Cai Guo-Qiang, "Fallen Blossems" at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Photo by chrisstorb from flickr, 2009.
Cai Guo-Qiang, "Fallen Blossems" at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Photo by chrisstorb from flickr, 2009.
Dialogues in Asian Contemporary Art
Hosted by Leeza Ahmady
In collaboration with ARTonAIR.org, Leeza Ahmady, independent curator and director of Asian Contemporary Art Week (ACAW), conducts interviews with artists, curators, critics, and experts working both inside and outside of Asia. The program will include Ahmady's reports from around town and will feature select recordings of conversations, talks, and panel discussions across venues in New York City.

Born in Afghanistan and based in New York, Ahmady is an independent art curator, educator, and noted specialist in art from Central Asia. As the director of Asian Contemporary Art Week (ACAW) at Asia Society, Ahmady brings together leading New York City galleries and museums to participate in special exhibitions, receptions, lectures, and performances citywide.

Asian Contemporary Art Week connects leading New York City galleries and museums in a citywide event comprised of public exhibitions, receptions, lectures and performances. The Week focuses on the broad spectrum of artworks produced by Asian contemporary artists working in their home countries and abroad. Asian Contemporary Art Week is organized by Asian Contemporary Art Consortium. ARTonAIR.org is a media sponsor for the events and the recordings collected over the years are available in this section of the archive.
Hosted by Leeza Ahmady
Originally aired Monday, May 2nd, 2011

A discussion between historian Jane DeBevoise and two artists following a screening of the documentary From Jean-Paul Sartre to Teresa Teng: Contemporary Cantonese Art in the 1980s at the Museum of Chinese in America on March 31, 2011 for ACAW2011.


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Hosted by Leeza Ahmady
Originally aired Monday, April 25th, 2011

Jungjin Lee's documentation of her response to the American desert, combined with her unconventional prints on Korean paper, create work with a subjective and cultural perspective. Recorded on March 26, 2011 at Aperture in association with the ACC.


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Hosted by Leeza Ahmady
Originally aired Monday, April 25th, 2011

A film producer, educator, and conceptual artist discuss how they have merged arts and activism in their work. Recorded at the China Institute on March 30, 2011 in collaboration with Asian Women Giving Circle and Ethan Cohen Fine Arts.


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Hosted by Leeza Ahmady
Originally aired Monday, April 18th, 2011

In March 2011 the legendary, charming, and enduringly vital artist Monir Farmanfarmaian talks about her life and work with Melissa Chiu, Director and Curator at Asia Society. Farmanfarmaian got the Venice Biennale Gold Medal in '58.


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Hosted by Leeza Ahmady
Originally aired Monday, April 18th, 2011

Three renowned curators discuss artists and curatorial processes in recent international biennials, part of the Asian Contemporary Art Week 2011's Dialog with Curators series.


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Hosted by Leeza Ahmady
Originally aired Monday, April 11th, 2011

The artists explore the challenges and opportunities encountered in their roles in local art scenes, while becoming increasingly engaged in global art forums. Recorded March 30, 2011 at Location One in association with the Asian Cultural Council.


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Hosted by Leeza Ahmady
Originally aired Monday, April 11th, 2011

New York-based Japanese artists Ushio Shinohara and Tomokazu Matsuyama explore Japanese culture and history and discuss their work with Associate Curator Miwako Tezuka at the Asia Society and Museum during Asian Contemporary Art Week 2011.


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Hosted by Leeza Ahmady
Originally aired Monday, April 4th, 2011

Ghani's work investigates cultural and generational borders shaped during her childhood in a household where American, Arabic, and Afghan cultures met. Recorded at her ACAW artist's talk at the Museum of Modern Art on March 21, 2011.


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Hosted by Leeza Ahmady
Originally aired Monday, December 27th, 2010
Leeza Ahmady interviews artist Alexander Ugay and curator Yuliya Sorokina; both hailing from Almaty, Kazakhstan. Both were on inaugural visits to the U.S. through the CEC ArtsLink residency program. The three are among...
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Hosted by Leeza Ahmady
Originally aired Sunday, November 7th, 2010

A 2010 conversation with Patrick Flores, one of the most active curators working in SE Asia who discusses his views on the influence (and sometimes lack thereof) of Western Art History on the region and the challenges faced by SE Asian artists.


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Originally aired Friday, June 25th, 2010
In May 2010, Chinese conceptual artist and activist Ai Weiwei spoke via Skype with BAM/PFA's Lucinda Barnes and The San Francisco Chronicle's Kenneth Baker at San Francisco's Haines Gallery. Weiwei is among the most...
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Originally aired Friday, May 7th, 2010
Leeza Ahmady speaks with photographer and video artist Almagul Menlibayeva, whose 2010 exhibition, Daughters of Turan, took place at New York's Priska C. Juschka Fine Art. Joining them for the conversation is...
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Originally aired Friday, April 9th, 2010
In this conversation at James Cohan Gallery, Don J. Cohn, Senior Editor of ArtAsiaPacific Magazine, interviews artist Yun-Fei Ji about his new body of work and his relationship with China. Yun-Fei Ji’s 2010...
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Originally aired Friday, December 11th, 2009
Working behind a stunningly large, custom-built wooden table covered with used clothing, New York-based Taiwanese artist Lee Mingwei speaks with Leeza Ahmady during the performance of his 2009 exhibition The Mending...
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Originally aired Sunday, November 22nd, 2009
South Korean artist Yeondoo Jung talks with Leeza Ahmady about his art and how his childhood exposure to Traditional Chinese Medicine, and early 19th century photographers continues to inspire his artistic thinking. He...
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