In Stranger Lands: Cocoa’s Journeys to Asia /
Mar 15 – Jul 31, 2024 /
The Nguyen Art Foundation
EMASI Nam Long – Art Space
147 Street No.8, Nam Long Residential Area, District 7
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Wednesday, Friday & Saturday
10am – 4pm (last visit 3.30pm)
EMASI Van Phuc – Art Space
2 Street No.5, Van Phuc Residential City
Thu Duc CityHo Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday10am – 4pm (last visit 3.30pm)
theasiancocoaproject.com
nguyenartfoundation.com
Nguyen Art Foundation (NAF) proudly presents In Stranger Lands: Cocoa’s Journeys To Asia – a two-part exhibition curated by Caroline Ha Thuc, featuring 17 newly commissioned artworks by established artists working across Asia. It is the first edition of the Asian Cocoa Project, a touring multidisciplinary project dedicated to the culture and history of cocoa in Asia.
For many of us, the taste of chocolate evokes childhood memories, sweetness, and the warmth of family. In Asia, chocolates were often brought back from visits to faraway countries and received as gifts with excitement and pleasure.
Today, chocolate is no longer considered an “exotic” luxury item. In addition to Western brands, many Asian countries have developed their own chocolate industries, incorporating flavors and ingredients that resonate with Asian palates. However, what lies behind the chocolate bars that we see daily on supermarket shelves remains, for many, unknown territory.
Is cocoa produced in Asia? Why has chocolate been absent for so long from the Asian culinary landscape, and can local producers meet today’s growing demand? Who are the farmers cultivating cocoa in the region, and what are the challenges they face when asked to scale up production in a sustainable way?
Conceived as a collective and creative research project, this exhibition invites us to delve into these issues, aiming to shed light on the many untold stories of Asian cocoa and chocolate through an array of embodied, emotional, imaginative, and conceptual artistic expressions. From the cocoa tree’s unique characteristics and its colonial history to the ecological challenges surrounding its current production and the intricate processes involved in turning beans into chocolate, the artistic diversity showcased in this exhibition unveils the extensive breadth, potential, and complexity of what is often perceived merely as a foreign delicacy.
Participating artists:
Ravi Agarwal (India), Timoteus Anggawan Kusno (Indonesia), Antariksa (Indonesia), Agung Firmanto Budiharto (Indonesia), Bui Cong Khanh (Vietnam), Cian Dayrit (Philippines), Cyril Delettre (Hong Kong), Veronica Emery (Hong Kong), Jiandyn Collective (Thailand), Jason Lim (Singapore), Pan Lu and Bo Wang (Hong Kong/Netherlands), Arin Rungjang (Thailand), Erika Tan (Singapore), Rodel Tapaya (Philippines), Ting Chaong-Wen (Taiwan), Robert Zhao Renhui (Singapore), Zheng Mahler (Hong Kong)
