercial interest in the art market (mainly in Parisand New York) IIA political interest (like chat prevailing ever he creation of the Musée du Gua Branly! seem to endure, this has to do with che persistence ofa rwofold fogie that MeBvilley points at with regard to *Primitivism™ In ite proces of defining the viewer, the object exhibited puts forward ‘certain assertions about the groups the viewer belong to. The hegemony of ‘a community of tate always act to the advancage of some — notably chore tubo contra ty criteria — and to she dsadvansage of other ~ those who see hings differenti,” ‘According to his analysis, che object's presentation was decided by the ‘exhibitions organiser, and the object kad no capacity co acton its own. In this way, McEvilley denounced a reversal ofthe postmodern spitit picturing 2 situation in which there were masters of the game alongside players Subjected to cher rules. In agreement with this, several commentators on ‘Magiciens de la Tere’, including Pier Cosreelles, reproached Martin for wanting 10 introduce 2 new primitvism from a curatorial position and without eaking into account acists’ perspectives: The ‘Magiciens de la Terre operation won't have any fllow-yp as such quite simply because the overlapping of culeures and arsstic bybrid- juation cannot be decreed. It is artists, creative people, who do this at heir exon pace® ‘We can sce here how certain lines of argument converge around the figure of hegemonic subject who is also an onlooker: the Western curator, aswell as, ace audiences in colonising nations, while ar the same time the producing subjects were denied the ability to lay claim to the agency of their work and their thought, What ‘Magiciens de la Terte’ did, in is decermination 10 restorean identity (2 name) to the authors and a (contemporary) temporality to the moment of their action, was to restore to their objects 2 power of action. What remained undecided was the roles of both those who produced the objects and those who looked ac chem, ® See Piare Coureeles,‘Magicins de la Tet’, Résoluion, 0.484, 9 June 1988, p49. In thi communis journal, Coureeles raised che point thatthe collector [aegucs Kerchaches fat equer to open che Loure coche art of pientve artis ven ited prior to Magicens de la Terre. During the second hal of the 1950s Kerchache Would be responsibie fr persuading the thea French President Jacques Chirac to builé che Musée du quai Branly. Eatlis, a manifese, cited “Pour que les Chef-d Oeuvre du monde enie missent Libres er Eg’ with the adhesion (of curators like Martin, aniett inelading Daniel Spoer and poets and politicians such as Léopold Sédar Seaghos, was published in 1990: hep! ‘modules qusibranly fcketchache1 sw lst acexsed on 18 December 2012) PT, Mele, ‘Ouvercure du pigs, oc p20. ™P Courealles,"Magiciens dela Tere op ci 9.4.(ite tien onthe Raitoad hacks, Pai 8 theorist In 1991, Cesare Poppi returned to 'Magiciens de la Tete’ and the expec tation it rased by reconsidering primiivism a 2 historical fet “Ths ofthe impact had within ie own contexte te i focked the Europe falar scene” Associated withthe term primi ate questions about the Iegimacy of acthevi dclogical and scholarly consteet related to the representation of the ether snd his or her culearal productions. Thee Guestions were being addressed a he sine of Magicten de la Tete’ oy Anthropologists, who were revising the problems entertained by thee beer Dunno yea ese het nd hora tas being Feed ~ 2 task tae contd in esceaings path hat no longee, made it posible voll shout» plurality of ethers, bat instead co allow hese chest say something abou their confrontation withthe coool Powers So, orcxample in 1997, nat sue devored ro poston the manag Dedade republished an eisay written by Michel Leis in 1948 ced Mesage de Afrique, expresing both his fascination with and his feats abou con temporary society but speaking on behalf of fticns, alongside anodher esny by Clifford about moscume ae ‘concact zones In this essay, Cliflord tecouned several experience in which the Tlingit people rom the Pafe Norwest Court of Amerie, wer urged to talk sbou objets neqted over 2 long pei of time fora plvate collection, and began to combine the Tedscorery ofthe abjece witha reengagement in moe recent challenges such asthe polite of the Forest Administration. This was an opportunity for im co etn to he nocon of contac one a defined in 1992 by Mary Lovie Prat when she wrote 2 Cesare Poppi, From the Suburbs ofthe Clobal Vilage: Aferthoughts on “Mages dele tere, hd Ta, 0 ping 991 pt. This isu ab inciuded an ey by JH. Marin, Qui sper des pats ous du peril jaune et dels négetue’Sce Deda o,5-i, Spring 1997, ps Clif esay was led Les Muées comme zane de conte (230) 102 Review ofthe Poradigns snd Intororatative Machine iy wsing the word ‘contact, 1 want to favour the interactivity and the improvisation which ran through ceriain colonial encounters and which ‘have been so easily ignored, not t9 say denied, by those propagating a ine ofthinting about domination and conquest. A so-cilled contact approach fevours the say in which subjects construct ther identity through rheis ‘elationship with themeoer ond others. Joint presence and interaction marched with anderitanding and overlapping uss are often situated inside radically asymmesrcalrelarions of power" “This detous, or return, isthe one that Okwui Enwezor made in his show and publication for the Triennale and was suggested in its title, “Incense Proxi- rite, where he reverted to the contact zone as both subject and question Enwercr's projec is interesting for us in its reconsideration ofthe space and time disjunctions around ehree major themes: che poctics of echnogeaphy, ‘where Leiis plays central part, the exhibitions "Primiivisn” and ‘Magiciens dela Terre’ and the issue of contact zones in our contemporary societies. I suggests that Magiciens de la Terre’ might well have been a particularly inceresting contact one. In fact, the assertion that distances are done away with, the understanding of curttorial activity as including an exploratory txercise and the return to traditional are forms are very closely linked to contemporary Western art at the moment. The words of the Cuban artist José BBedia, who participated in ‘Magiciens de la Terre, in a recent convetsaion with Lucy Steeds show that the dialogue invoked by Martin and so frequently decried s an illusion by the critics could actually have been productive: [Meeting artists from around the world was one of the great shings about that show 1 would take a break from installing and talb to people I established friendchips with Joe Ben Junior, she Australian Aborigines, Richard Long, Cprien Tokoudagha from Benin, Esther Mablange from South Africa.” So we can ste the ides of postmodernism and its recognition of identities being slowly replaced by a recura to the history af contact 2ones: Magiciens dela Terre. with is choice of wo equal camps (one largely made up of works based on tradition), could sec the grounds for a jain: presence and an interaction that had been interrupted by the fosiisation of art through the notion of ‘primitivism’ in the hands of specialists and dealers. The recurrent criticism of the exhibition’ backward-looking choices, objecively incompat- lle with the conterporaneity described by Poppi, seems due for reconsid tration. In 1991, he wrote that ‘such « projected image of a reconciled world Mary Louise Pet, peril Eye: Travel Writing and Traneulerasion. Landon Roatlee, 1982, quoted by } Clifford in" Lex Musser comme zones de conte. sity p25), Clifford esay is based on Rents: Trane and Trantaton inthe Late “Tucnieth Gotu, Cambridge, MA and London: Harvard Univeiy Pres, 1997 Joa Bedia in conversation with Lucy Seeds, 15 November 2010, in Rachel Weits ec al, Mating Art Global (Fart 1) The Third Havana Binnial 198, Landon: Afterall Books, 201), 9.217,is ideological, and therefoe i is false.” But chis mistaken image would cnticate the polemics of primitivism from the context of a damestic uff ‘within the Western wood, and ereare room forthe new words of those who ‘were previously absent, or stashed away in a postmodern otherkes, a Reseed Ameen di not undestand why ‘Magicens del Tern’ fle the ned otal the ise of prinive sci a id wth es inclsion af traditional art forms. Writing in Third Texr, he asked: ‘Why is there such an chuenlon with vorcaled pinitve roves! Where we there vciee Ac not moe Third Wodd sce today part of global sytem, wth a commen mode of production and silty dcveping social stacura?