Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82ON VIEW DISLOCATION DISLOCATION/URBAN EXPERIENCE: CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHS FROM EAST ASIA OCTOBER 9, 2015–JANUARY 31, 2016 DISLOCATION/NEGOTIATING IDENTITY: CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHS FROM SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST ASIA FEBRUARY 12–AUGUST 14, 2016 “DISLOCATION” IS A POTENT METAPHOR FOR contemporary life. From the development of online communities to mass migrations, it seems that people in today’s world cannot stay put. This is nowhere more true than in the rapid physical expansion and social upheaval that have marked life in Asia in the 21st century. This compelling theme was chosen for a pair of exhibitions designed to inaugurate SCMA’s new Carol T. Christ Asian Art Gallery, named in honor of Smith College’s 10th president and her conviction that the arts play an important role in a liberal arts education. The first exhibition, Dislocation/Urban Experience, featured photographs from East Asia addressing the urban landscape and environment. The second, Dislocation/ Negotiating Identity, highlighted photographs from South and Southeast Asia that speak to the complexities of personal and national identity. These exhibitions introduced new artists to the museum’s audiences, and launched an exciting venue at SCMA that will continue to serve as a laboratory for the study of Asian culture through both historical and contemporary art. Dislocation/Urban Experience focused on the unprecedented scale of contemporary megacities in East Asia that are causing extreme pressures on the lives of people. The exhibition showcased works by 14 artists from China, Japan and Korea who have come of age during this period of rapid and unchecked urbanization. Some photograph the changing face of their cities: the high-rise towers, theme parks and rebuilt neighborhoods. Others capture the lives of the residents at home, on train platforms or on the streets of the built-up landscape. Many reveal the disparities in the lives of the new urban dwellers. All capture the sense of dislocation that domi- nates the lives of the residents of East Asia’s megacities. Dislocation/Negotiating Identity featured works by a diverse group of nine emerging and well-established photographers from Cambodia, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Vietnam. Although cultural specificity is important to the meanings of their works, each of these artists is also concerned with the complexities of individual and group identity, within and outside of nationality. The artists address such challenging themes as the daily lives of individuals in minority groups, the hybrid experiences of diaspora communities, the defining constrictions of social class, the evolving cultural tensions within and between nations and the role of art as an indicator of cultural identity. These projects allowed SCMA to not only introduce new work to our audiences, but also build on our growing collection of contemporary photography from Asia. Faculty and students in a variety of disciplines, 24 ABOVE: Visitors viewing Dislocation/Negotiating Identity ON VIEW: DISLOCATION