Exhibiting the East : An Analysis of Representations of Pacific Asia in Three Exhibitions in Stockholm

Abstract: This thesis is a study of representations of Pacific Asia in exhibitions in Stockholm. In the Swedish culture and art sphere, a public discussion surrounding Asia is conspicuously absent even though there are significant amounts of residents in Sweden with an Asian background. The thesis analyses three selected exhibitions: Korea Gallery at the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, Dreamers’ Quay, Dreamers’ Key at Bonniers Konsthall, and From dying to living at Moderna Museet. The material consists of field observations, exhibition catalogs, handouts, wall texts, and interviews with the involved curators alongside with the exhibitions themselves. The thesis aims to initiate a critical discussion around the representations of the so-called “Other” and the implications of curatorial approaches in these exhibitions that primarily revolve around Asian themes with the help of the following research questions: 1) How is Asia portrayed and represented in each exhibition?; 2) What perception of Asia and Asianness is conveyed through the exhibitions as well as by the way of other related material?; and 3) How is the curatorial approach to the exhibitions with ethnographic themes revolving around Asianness? The qualitative case studies assess both the content and visuals of the exhibitions and the preparation processes of the exhibitions, and theoretically, they are informed by Stuart Hall’s theory of representation as well as Hal Foster’s and Miwon Kwon’s writings on the artist as ethnographer. Through an examination of the three case exhibitions, the thesis finds that representations of Asia are varied and have benefited from extensive curatorial efforts but show occasional weaknesses in terms of displaying the Other. The thesis contributes to a better understanding of representations of Asia in exhibitions in Sweden and hopefully paves the way for future research of this kind.