Fiona Tan: Disorient
Dates: 14 June 2019 – 26 January 2020
Space: Gallery 1

It is 10 years since The Mondriaan Fund commissioned Disorient from the artist Fiona Tan for  the Dutch pavilion at the 53rd Venice Biennale and was conceived with one of Venice’s most famous merchants, Marco Polo (lived 1254 – 1324) and the city’s significant trade history in mind. Presented to Glasgow Museums in 2010 by Art Fund under Art Fund International, it was a significant acquisitions project for Glasgow Museums delivered in partnership with The Common Guild (2007 – 2012).

In the 10 years since Disorient was made digital communication has increased our ability to connect world-wide. However global politics have shifted to the right leading to a greater intolerance of the ‘other’. Within this heightened access to information it becomes more important to separate facts from fiction in the news about past and current politics, cultural identities, migration and climate change. In re-presenting the work in 2019 the layers of discourse that Tan has distilled into this work remind us that we live in a rich, complex world and historical memories, stories and perceptions have an impact on how we live together.

Fiona Tan is best known for skilfully produced and visually rich photography, film and video. Characteristically, her artworks explore issues related to human representation – such as concepts of identity and nationality – often through portraits of people or places. She lives and works in Amsterdam.

Press:
The Scotsman
The List
The Skinny
Studio International