™ He acdc Inthe pages of Thin et bur ain in eins such se The Other Stor for secogsiion of the npatof Third Wort auats ios living in te couniier a wel a chote tn Western count) to theory of modem Ai potton tat hs been edapted by many invlved in arcalaing pl tmodernites, unafeced by the advent of posimodernsm. One of thee, Geen Kapur, defended in 1989 uradiionel Indian ealuces roe in the scrigge fr ibcraion om he Bri colonial yoke" Te contest, acording ta Arce, he prioity ly in he ‘presenr-day raglan the challenge tote hegemony of West clare ‘The difference berween these postions bas to do with the terrain from which cach of them speaks. Aracens world and challenges stom from the diaspora, as 2 resule of which culture and its capacity to be heard depend on very differen struggles from those experienced by other societies. ‘Writing in 1990, McBvilley was still persuaded chat Magiciens de la Terre nad fulfilled the hope he had invested in it ‘The hope it embodied was to find a postcolonialise way to exhibic the work of First and Third World artists together, a way chat would involve ao projections about hierarchy, or about mainstream and periphery, or abou history having a goal." © C. Papp, "From the Suburbs of the Global Village’, op. i p.87, Poppe criticism was mot valid for so-called primitive works, but more relevant ‘zamples lke che one be chose (te jncaposcon of the Nepalese mandala with ‘Marina Abramov pice), because le could be asimiliced toa writen culture rather than anor edition, SR Armeer, "Our Bauhaue Ochen? Mudhous’ pct, pd. Reprinted in hi volume. 5.270. DThe Other Stony AlreAsiin Arie la Foue-War Buta’, Hayward Galery London, 29 November 19854 Febraaey 1990, » Geecs Kepur,‘Canterporary Csltaral Practice: Some Poleical Categorie’ paper given ar the conference organised for the Thied Bienal de Ls Hebens, ‘printed in R Aracen, Sean Cable: and Ziauddin Sardar (ed), The ‘Third Tox! Reader on Art, Cilture and Tory, Landon snd New Yorke Contino, 2002 ppt5-24 and R. Weis etal, Mating Arr Global (Pat 1), op. et, pp-194 203, Pa. aracen, ‘Our Bauhaas Other? Mudhouee op ct, pot Repunted in his volume, p.270 il ‘This assessment was nor shared by other exhibition curators, historians and theoreticians, for whom, as Sidney Kasfe wrote, ‘Magiciens de la Trte’ wae 4p flawed attempc at paradigm-breaking’.” This staement, which could de ead asa direct answer to McEvilley, demands commentary In effect, a the tuthor ofa bistory of African art, Kasi judges Magiciens dela Terre by che yardstick of such art, whose signficane presence in the Pars show ke roundly admis; but, as Yacouba Konaté writes, ‘Magiciens’ did not have a special focus on African art, and cannot therefore be judged just in cerms of is approach ro and effects for are from thar concinent: ‘Whereas the exhibition twas intended a5 2 plea for the equality of the world’s cultures, Aricas artistic and cakuralAites rook it as the paradigm of the neo-primitivist event auchor- Ising a definiciv distrust of so-called "Aftican” exhibitions, And yer it wasn't an African exhibition, Konatéé retrospective assessment, written almost two decsdes after the cxhibiton, isnot a celebratory account. He had coneiderable eservcions about the choice to sclect ‘self-taught’ artists, which he saw as mirroring colonial ‘operations. He also spoke out against che disproportionate power of the curators, whe could pur Christian Boleanski and Frédéric Broly Bouabré on a par from one day tothe next, without further consideration: "He [the curator) pluages into che Africa of mysteries and ambiguities to discover cvearures ‘which nobody had sought. Then, caking chem by the hand; he reveals them 0 their contemporaneity. The whole strategy of the bi difference lies inthis two- {ald operation: going back into the pre-moadern to dsplay the contemporary." This diagnosis seems to hit che canget in the case of Africa, since it reflects the compromised choices, and since selecting ‘creator’ rather than ‘modern artist! generated, among other things, large geagrephical blind epots: for example, no artists from the Maghreb were included because cheir work seemed to befor the curatare much tao close co European aesthetic norms,” But this criticism about the African choices is difficult co apply in any systematic way co work from orher continents. For example, artist from South Ameries included Bedi, Julio Galin, Alfredo Jear and Cildo Meirces, artists whose work was atthe time included in international exaibicions and discussed in he pages of are magazines, among them Third Text.” Other "T. MeEulle,‘Marginalin: Thoms ciley 0a The Global sue, ope, p20 © Sidney Kasi, Alcan Art and Authencciy: A Text with « Skadow, in Ola Oguibe and 0: Faweror (ed), Reading the Contemporary Apsean Art fom Theor othe Marterplae, London Inivs, 1999, 9.88 ‘ Yacouba Konaté, '"Magicies de In Teer: