The 10th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art

First impressions can be deceiving. The impact of this tenth version of the Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (the APT) was less of a bang and more of what initially seemed like a whimper. Where were the big names? Where were the familiar biennale/triennale tropes? Where were the instagrammable icons? Yet during the weeks since its opening night, this exhibition has proved to have a staying-power that carries it beyond the schlock tactics of so many big survey shows. Over successive visits, the “whimper” emerged as more akin to a radical quietism; a series of softly-slowly engagements full of reflections appropriate to the trepidations of this time.

When borders closed in March 2020, the prospect of an international survey exhibition for 2021/22 seemed