Foreword Points of Origin, 19505-19805 Luis Camnitzer Jane Farver and Rachel Weiss This exhibition traces the history of a key development in 2oth-century art in which art's response to both its ‘own traditions and to its immediate milieu shifted from a consideration of the objeto that of theidea This shi, with its inevitable destabilization ofatisti convention, ‘cuted in locations around the word ino relative) istinet waves of activity the first, from the late 19505 19 ) Sound t72,the second rom he nid 397080 the er of | theo The emergence of conceptual at alo conc ‘ed with broadly destabilizing sociological and technolog ‘al trends propelled by large historical forces, as the pol «al, economic, and socal landscapes of large parts ofthe world underwent significant, often traumatic, transition ‘Theis eid was shaped nage par by tela ay witht biolrtersionsjetween communism and ap ism ands relative pleat sta This postwar period aio saw thee he Third Wand the end of mas “olnial empires Bath developed apa courties and the Easter lo experienced sir se of demographic ane sciopatical shits: steady migaton oftboers from alto urban areas: inceased food production and acess o education: major ais In conmuniation and intrmation technol; parmacetst advances that onrbated tothe sewal revlon a word boom a tourism By the 1960s, however, twas also appareat nat bypreducs of is gow were eologal deteroratin, rowing economic inequality o the ara and Iter tal level an elaborate eemaional son of aor, colossal exentures onthe ams ace ad anaes US. warin Ai, In response there was also a worldwide mobilization of student radicalism that peaked in 3968. While the actions of students, intellectuals, and artists involved in rebellions in Japan the U.S., Wester Europe, Mexico, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia had more cultural than politcal significance) they would in ime motivate larger, less combustible groups of etzens. In Czechoslovakia, political and cultural agitation during the Prague Spring of 1968 precipitated a crackdown by Moscow. Athough the Soviet Union would hold the socialist bloc together for ‘another twenty years by theat of miltary force, tis event marked the end ofthe Moscow-centered international ‘communist movement. By 1973, futher events—the ofl ‘ss the collapse ofthe Bretton Woods financial system, the loss of industrial jobs to developing counties, and the U.S. defeat in Vietnam would help to bring about the end ‘ofthis peiod of economic expansion. The rst wave of conceptual, ideabased at that developed during this time Us. canada and Aust, raponded to and patted intheae massive soil ae otic anion by cling cls question the undevngteos fd ts at © Gina sytem inte second prod om sya ugh the end ofthe onthe deaths f Mao Zedong and Srezhne hastened the change in hina and the Sve Urion hat woul utimtely nd the Cold Wa though numberof Tr Worl counties sucha South Korean Taiwan od the cy tates oF HongKong and Sheapore,exgerenced“ecoramie miacles” and rset Fra Wor aus, the gap betwen ich and poor coun tes dene Development nthe NICS (neni indus ied counties) epated the postwar pate of those reins hat hod experienced the ealerboom.Ssegtng Changes were prompted by the abandonment of ua grata economies a millons moved turban reas Seeking employment ne insti. Few Third Wold Counties escaped the experience of evolution, tary tateorer ote emed cof, ceteratededueaton ~ programs created huge numbers of students who could be taslymobzed; and wher thre nasa absence fel polis nda te pes students ata, an other te Ieuals wer often the only etzens who spake on Dehal ofthe grote efor, the ned for an urgent sponse to scl an pole condos enesiraged artists nthe Soviet non, South oes, Chia, and pats faa to abandon formalist or traditional art practices for conceptu- alstan, ‘While ineutably connected by a complex system of bal linkages, these conceptualist movements were also clearly soured by rg lal conditions and histories. tis import to emphasize that he reading of “loalsn” that nfrms this projet isa hcl ierentiated one, inc locate ar inked ncaa way but not, subsumed into a homogenized set of creumstances and “sponses to then. Wemean to denote a mticenered "map wth vais point of rnin which local event are cri deterinans During both periods, conceptualism quest ‘of art, not in the sense of negation (as tard), but in ‘order to enlarge and deepen the scope of what art could be. Art's ole as catalyst, as standin for forbidden speech, {), asexempiiication of systems of thought and belief, and as vehicle for dissent became central. The artwork underwent ym objec to subject. This represented a change “Tofunction, purpose, and capability a recasting ofthe ‘object's status