側記｜Soft Power & New Cold War/s
2024-04-29
講題 Topic｜軟實力與新冷戰 Soft Power & New Cold War/s
講者 Speaker｜Shwetal Ashvin Patel | Ph.D. Winchester School of Art, University of Southampton, UK
活動時間Date & Time｜2024年4月29日 18:30-21:30 台北(Taipei time)
地點Location｜線上論壇Online Forum
主辦人Host｜劉紀蕙（陽明交大文化研究國際中心主任）
活動連結Info Link｜https://iccs.chss.nycu.edu.tw/zh/activity.php?USN=1439
側記作者Author｜Raagini Bora
所屬子計畫Sub-project｜藝術介入與社會行動Social Intervention and Artistic Production
子計畫主持人Principal Investigator｜Prof. Joyce C.H. Liu（劉紀蕙）、Wen-Shu Lai（賴雯淑）
Shwetal Ashvin Patel, an international writer, researcher and lecturer practising at the intersection of visual art, exhibition-making and development studies, gave a lecture titled ‘Soft Power and New Cold War/s’. Founding member of the Kochi-Muzilis Biennale in India, his lecture considers the expansion of BRICS and geopolitical shifts marking a departure from the dominance of a few nations in cultural exchange. Patel explores the evolving multipolar landscape, considering its impact on identity politics, human rights and ethical dilemmas in the art world.
He begins with some background on his research. In Global Biennial Survey (2018) edited with Ronald Kolb, they attempted to fill an empirical gap in predominantly theoretical research about biennials by looking at biennales around the world. Observing the rising popularity of biennales in Asia, he highlights their artistic and educational dimensions. He talks about follow-up to this research in 2020, Contemporary Art Biennials–Our Hegemonic Machines in Times of Emergency (2020) where they analyse global histories of biennials, especially in Africa, Latin America, South Asia and South-East Asia, and how biennials can both be instruments of emancipation and hegemonic machines. Patel, along with Ronald Kolb and Dorothee Richter, investigates the funding dynamics of non-profit art in Speculations: Funding & Financing Non-Profir Art (2024). He notes the irony of a research gap despite extensive funding processes, exploring how finances shape exhibition content and participation.
Reflecting on his personal experience as founding member of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale – the first biennial of international contemporary art in India. He highlights the relative difficulty in finding robust art and culture policies and funding opportunities in ‘Global South’ countries compared to European ones. He underscores hurdles in validating knowledge creation processes, noting European dominance in art traditions, bureaucratic red tape, funding disparities, and language barriers for non-English speakers, and explores avenues for accessibility and fairness. Patel aims to advance theoretical understanding and research to address challenges in exhibition organisation, aiming for national and international excellence. Informed by firsthand dealings with patrons, sponsors, government and institutions, his research delves into soft power dynamics and emerging geopolitical tensions, analysing their impact on cultural production. He adopts a Bourdieusian lens, examining how social and economic factors shape taste and cultural trends in society.
He elaborates on the idea of soft power by a discussion about BRICS (geopolitical grouping consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), and its recent expansion to centre six additional countries (Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Iran and Ethiopia). Patel uses this to point to a new era of rising soft-powers, a grouping of nations that have a lot of antagonisms between each other that make cultural cooperation difficult. He urges the importance of an intersectional lens towards artistic cooperation, seeing human creativity as being shaped by an interaction of different factors and power dynamics, and navigating this can reveal points of privilege and marginalisation.
He delves into the historical significance of this geopolitical grouping, starting with the idea that international cultural exchange during the European colonial project starting in the 15th century was monopolised by a few powerful nations, driving wealth accumulation. Discovery of a sea route to India by Vasco de Gama began an era of exchange of goods, services, ideas, art and culture, with Western European countries colonially exploring the ‘Global South’; cultural policy was defined by economic and political factors rather than humanistic and artistic values. Patel brings up the Venice Biennale (1851), which was an attempt at reviving a crisis-ridden Venice, and then transitions to the 20th century, highlighting pivotal moments such as the formation of the United Nations and the emergence of the USA as the dominant global power in the 1980s.
He highlights the significance of the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), the sole globally ratified framework for human rights, shaping nations' perceptions of their own charters. Patel notes the absence of a mechanism to enforce these rights. He aims to contextualise the contemporary geopolitical landscape through historical lens, employing cultural and soft power dynamics for analysis. He observes a shift in international cultural relations norms, echoing the collaborative challenges of the Cold War era, urging collective efforts to address current dilemmas.
He ponders the tools needed to navigate this paradigm shift, questioning the constraints of identity politics and the relevance of the UN's Declaration of Human Rights in a diversifying art world. Recognizing art's global nature and its link to economic growth, he reflects on how soft powers are reshaping it amidst hyper-financialization and connectivity. Referencing the cultural aspect of the Non-Aligned Movement, he explores its historical influence on artistic production, now advocating for economic development and social justice. Drawing parallels with the Cold War, he contrasts the bipolar world of the past with the current unipolar dominance of the US, suggesting a potential return to bipolarity with China's ascent, amid the rapid rise of Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
These evolving scenarios necessitate rethinking ethical considerations for art practitioners. He wishes to bring big concepts such as belonging, self-realisation, justice, cultural identity back to artistic practices. He acknowledges an expanded community that ranges from artists and filmmakers to software developers and lawyers, recognising that everyone is a member of community struggles in one way or another.
In conclusion, he raises challenging inquiries with no definitive answers: Should there be a globalartist and art worker rights charter? Who should draft it and in what language? How can legal jurisdiction and protection against malpractice be established? Should museums offer free admission, and where should extra funds be allocated? He ponders the role of cultural diplomacy and whether art can alleviate human suffering. After his lecture, in a vibrant discussion among the speakers, moderator and discussants, Patel acknowledges the complexity of these questions, he advocates for addressing them through personal and curatorial practices. He refrains from prescribing specific methods, recognizing the individual and social context of curatorial work. Despite navigating institutional agendas and geopolitical influences, he emphasises the potential for fostering common humanity across linguistic and professional divides as a means to address these challenges from a humanist perspective.
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