Image from “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace” (1999), part of “Asian futures, without Asians” by Astria Suparak.
Vancouver, B.C., Canada (March 10, 2022) – Centre A: Vancouver International Centre for Contemporary Asian Art is pleased to announce the Canadian premiere of Asian futures, without Asians, a new virtual multimedia presentation by artist and curator Astria Suparak.
This version of the live performance/lecture is commissioned by Centre A and organized by Henry Heng Lu.
Online Event
Saturday, April 9, 2022, 2 – 3:30 PM PDT via Zoom / Registration link: HERE.
About Asian futures, without Asians
Asian futures, without Asians asks: “What does it mean when so many white filmmakers envision futures inflected by Asian culture, but devoid of actual Asian people?”
Part critical analysis, part reflective essay and sprinkled throughout with humour, justified anger, and informative morsels, this one-hour illustrated lecture examines nearly 60 years of American science fiction cinema through the lens of Asian appropriation and whitewashing.
Using a wide interpretation of “Asian” to reflect current and historical geopolitical trends and self-definitions (inclusive of East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, West Asia, Central Asia, North Africa, and the Pacific Islands — the latter two of which are not Asia), this research-creation project examines how Asian cultures have been mixed and matched, contrasted against, and conflated with each other, often creating a fungible “Asianness” in futuristic sci-fi.
The quick-paced performance lecture is interspersed with images and clips from dozens of futuristic movies and TV shows, as Suparak delivers anecdotes, trivia, and historical documents (including photographs, ads, and cultural artifacts) from the histories of film, art, architecture, design, fashion, food, and martial arts. Suparak discusses the implications of not only borrowing heavily from Asian cultures, but decontextualizing and misrepresenting them, while excluding Asian contributors.
The recording of the lecture will be available for viewing at Centre A as part of The Living Room from Wednesday, April 27 to Saturday, April 30, 2022, during gallery hours. Contact info@centrea.org to request any accessibility needs.
About the Artist
Astria Suparak is an artist, writer, and curator based in Oakland, California. Her cross-disciplinary projects address complex and thorny issues (like white supremacy, colonialism, and racial capitalism) made accessible through a popular culture lens (such as sci-fi movies, rock music, and sports). Straddling creative and scholarly work, the projects often take the form of publicly available tools, databases, and histories of subcultures and omitted perspectives.
Over the last year Suparak’s creative projects have been exhibited and performed at MoMA, ICA LA, The Walker Art Center, The Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts, and as part of the For Freedoms billboard series. Suparak has curated exhibitions, screenings, and performances for art institutions and festivals including The Liverpool Biennial, Museo Rufino Tamayo, The Kitchen, Eyebeam, MoMA PS1, and Expo Chicago, as well as for unconventional spaces such as roller-skating rinks, sports bars, and rock clubs.
Astriasuparak.com
Location & Hours
Unit 205, 268 Keefer Street, Vancouver, B.C., Canada, V6A 1X5, Open Wed to Sat, 12 to 6 PM
Centre A’s Acknowledgements
Centre A is situated in Vancouver’s Chinatown, on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples. We honour, respect, and give thanks to our hosts. Centre A gratefully acknowledges the support of all of our funders, donors, programming partners, and Centre A members.
About Centre A
Centre A is the only public art gallery in Canada dedicated to contemporary Asian and Asian-diasporic perspectives since 1999. Centre A is committed to providing a platform for engaging diverse communities through public access to the arts, creating mentorship opportunities for emerging artists/arts professionals, and stimulating critical dialogue through provocative exhibitions and innovative public programs that complicate understandings of migrant experiences and diasporic communities. In addition to our exhibition space, we house a reading room with one of the best collections of Asian art books in the country, including the Finlayson Collection of Rare Asian Art Books. Subscribe to Centre A’s newsletter here.
We would like to acknowledge that Centre A is situated in Vancouver's Chinatown, on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sə̓lílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples.