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CARVING DISSENSUS
Contemporary Printmaking Practices in Inter-Asian Context
Espace Noir
Saint-Imier, CH
LC
Le Collectif
Project Overview
The autonomous cultural center Espace Noir, located in Saint-Imier - Switzerland, is preparing a woodblock print exhibition in collaboration with the Inter-Asia Woodcut Mapping Group. 11 committed collectives and artists from various regions of Asia will showcase their prints on the gallery walls of the cultural center. We hope to welcome a few artists to Switzerland to facilitate exchanges between artists and collectives from here and there.
20%
3.901 CHF
of 18.700 CHF
35
days
of 45 days left
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supported project
Funding goals
-
Stage 1:
4.400 CHF
88% funded
To cover the shipping costs of the artworks, which will be sent from the artists' various locations to Saint-Imier.
To cover the costs of creating, printing, and sending the exhibition poster.
To cover the costs of material to set up the exhibition. -
Stage 2:
8.300 CHF
0% funded
To organize woodblock printing, linocut, and screen printing workshops during the opening and throughout the exhibition.
To cover the costs of hosting two artists: airfare, travel within Switzerland, and accommodation. -
Stage 3:
11.100 CHF
0% funded
To cover the costs of hosting 2 other artists: airfare, travel within Switzerland, and accommodation.
-
Stage 4:
13.900 CHF
0% funded
To cover the costs of hosting 2 other artists: airfare, travel within Switzerland, and accommodation.
-
Stage 5:
16.700 CHF
0% funded
To cover the costs of hosting 2 other artists: airfare, travel within Switzerland, and accommodation.
-
Finish Stage:
18.700 CHF
0% funded
To ensure minimum fees for the musicians who will perform at the free-entry concerts during the opening of the exhibition.
As a creative medium with sharp lines and strong contrast, woodcut (or block prints) was widely spread throughout East Asia in the early 19 century. At that time, artists in different regions tried to use this medium to depict the dark side of reality and combine their art creations with the proletarian movement at that time, as to engage in the radical process of social change. Almost a hundred years later, although the woodcut movement has gradually declined due to the setbacks of the left, with issues such as globalization and capitalist expansion, this artistic practice seems to have "revive" again in contemporary context.
Through 11 groups of artworks from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia, "Carving Dissensus: Contemporary Printmaking Practices in Inter-Asian Context" will attempt to present a rich picture of woodcut practices from contemporary East Asia; the exhibition aim not only to show how artists use woodcuts to create inspiring visuals, but also reveals their open methods of self-organizing, exploring how artists take art to unite people from different classes and make marginalized groups ignored by the mainstream society to be seen and listen again. This exhibition will take place at Espace Noir from October to December 2025.
In a global context where capitalist predation, authoritarianism, and reactionary thinking are continually on the rise across the globe, threatening our aspirations for social justice and emancipation, our fundamental rights, and the right of peoples to self-determination, it is more necessary than ever to foster international solidarities, particularly by building connections with committed collectives and artists from here and elsewhere. This exhibition is primarily dedicated to that purpose. The money raised from the sale of woodblock prints during the exhibition will largely be distributed to the various exhibiting artists to support their artistic work and actions, while a portion of the proceeds will go to Espace Noir to cover its expenses and allow it to continue organizing cultural actions and activities like this one.
Through 11 groups of artworks from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia, "Carving Dissensus: Contemporary Printmaking Practices in Inter-Asian Context" will attempt to present a rich picture of woodcut practices from contemporary East Asia; the exhibition aim not only to show how artists use woodcuts to create inspiring visuals, but also reveals their open methods of self-organizing, exploring how artists take art to unite people from different classes and make marginalized groups ignored by the mainstream society to be seen and listen again. This exhibition will take place at Espace Noir from October to December 2025.
In a global context where capitalist predation, authoritarianism, and reactionary thinking are continually on the rise across the globe, threatening our aspirations for social justice and emancipation, our fundamental rights, and the right of peoples to self-determination, it is more necessary than ever to foster international solidarities, particularly by building connections with committed collectives and artists from here and elsewhere. This exhibition is primarily dedicated to that purpose. The money raised from the sale of woodblock prints during the exhibition will largely be distributed to the various exhibiting artists to support their artistic work and actions, while a portion of the proceeds will go to Espace Noir to cover its expenses and allow it to continue organizing cultural actions and activities like this one.
