Book Introduction: “Photography in Southeast Asia: A Survey”

The introduction of the book “Photography in Southeast Asia: A Survey” (NUS Press, 2016; 2nd print 2017), with a presentation by author Zhuang Wubin will be held on 19 Nov. The book tracks the evolution of photographic practices in ten countries across the region. The narratives begin at the age of colonialism and segue to the contemporary period. The book has taken Zhuang Wubin over ten years to complete, drawing largely from the oral interviews that he has conducted with photographers, artists, curators and academics during his fieldwork. It tracks the evolution of art photography, photojournalism, conceptual art and news photography over the decades. It also looks at the ways in which photography intersects with politics, religion and culture, amongst others.
In this talk, Zhuang will narrate the evolution of photography in Southeast Asia as a way to peer into the complexities of the region. He also hopes to use the talk to have an informal discussion with the audience regarding the place of Vietnamese photography in its fine art tradition and within the region.
About Zhuang Wubin:
Zhuang Wubin is a writer, curator and artist.
As a writer/curator, Zhuang focuses on the photographic practices in Southeast Asia. A 2010 recipient of the research grant from Prince Claus Fund (Amsterdam), Zhuang is an editorial board member of Trans-Asia Photography Review, a journal published by the Hampshire College and the University of Michigan Scholarly Publication Office. He has been invited to research residency programmes at Asia Art Archive, Hong Kong (2015) and Institute Technology of Bandung (2013). He is the contributing curator of the biennial Chiang Mai Photo Festival (2015, 2017).
As an artist, Zhuang uses photography and text to visualise the Sinophone communities in Southeast Asia.
Zhuang has made presentations, exhibited work, curated shows and taught classes at Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, UAE, China, Indonesia, Laos and Vietnam.