Létrange dein african une ‘exposition mondiale’, in Besmadeite Dutree (e.) Cenne Prmpiou Tire ons Ahineie, Pts Cente Georges Pompidou, 2007, .358. As Konate point ove the exhibicon included among. ite over 100 participant sate att from sub Stharan Afi (p 561) Sth 562 “© "This wat pointed out by both Piste Gnudibert and Geneviéve Brcrette in “ba Plnécerouce ei’ in J -H. Marin (ed) Merion de Ter, ap. it, pp. 15-19. See Gerardo Menquers,"The Marco Polo Syndrome’, Third Text, no2, Winterfiga7=18 fig, 48 and 49 fings.08 fn B62 fig77-79 ana 06 artists invited from the Americas made more narzative work, and reflected disciplines as diverse as Navajo sand painting (Joe Ben Junior), Inuit art {Paulosee Kuniliasee) and Haitian recycled sculpture (Georges Liauraud) Asia’ represencation was no less diverse: it ranged from Nam June Paik and On Kaware (both totally integrated into the Westera art scene), Huang Yong Ping aad Tatsuo Miyajima (wo relative newcomers whe would become regular partcipans in the Freach and wider Western exhibition convex, Bows Devi ane Lobseng Thinle, Lobsang Palden and Bhorda Sherpa (respec. tively a Mithila woman and Nepalese mandala painters) Martin defended the choices of the team in the interview conducted by Benjamin Buchloh. The members of the team were not made publicly responsible for specific choices, but, for example, we know that for the Alfican selection most of the work was conducced by André Magnin, who went an to work on the development and international promotion of Jean Pigozuis Contemporsty Aftican Arr Collection {CAAC), and that Mark Francis was in charge of the selection of the Navajo artist Ben Junior CCriciciam about the latter focused not on Ben Junior's work, bue on its lack of contexcuslisation in the struggle for land restitution in che US, raised by Fisher in Areforum. A similar ciccism emerged in relation ro the presence of artists from Yuendumu, praised by Terry Smith, in whose text the exhibition was literally reduced to theis presence, and Fisher, who rallied 2gainst the ‘mode of their inclusion ~ namely, che placement of their work in an over- ‘whelming juxtaposition wich Richard Long’s ‘solar anus. ‘The amount and complexity ofthe issues rised by this self-proclaimed “frst worldwide exhibition of contemporary ar had o do with the fat that, a have cried to show by poincing a rhe limies of MeBvilley’s argument, there could beno single answer, ot one politial or theoretical insight capable of ‘offering a solution o the probiem of a global art exhibition that was both satistactory and comprehensive. In 1989, even if the postcolonial struggles had been going on for seversl decades, the effect of these struggles on the writing of world history was sll deficient, and the work being done inter- rationally had not resulted in ahistorical awareness among the French. Besides Frantz Fanon and Aimé Césaire, who sill had a ratkr limited presence in public debates and had lle echo until very recently.” many years would pass before the offical reviewing of the past i terms of colonial suuggle began. 1992-93, pp35-41 See). Fishes, Fictional Histories ~The lavsible Labyrinth: “Magiciens dels “Tere Anforam, vol. 28 ned, September 1989, .160. Repiaed in this volume, pp2s858 Sen, fr example, Terry Sith "Black Arts Genius Explained’ The Independent ‘Monahiy, September 1989, and J. Pubes, Fieconal Histories op et. p16 eH. Martin, “The Gast werliwideexibcion of contemporary at dsrbuted a partof te exhib pre pack, pl (p2 ia French version). See CGP archives bor Ssazsii6s. © Though somehow familia In Pais atthe time, Edou Glisten was much usand hterpretative Mechine — Maren stood his ground, but itis evident from his writings and interviews from the time that he had not conceived the exhibition as a postcolonial endesvout, He had engaged artists like Barbara Kruger, Danie) Buren, Ailfedo Jaar and Hans Haacke (who, by the way, were oddly overlooked in the critical commentaries), but if their concributions (0 the show made it possible to avoid a somewhat naive consensus, they did not seem to be Tndluded as pare of a general programme or a theoretical approach. In 1989, as mentioned above, France was still applying a very selective forgecfulness bout its past; ie would still be necessary 10 wai for afew years until che rst Serious studies on slavery appeared, or others on the countzy’s colonial period, postcolonial issues or the links between the development of ethno- Eraphic collections and colonisation ac large. France had no room jn its [Slenifc,culeural and artistic contexts for recent immigrants from the old Colonies: its universities did nor recruit che African intellectuals whom they rained, and even throughout the 2000s the govesnment gave limited support fo projects such a5 Francoise Vergés'’s Comicé pour lt mémoire et histoire del'esclavage (Commiccee for the Memory and History of Slavery) just as fn did not help Edouard Glistane accomplish, in hs lifetime, his project for a Musée Martiniquais dee Arts des Amériques (Martinican Museum of the ‘Arts of the Amezicas.