Founded in 2019, the Inter-Asia Woodcut Mapping focuses on the knowledge exchange of woodcut practices in inter-Asian social context. We are dedicated to organize ideas and actions in connecting exchange within the region, and closing the gap between practice and intellectual discourse, as to examine our common problems through multiple perspectives across borders and localities.
A3BC
Anti-War, Anti-Nuclear and Arts of Blockprint Collective (A3BC) formed in the summer of 2014 at Irregular Rhythm Asylum (IRA), an infoshop in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The foundation of A3BC was inspired by artist collectives in Southeast Asia, such as Pangrok Sulap, Taring Padi as well as Marjinal, where the skills and joys of collective printmaking have nurtured reciprocal friendships in the region. Although A3BC stood for “anti-war”, “anti-nuclea power” and made artwork with such themes in the beginning, they now address a wider range of social justice, such as environmental concerns, feminist issues and solidarity with Palestine.
EAST ASIA ECOTOPIA
Based in Seoul and other cities, East Asia Ecotopia (EAE) have stood against urban renewal projects and its resulting forced evictions, and resisted development projects that cause environmental damage. Each year, EAE organizes a solidarity camp where they bike to the campsite and hold a camp for several days. Participants can host workshops and activities to exchange skills and thoughts at the camp. Printmaking is one of the tools EAE adopted to connect communities and to stand in solidarity with the oppressed. For example, EAE initiated the One Billion Rising Resistance: Collaborative Printmaking Project and invited women from all around the country to create woodcuts and printed a 12 feet long banner for the march on the International Women's Day.
LILIN HAN
Born in 1982 in Dalian, China, Lilin graduated as a biochemist from the UK. In 2020, Lilin discovered her passion of woodcut. Her artistic journey led her to Shanghai, where she contributed illustrations to the Chinese edition of Working Class History, published by 51 Personae. This marked the beginning of an ongoing collaboration with 51 Personae. Recently, she relocated to Hong Kong, where she continues to use woodcut as a way to engage with the community, hosting weekly workshops in Sham Shui Po. Recently, she has ventured into ceramics, applying her techniques to this new medium, resulting in the development of an interesting ceramic printing process.
PANGROK SULAP
Pangrok Sulap is an art collective established in 2010 in Ranau, Sabah. The collective is made up of a diverse group of artists from a wide range of disciplines. In line with its mission to strengthen communities through art, Pangrok Sulap has been actively involved in a variety of community projects, forums, workshops, and art studies, both locally and globally. Furthermore, Pangrok Sulap is deeply engaged in environmental activism, tackling issues such as deforestation and land exploitation. Through art and community outreach, the collective raises awareness about the impact of deforestation on local ecosystems and indigenous communities. They also work with communities to promote sustainable land management practices, ensuring that future generations can continue to live in harmony with their environment.
PRICKLY PAPER
Prickly Paper is a collective based in Guangzhou who uses woodcuts and domestic printers to promote zine culture and offline circulation as a channel for self-expression in the highly regulated internet atmosphere in mainland China. Formed in 2019 by its core members Ou Fei-hong and Chen Yi-fei, Prickly Paper engages with different artists for the content and cover design of each issue varies according to its theme. Publishing, sharing and exchanging prints and zines are ways to connect with friends and communities, in which their ultimate goal is to reach larger and plural communities through woodcutting and self-publication.
PRINTHOW
Established in 2017 and inspired by the practices of A3BC and Print & Carve Department, Printhow consists of a group of like-minded friends who decided to take a journey in collective art-making. Printhow hopes that by combining printmaking with DIY spirits, social phenomena can be faced and addressed by the artists and public together. Some of their main activities include working with foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong and supporting projects like Queer No Border, One Billion Rising, and other parades.
PRINTMAKING FOR THE PEOPLE
Printmaking for the People is a visual art collective based in Manila and other parts of the Philippines. The collective is formed by comrades from different sectors including the urban poor, women’ s groups, academe, artist’ s circles, and activist organizations. The group mainly focuses on the production of prints through different forms of printmaking. Since most of us knew and/or were interested in printmaking and its history, the use of printmaking was discussed along with the formation of PFTP.
