A conversation by Karen Smith and Mia Yu, with Christopher Wood

The term “contemporary” is the last in a line of terms for whatever form of art describes the self-determined vanguard of the moment, which seeks relevance to now, but also to the future, which is less easily self-determined.  Moreover, the question of the contemporary cannot be properly addressed without a firm idea of what was at stake in the “modern.” Mia Yu and Karen Smith propose case studies to ask further: Could a plural understanding of modernity provides us with a more nuanced approach to the global contemporary?  Is the point that contemporary is not when we say it is, but what the future decides?

Their presentations will be followed by a conversation moderated by Christopher Wood.

Light refreshments will be served.

Foundations & Topics 3 is a program of ROOM 100, the Spring 2019 project of the NYU Shanghai Art Gallery.