™" Marcin was impervious to any approach that did not stem from exclusively artistic or aesthetic repisters, returning in the ensuing years to those same fasues to rail ageinge the conservatism of is museum colleagues, who seemed incapable of incosporating objects that did not fc within establisned categories and therefore eluded cheir understanding," He continued co address questions that seem trivial nowadays, such as critical exoticism,"* devoting his attention to introducing within an art context works of a religious nature without making them undergo the typical desacralisation treatment enacted by modern museums,” and continuing co champion artists as individuals, whatever thei origin. In the face of this, Fisher probably provided one of the most accurate citicisms of the exhibition, by linking the process of de-indusiialsation in ‘exer known in che United Stats, where he ught wn his death in 200, ‘The tewtting of general, economic, cleural and arc histories undertaken over he pat hee decades is tertimony tthe recent wotk against such amnesia See for example Jock Goody. Le Vil ae Uhiaoire: Comment (Europea inpst lect de fon part ov mst de mond, Paces Gallimard. 2010: of, a differen regis, Philippe Descols, Paraeld Nerureecaltere, Pe: Gallimard, 2005, 1 See hurl fon epmhe (lee acceried on 18 Decerber 2012), See up| leour monde.com/M2A2@ (lt acceed on 18 December 2012), 1 SeeJ-H Marcin, Qui peur des peaucrouges dp jauneet dee négrieude? dale, 205-5, Spring 1997, pp.225-30. See Jud Matin, Thierry Prat and Thicry Rappall (ed), Frage desnisnn: 5th Binnate art contrperain de Lyon (exh ca.) Pais: Réanion des Mud Daconaux, 2000 {See tl Marin (cl) Alire: Kiet enor Miderknien(exh ea), Disedr Maseum Kast Palast, 2000, More Polnot 167the Wes¢ toa loss of content, which in return, gave transcendental sigai- fieance to non-Western art: Perhaps tht i why the exhibition tended tp privilege eraditional material praceses the Fetishising ofthese processes at they ate practised in Western exltaze and eleewnere recs the yearning for some pre-industrial integrity that permeated "Magiciens™™* In a way, thie was a return of whet had earlier been repressed, co the prode uction of objects ever the demateralisstion of Concepeual art, at sine when ‘contemporary art was secing a return to painting Today, other criticisms of global sociery would find a foothold in thie feishisation of art and ix would probably be impossible to imagine remaking an exhibition like “Magiciens de ls Terre I is not impossible chat what commentators regarded a failed areempe co breale down established paradigms would have been impossible to realise on thar scale and at that precise moment ifthe exhibition had not been charac- terised by such an aesthetic approach. What it proposed was a departure inasmuch asi succesfully managed co introduce new arises and works within 4 normally unreceprive context, bur also because it did not exclude voices thac would quescion ic. In fact, some of the questions, like those raised by Homi Bhabha and Pierre Gaudibere in their contributions to the catalogue, ‘were not addressed or pursued by che commentators," Despite such loose threads, ‘Magicieas de la Terre’ remains an outstanding exhibition, if only for having engaged, dizecly or indirectly, so many positions in issues that hhave sill not been resolved, and might well never be. ‘Translated from French by Simon Pleasance and Fronza Woods. S), Piet, "Petional Historie’ op. ct. p.158.Reprineed inthis volume, p.252. » Dauing tha same summer the exhibition “Bildencret: Wierspruch, nbs tund Fragen in der Kune sit 1960" was on view atthe Rheinllen der Kes Messe. Cologne. See Homi Bhabha, “Hybrids dentté ct culture contemporain’, and Pere Gaudet ‘La Plandte out entire enfin. in JH. Mari (ed), Magicen de Ue Tere, op it pp. 24-27 and 18-19 eepectvely, 108 Review ofthe _—