ORIENTATIONS This issue, our 435th, marks our 40th anni versary. Founded in January 1970 as a journal on Asian cultu re, art and travel, Ori ental ions began to focus solely on A ian art in 1981. ince then, we have succc fully re sponded to the interests of collectors, while providing a platform for new resea rch and information from museums and the aca demic world. Our coverage and analysis of the art market continues to provide insights into the latest prices and coll ecting trends. Like our first contemporary Chinese art is sue in July 1992 and our more recent June 2007 issue on modern and contemporary Asian art, our January!February issue is an example of our continued quest to break new ground. The authors take a criti cal look at Asian contemporary art. Sook-Kyung Lee discusse a selecti on of Korean art works that reflect the view of rea li ty as something fab ricated. Hammad Nasar looks at innovating through tradition and the art of the everyday in Pakistan. Matthew Larking reveals that Japanese contemporary art bracketed as nihonga does not in fact deviate from 'tradi tion'. A lonzo Emery explores We te rn criti cism of Chinese contemporary art in two very different recent treatment , while Wu Hung examines four arti sts' responses to the Three Gorges Project. We also interview Judith Neil son, who re cently opened a museum of contemporary Chinese art in Sydney, and Anurag Khanna, who collects Indian and Pakistan art. We thank the specia li sts who have contrib uted to the success of Orientations, and our readers and adverti ser for thei r support.
VOLUME 40 NUMBER l JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2009
Between the Real and the Fabricated: A View on Contemporary Korean Art Sook-Kyu11g Lee
Paki stan: An Art of Ex tremes Hammad Nasar The Present Representing the Past: Nihonga in the Expanded Field Mal/hew Larki11g
'Nine Li ve 'and Cat Fights in Contemporary Chinese Att Criticism A lo11::.o EmeJ)' The Three Gorges Dam and Contemporary Chinese Art Wu Hu11g Interview with Judith Nei lson
Interview with Anurag Khanna Framing Afghanistan's Cultural Heritage Sc111jyol Mehendale 'The Celestial Empire: From the Tcrracotta Army to the Si lk Road' !side Carbo11e
Letter Book Reviews Katherine R. Tsiang Ga ll ery News Fa ir Previews New York Auction - eptembcr 2008 Margarel Tao otheby's Autumn Auctions in Hong Kong
Asian Art in London - Auction s, Autumn 2008 Meri Arichi Hong Kong Intern ational Asian Art Fair
Announcements The Art Market Today: Navigating a New Economic Environment Jeremy Eckslein
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Cover: Viewpoint (Detail) By Aisha Khalid (b. 1972), 2008 Watercolour, glue and paper Site-specific installation view at 'Living Traditions', Queen's Palace, Bagh-e-Babur, Kabul, 2008 Variable dimensions (Photography by AI ice Martina)
Publisher/Editorial Director: Elizabeth Knight Managing Editor: Fronces J. McDonold Associate Editor: Annie Knibb Associate Publisher: Yifown Lee Contributing Editors: Volerie C. Doron, Carol Morlond, Hwong Yin, Alonzo Emery Art Director: Angelo Chiu Consultant: Adrion Zecho Assistant to Publisher: Louiso Ching Accountant: lrene Kwon Subscriptions Manager: Bonnie Lam
Orienlolions (ISSN 0030-5448) is published eight times annually by Orientotions Magazine Ltd,
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