and meaning. The processes that came to + signify conceptualistpracice—a change in emphasis hom in apan, Western and Eastern Europe, Latin America, the. the object tothe idea; a prioritization of language overvisuaity: a critique ofthe institutions of art ard in many ‘ass, 3 consequent dematerialization of the atwork— ‘were set in motion tong before the anointing of Conceptual ‘rt but received such added emphasis and foaus 25 10 cessentiaty redefine the nature ofthe activity ‘t's important to delineate a clear distinction between conceptual art as aterm used to denote an essentially formalist practice developed inthe wake of minimalism, and conceptuatism, which broke decisively fon the histor ical dependence of art on physical form and its visual apperception. Conceptualism was a broader atitudinal | expression that summarized a wide array of werks and practices which, in radically reducing the role of the art ‘object. reimagined the possiblities of art vis-8vis the social, politcal, and economic realities within which it was being made. Its informality and affinity forcollectvity ‘made conceptualism attractive to those artists who earned fora mae dict engagement withthe pubic 0 during these intense, transformative periods. For them, the deemphasis—or demateralzaion—of theobject allowed artistic focus to move from the object o the conduct of art Over time the history of conceptual art has been assimilat ed by cites and historians into postminimalism, focus on materials techniques, and styl However, even, in its most mainstream appearances, conceptual art, while ‘eductionist in form, has been among the most accommo: dating of art movements, open to disciplines a5 diverse as linguistics, systems theory, pilasophy, sociology, ethics, logic, theater, histor, politial science, music, Eastem religions, and poetry. This interdisciptn with the characteristics noted above, give conceptualism Its particular character and importance. Dematerialization ofthe Art Object. ‘The phenomenon of dematerialized art built on ideas Introduced by Marcel Duchamp in 1913 when be signed {an ordinary mass-produced object (the “readynade”), called ita work of art, and introduced it into the art word, Duchamp catalyzed an awareness of art asa system Jominated by language and context, with meanings y Eonsensus and use rather than by qualities, -a handmade object. : ‘Much of the art produced inthe West since World War 1 hhas been informed by this awareness. The dadaists and surrealsts were influenced by Duchamp, as were the neodadaists ofthe 1950s. Many works created by these artists set the stage for conceptual art, as dd he happen. ings ofthe 19605 and the multimedia events of ays, Minimalism (aso fnebted to Duchamp in ts use of yg. mage inustral forms, unmanipulated mater, aay fabrication, and mathematical systems) led many artis to conclude that panting and sculpture were indeed der, ‘This notion pushed them to eliminate or deemphasize the abject and turn to language, mathematics, and facts bey ‘The known world and themselves for subject matte, Ina broader reading of conceptualsm, however iemaie lation id not avays mean the dssrperace cig — Sbjct, but afedfring of he role ofthe abet eyes Searing fe renvesimen of megs pee objects, andthe attempt t eliminate the erosion mation, Demateiaization became a tool to approach an ‘making in away that was more adaptable tothe teres 3 of mesing art and daly ean increasingly import concer of postwar artmaking in many counties, 4 white much ofthe impulse toward demateriliztion ofthe art objector the withdrawal of visuality”'as Benjamin Buchloh has termed 1-=ar0Se out ofa critique ofthe com. : J __modity status of art, dematerialization was also a strategic (nove adopted by artists fora variety of other reasoitn countries with repressive political regimes, demateraiza- tion broke the stranglehold of the state in relation to the isplay of art. Whet’s more, fea art™ was wesier tp by the censors. It could be made without expensive art ‘materials, and was an affordable way for artists onthe _Seosraphic margins 15 participate in international vers, | Exibitions of dematerialized art coutd be organized quick }) tyand informaty among artists, circumventing both ofa ” | an market stuctures and orthodoles, and could ied \to tticize these structures, ~~~ Much of Latin American conceptualism retained and even relied on tangible objects and the traditions supporting ‘them, There, according to Mari Carmen Ramirez, concept ‘sm entailed a process in which, given the highly pol tized environment. eology itself became the fundamen (tal'‘material reality’ for the conceptual proposition.” Institutional critique ‘Another definitive aspect of conceptualism stat of nsttutional critique which, generally speaking, arose out ‘ofa concem about the hidden ‘yet determining structures ‘f power and ideology within the art system. As deploved by mainstream Western artist, institutional rave was derived from an analysis of the conditions of ate Capitalism and of the probtematie status of material 800ds. Minimalism’s cool, industrial facture had alreadwe wt _been seen by some critics asa reification of capitalism, Conceptual artists found further targets for attack in” salleries, formalist art crtclsm, the collection, the market, ) Sand the tangible product, (These attacks were ofte ‘seriously weakened by the fact thatthe artists in spitz of, their ideological stance, still defined themselves within. the gallery landscape) This critique, however, was far from ‘homogeneous, since the institutional landscape in diferent ‘settings was diverse, mirroring the development of local economic and administratis = ructures The particular instit OF set of institutions, under scrutiny varied from place to place. in North America and Western Europe, this critique was often undertaken in a “dialectical” manner, to quote Claude Gintz, in that artists often positioned themselves both inside and outside the art institution. in Japan, theoretical postulations on concep tualism identified an “internal” institution, where theidea (of “art” is most stringently located. Inthe case of some Eastern European artists, it was not art institutions per se bbut rather the ubiquity of institutions overall, and their agency on behalf of state ideology, that was seen asthe problem. ‘Art. as Protagonist While much of the work produced inthe early stages of conceptualism in the market centers remained testo 2. estons ofartand the art systerisin other areas concen- tualism became the means or €xpanding ar to function a8) «Qh act of politcal engagement or ance) Evas¥on ‘of material substance made possible a kindof politica dis- sent that was too dangerous to formulate in more concrete form. This conceptualism can only be property understood in its local context, where it often fulfilled a precise consciousness-taising function. Radical forms of conceptualism’s at-intolife platforn, ‘guided by local politcal crisis, evolved into activist projects ‘such as Tucumdn Arde in Argentina or the Catalan Grsp_ de Trebal. The group orientation of much early conceptual ‘work in Eastern Europe, meanubile, related to “utop an ‘notions of social organization,” and was “irtinscall critical of statist regulation,” according to Liszié Beke, ~ such works offered models to the underground oppesition, evident in the events of 1989-90. For many Latin American conceptualists included inthis exhibition, a key project was, refuting the subservient role the region suffered under U.S. imperialist influence. This, and the struggle aganst authoritarian regimes, galvanized much conceptualist work in Latin America. sys] tn Japan, the ats collective Bikytd's slogan “Dismantle the power machine of at!" inked their activites to the “Sudent radicalism of 1968-69. In the mid-s980s, conceptu: alsin the Korean Min Joong movement engaged with poltical issues such as reunification and US. support of the Korean military segime though the design of protest rales. In Mainland Chia, conceptualism was tied othe uch broader movement opposing stat ideology and an intrusive bureaucracy that culminated in the events Tiananmen Square in June 1989. “TneScivist role Prescribed by many conceptualisms played ut diferent in terms ofthe physical site ofthe works, in some cases (atin America) prompting an appropriation of the public sphere while in others (he Soviet Union and later Eastern Europe) a decisively, even hermeticaly private course of action was pursued. Tis question of public/_ private space closely paralleled, and had important rami for, the concept of audience that was operative is theorized conceb- paisa as a way of displacing the specialist, privileged \ spectator who typified the conventional art audience. In the events at for these artists, Western conceptual Russia, conversely, work was propelled by the virtual lack ‘of a public audience for nonconformist art. Meanwhile, Latin American conceptualists often aspired to address / \_anid mobilize the entire populace. Language and Linguistic 0 Conceptuaism'safnity(6Tanguage and ngulstcthdipy, was based onthe relatively moe “elastic” nature of language as compared with objects, and he fact that ln age promised an open space where ar could imersect with othe flds and bring art and atts inte a more vital effective conversation with socket. The use of language also gave aists a means to tackle the problem of oficial information by appropriating the space of mea or pac: ing ofc information wth her own analysis, tation Language could sometimes seem tobe merely a “egative material” a further consequence of minimalism, character- tic of what Joseph Kosuth would termite Conceptual > Gieowever tneinstrumentalzation of anguageeould insfead bea more important sfteay in developing alter nate meaings fo at and for the ctl investigation and subversion ofthe undedyng premises of rt. As Peter Wotlen notes, conceptualsm insisted ona megalanguoge GF that was necessary in order forthe work to be understood, | Cand that metalanguage was inteinsc othe work” Conceptualism frequently replaced the object with (discourse. Art not only used language, it became“anguageheampyng that ats 3 roa cata ‘anes than personaly expressive, atv Fr corep ‘statist, the use of language could bea way of recon interactive cu tuting the work of art nto an active Unfortunately, despite such democratizing aspirations, the particular language employed by conceptualists was often obscure elite or otherwise not compeling 0 the mended audience, causing a short circuit. In the traditional Afican context, as sketched by Okwui Enwezor, the presence ofa visible object invariably signals the presence of another which cannot be perceived, but which becomes manifest through linguistic and performa tive interactions. Additionally, language—as usec in ~ Frédéric Bruly Bouabré’s taxonomic BEE alphabet project — 's a means particularly well suited tothe reclamation and preservation of traditional culture Relation to Mainstream Conceptual Art While Western conceptualism generally was derived from the notion ofthe autonomy of arin locations such as ‘Mainland China and Africa the absence of such alegacy ‘meant conceptualism focused less°on the problematic of the art system per se, and more broadly addressed issues) ‘between art and life which were also strongly atlached to Yraditional cultural and/or religious foundations Diet locales represented inthis exibition had a vate of responses to conceptual at as twas osc edn New York and London. n Western Europe, the adoption of conceptalst modes hd the comeiton of acknowledging the new ascendance of the U.S. as the pwimar center of new a, anda reorientation that devel pment. usalian and South ican atts connected to. onceptualis ideas in Londen, then sought to tanspose thove ident the species of thir own cots, “Some Japanese art movements, including conceptualism, have roughly paaleled eves in the Wes sya bat these paral also emerged ou of distinct oa concerns -thatincluded postwar tensions withthe U.S. alayering that as caused what Reiko Tm tems an“enangemen® of acl and international discourses. In Mainland China, dada and he precepts of han Budehism were equally important inthe formation ofa conceptual approach, sei aian narrate ation ang wh“) rowing dissent apart a epressve pola cata, established the framework for conceptulsm, Itis also important to acknowledge that, for political reasons, artists in diferent locales held widely differing ‘positions about thir relation tothe international main + Citanstormation ofthe 1980s Lin other wor _stream:in some cases (€.8 25m EUIOBE) atts wee eager tobe associated withthe West, elsewhere (eg, atin America) such an association was anathema, it was probably more common for such feelings to be mised, ag they were in Australia Latin America, as Marl Carmen Ramirez points ou, has been for centuries in acialogical” reltionshipis uro-North American Culture by virtue of the colonial experience and legacy While there are shared referents, to conflate the two situations i a major distortion —it was andi highly contested relation. The forces that creates modernism or development in Latin America produced radically diferent effets from those in the colonialist ang imperialist centers. This resulted in an Tautonorous ver sion—or even invetsion” of conceptualism, as understood inthe North, Cconceptualism's Legacy ‘Assessments of conceptualism’s importance to contempo- ry artmaking vary from those who fee( it filed because it “was auichy absorbed into ars commodity ste tat ~ ets who feel that it actualy reformed if not revolutionised > Cimportan aspects ofthe idea of art Many of the intel al constructs of conceptualism have been integrated nto the ese understanding fo at hy a evidenced bythe focus of so many contemporary asso ides) — (Gets a expeencon plead sal comes 35 Wellasthe ubiquity ffstalioion, photography, language, earth at, cross-overs to science, mapping, and other ystems, and a continued interest in merging at sand ie z ra With emphasis on deny (among others, at ise onceptualism provided a framework forthe identity based ‘against the primacy and authenticity of material goods aso tai the groundwork for the appropriatonist and simul- tions strategies of postmadeenism. However, concept isms revolutionary politcal aspirations present an ya tain legacy In foc, it has been argued persuasively that t Was conceptualism’s status as arCuanishied™ projec that deol ian as Bene [ts East European conceptualism with$perforiag] 2 It ‘Bulli feton in preparation forthe pola and a enue new aesthetic language was not created in the 19505 becouse this had been accomplished decades before For some artists, the pressure conceptualism brought {obear on the idea of (lormatist/modernist) ato: atssake edo pall at pals competion which at) \oten scales nctde hse inthe NewYork at Tangvage soup who abandoned ato pursue elton: 27 pats: Austalon an Bu’ and ethers fom arto labor aniig members ofthe Tcumdn Ae Colectvewho stopped making a formany yet a5 sone ‘went “underrund” we afew “iseppened the Japanese Bikyotd group, who consciously withdrew from making or exbting a uring i73 and Hsieh Techn, a conceptual ast fam Tainan Gown ris coaboatve projets wth artist nda Montana) who, ath equess not neluedin this exiiton becouse eis reing fom making ar extibing art fom 1986 tough December 3k 1555 This polliclation f the avant-garde was, as late Stimson hasargedn conic wth te elias cf sos and 'sstoheian cate an hevaly ieopened even ler wounds asa asada expe he Confies ofits own citer and become a ty cit ire The Exhibition ‘This survey is constructed in chapters, each derived {rom the perspective ofthe region under consideration, ‘We extend our thanks tothe team of curators, who have placed the idea-based works ofeach ofthe regions in their specific sociopolitical context in order to fully appraise thelt impact. Stil the enormous geographical scope ofthe exh bition necessitated abbreviated coverage in various ways ated according For example, “regions” have been d to either geographic or historical conventions, even though these are in some cases problematic in thatthe grouping of rations according to geographic proximity obscures deep altural and historical differences and implies a misleading ‘overall consistency of activity in tat area. Moreovet, countries into exibition chapters attenuates he amassin ional and even individual curators’ ability to focus on nati and encourages @ reading in terms of concerted, widespread activity, which i ein all cases. However, although ore ave, in fact, located various cen- ese regions where conceptualist characteristics, «emoverents” and hot entirely accurat ized by regan, curators ters andafntes within th practices ist emerged we coverage impossible this suNey vks and movernent, rather activity wert AN heen between he to expand and scope of cscs since compthens socks to dentyemblemate seemencopass the ul 2980! ara paterson nti et a rr reve exsthg tes wie is enon tension oe tional histriczations of conceptual tit does so through the strategic adeltion of multiple, poorly known histories presented a8 @gual corollaries rather than as appendages toa central axis of activity, Limitations of physical space, and ofthe possible scope of inquy ofa singe exibition, preclude the inclusion of the dozens or hundreds of other artists who are un- or underrecognized.Pirty has been siven to broadening he geaganhic scope ofthe defirition _of conceptual, fo open up the mening ofthe term sel {o include a spectrum of artistic intents and responses to -eatyccustances tht oes beyond teins fhe Usual (and formally derived) art world scope. Finally, we have had to grapple with the difficulties involved in constructing a museal display out of works which often ‘were intended to counter or undermine the institutions of ‘the museum and the att world. We egret that, unavoidably, Intentions have been blurred andthe sacralization of inte tionally profane acts has occurred in the interest of recover- ing these histories. Given the range and complesity ofits subject, Global! Conceptuaism: Points of Origin, 19505-1960 can never be a definitive account. We sincerely hope others wil take up the task and futher the understanding of this important work To that end, we nave Invited Or. Api Poshyananda to contebute an essay to this catalogue on the activites of conceptual artists working in South and Southeast Asia toda. Since the end ofthe Cold War, South and Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and other rapidly developing areas have seen the ise of entity politics, ethnic cleansing, nationalism, and the theocratic state, Currently ke athers before them, artists in these regions are adopting conceptuaist practices in thelr work, ‘opening new chapters in this ongoing history. Sana ee ete fe wig Ale toe ep rte An at Be Ney . Reuter Co hee be tyebulbe Mose may eet i bey ”