THE WITCH PRINTMAKING COLLECTIVE
The Witch Printmaking Collective was newly established in 2024. It is a printmaking collective of a group of Japanese feminists based in Tokyo. Based at the Japanese feminist bookstore "etc. bookstore", The Witch encourages women to participate in writing and creation by holding woodcut gatherings, reading clubs, discussions and talks on feminism-related topics, and advocates an end to domestic violence and sexual violence against women. Violence to promote female consciousness and gender equality.
TARING PADI
Founded in 1998 during the upheavals at the end of Suharto’s military regime, Taring Padi uses art as a tool for political expression and education. The collective has two roles in cultural activism: firstly, to facilitate resistance against ‘elite discourse’ by promoting populist or people’s art; secondly, to organize social and cultural organizations with a progressive orientation.
WILLY CHEN WEI-LUN
Based in Taipei, Taiwan, Willy is a printmaker and zinemaker who create prints to make noise and support marginalized communities. Over the years, he has participated in a large number of social movements and strikes on migrant workers and labor issues. At the same time, he has published zines to document and stand in solidarity with like-minded practitioners, such as Bersama, Report from the Scene, and The Solidarity with Palestine in the Punk Scene. Chen is also the editor at the Coolloud: Global South Column, and the organizer of music gigs and workshops at the Suck Glue Boys punk collective.
WOODCUT WAVEMENT
Woodcut Wavement is a fluid woodcut collective based in several cities in China. Its members organize woodcut workshops with communities in various regions as a “mutual aid”, combining different local issues and conditions. "Wavement" is a term used by Lu Xun, the leading figure of the Modern Woodcut Movement in 1930s China, to discuss the inheritance of woodcut. The name seeks to perpetuate the collaboration, practice, and people-orientation of the modern woodcut.
Anti-War, Anti-Nuclear and Arts of Blockprint Collective (A3BC) formed in the summer of 2014 at Irregular Rhythm Asylum (IRA), an infoshop in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The foundation of A3BC was inspired by artist collectives in Southeast Asia, such as Pangrok Sulap, Taring Padi as well as Marjinal, where the skills and joys of collective printmaking have nurtured reciprocal friendships in the region. Although A3BC stood for “anti-war”, “anti-nuclea power” and made artwork with such themes in the beginning, they now address a wider range of social justice, such as environmental concerns, feminist issues and solidarity with Palestine.
EAST ASIA ECOTOPIA
Based in Seoul and other cities, East Asia Ecotopia (EAE) have stood against urban renewal projects and its resulting forced evictions, and resisted development projects that cause environmental damage. Each year, EAE organizes a solidarity camp where they bike to the campsite and hold a camp for several days. Participants can host workshops and activities to exchange skills and thoughts at the camp. Printmaking is one of the tools EAE adopted to connect communities and to stand in solidarity with the oppressed. For example, EAE initiated the One Billion Rising Resistance: Collaborative Printmaking Project and invited women from all around the country to create woodcuts and printed a 12 feet long banner for the march on the International Women's Day.
LILIN HAN
Born in 1982 in Dalian, China, Lilin graduated as a biochemist from the UK. In 2020, Lilin discovered her passion of woodcut. Her artistic journey led her to Shanghai, where she contributed illustrations to the Chinese edition of Working Class History, published by 51 Personae. This marked the beginning of an ongoing collaboration with 51 Personae. Recently, she relocated to Hong Kong, where she continues to use woodcut as a way to engage with the community, hosting weekly workshops in Sham Shui Po. Recently, she has ventured into ceramics, applying her techniques to this new medium, resulting in the development of an interesting ceramic printing process.
PANGROK SULAP
Pangrok Sulap is an art collective established in 2010 in Ranau, Sabah. The collective is made up of a diverse group of artists from a wide range of disciplines. In line with its mission to strengthen communities through art, Pangrok Sulap has been actively involved in a variety of community projects, forums, workshops, and art studies, both locally and globally. Furthermore, Pangrok Sulap is deeply engaged in environmental activism, tackling issues such as deforestation and land exploitation. Through art and community outreach, the collective raises awareness about the impact of deforestation on local ecosystems and indigenous communities. They also work with communities to promote sustainable land management practices, ensuring that future generations can continue to live in harmony with their environment.
PRICKLY PAPER
Prickly Paper is a collective based in Guangzhou who uses woodcuts and domestic printers to promote zine culture and offline circulation as a channel for self-expression in the highly regulated internet atmosphere in mainland China. Formed in 2019 by its core members Ou Fei-hong and Chen Yi-fei, Prickly Paper engages with different artists for the content and cover design of each issue varies according to its theme. Publishing, sharing and exchanging prints and zines are ways to connect with friends and communities, in which their ultimate goal is to reach larger and plural communities through woodcutting and self-publication.
PRINTHOW
Established in 2017 and inspired by the practices of A3BC and Print & Carve Department, Printhow consists of a group of like-minded friends who decided to take a journey in collective art-making. Printhow hopes that by combining printmaking with DIY spirits, social phenomena can be faced and addressed by the artists and public together. Some of their main activities include working with foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong and supporting projects like Queer No Border, One Billion Rising, and other parades.
PRINTMAKING FOR THE PEOPLE
Printmaking for the People is a visual art collective based in Manila and other parts of the Philippines. The collective is formed by comrades from different sectors including the urban poor, women’ s groups, academe, artist’ s circles, and activist organizations. The group mainly focuses on the production of prints through different forms of printmaking. Since most of us knew and/or were interested in printmaking and its history, the use of printmaking was discussed along with the formation of PFTP.
THE WITCH PRINTMAKING COLLECTIVE
The Witch Printmaking Collective was newly established in 2024. It is a printmaking collective of a group of Japanese feminists based in Tokyo. Based at the Japanese feminist bookstore "etc. bookstore", The Witch encourages women to participate in writing and creation by holding woodcut gatherings, reading clubs, discussions and talks on feminism-related topics, and advocates an end to domestic violence and sexual violence against women. Violence to promote female consciousness and gender equality.
TARING PADI
Founded in 1998 during the upheavals at the end of Suharto’s military regime, Taring Padi uses art as a tool for political expression and education. The collective has two roles in cultural activism: firstly, to facilitate resistance against ‘elite discourse’ by promoting populist or people’s art; secondly, to organize social and cultural organizations with a progressive orientation.
WILLY CHEN WEI-LUN
Based in Taipei, Taiwan, Willy is a printmaker and zinemaker who create prints to make noise and support marginalized communities. Over the years, he has participated in a large number of social movements and strikes on migrant workers and labor issues. At the same time, he has published zines to document and stand in solidarity with like-minded practitioners, such as Bersama, Report from the Scene, and The Solidarity with Palestine in the Punk Scene. Chen is also the editor at the Coolloud: Global South Column, and the organizer of music gigs and workshops at the Suck Glue Boys punk collective.
WOODCUT WAVEMENT
Woodcut Wavement is a fluid woodcut collective based in several cities in China. Its members organize woodcut workshops with communities in various regions as a “mutual aid”, combining different local issues and conditions. "Wavement" is a term used by Lu Xun, the leading figure of the Modern Woodcut Movement in 1930s China, to discuss the inheritance of woodcut. The name seeks to perpetuate the collaboration, practice, and people-orientation of the modern woodcut.
Espace Noir
Saint-Imier, CH
Founded in 1984, the Espace Noir cooperative is a self-managed cultural center located in Saint-Imier, Switzerland. The collective runs several venues and activities: a tavern, a bookstore, a 35-seat cinema, a theater/concert hall, an art gallery, and an infokiosk—all without bosses or hierarchy. Espace Noir continues its experiment, infused with a anarchist ideal. Self-management, conviviality, solidarity, internationalism, individual freedom, and responsibility are its core values. A strong sense of voluntarism is also essential, and only work at the tavern is paid. Cultural and management activities remain voluntary to this day.
The collective consists of permanent members supported by volunteers in different sectors. In keeping with the ideal of self-management, task versatility is encouraged according to each person’s interests and availability. Additionally, every collective member is invited to the weekly meeting to help organize the spaces and take part in proposals, discussions, and collective decisions.
More information at www.espacenoir.ch.
LC
Le Collectif
Saint-Imier, CH
Runs the place.
Since 1984, Espace Noir has continued its journey, marked by anarchist ideals. Self-organisation, friendliness, solidarity, internationalism, individual freedom, and responsibility are its core values. A good dose of voluntarism is also necessary, and only work at the tavern is paid. Therefore, the cultural and management fields have remained volunteer-driven to this day.
The collective consists of permanent members supported by volunteers in different areas. With the ideal of self-management, versatility in tasks is encouraged, according to each person's interests and availability. Furthermore, each member of the collective is invited to the weekly meeting to help organize the space and participate in proposals, discussions, and collective decisions.
We act for a culture that is different, not indifferent.
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