Absolute Humidity is a volume that aims to re-position conversations about the climate, weather and the environment by placing artist’s voices at the centre of the discussion. The publication focuses on contemporary artists from the Asia-Pacific region, including twenty-eight new conversations and other contributions that form a new constellation of inquiries. Through this project, contributors discuss how ideas surrounding weather, the environment and the climate be conceptualised by artists producing fresh ideas surrounding artistic agency. 

Bringing together some key voices from this region, this book includes practices that span from Jakarta to Brisbane, from Ho Chin Min City to Mumbai, from Hong Kong to Dubai and more.  For example, Bahar Behbahani discusses her love of Islamic design through a de-colonial lens, looking at the nuanced role of water within these histories in Iran, and how this folds into her artistic practice. Alfredo and Isabel Aquilizan speak about living between the Philippines and Australia and how this has informed their life and art practice, using Filipino Balikbayan boxes as an analogy for migration. Zheng Bo straddles the space between politics and the environment in his work, in this conversation, we delve into his favourite type of plant, among other things. Hitman Gurung & Sheelasha Rajbhandari discuss the important work they have done in the wake of the 2015 Nepal Earthquake and the ongoing community cultural development that they continue to do for their city. Lantian Xie reflects sensitively on the role of privilege in relation to heat-politics in the gulf, this and more stories fold into the Absolute Humidity volume.

COLOPHON

Absolute Humidity

Hardbound, 2018

First Edition

A report on artistic practices and the weather in the Asia Pacific region.

A Hardworking Goodlooking Book

7 Shoreline Street

Paraaque City

1700 PH

925 Bergen Street, Suite 202

Brooklyn, NY

11238 USA

CONTRIBUTORS Alfredo and Isabel Aquilizan, Angela Tiatia, Ayesha Jatoi, Bahar Behbahani, Bonita Ely, Brenda L. Croft, Brian Robinson, Chantal Fraser, Drew Kahuaina Broderick, Elisa Jane Carmichael, Gulf Labor, Hitman Gurung, Ho Rui An, Joy Enomoto, Karrabing Film Collective, Lantian Xie, