ABSTRACT
Contemporary art is flourishing in the Asia-Pacific region. Over the last few years in China alone, an average of one hundred museums have been unveiled annually, while not all exclusively modern or contemporary in their scope; this phenomenal record of growth peaked in 2011, when nearly four hundred new institutions opened. Local governments have designated special 'art' districts, which combine artists' studios, galleries, and restaurants, are now tourist attractions; among the most enduring are Beijing's 798 and Singapore's Gilman Barricks. The Internet has created new forms of engagement and contexts for art publics that are both intimate and mobile in nature. Although the medium promised to overcome challenges of distance and difference, locality continues to inform the multiple Internet cultures. Established in 2000, Asia Art Archive (AAA) is a Hong Kong-based nonprofit offering a comprehensive repository of material about contemporary art from the Asia region.
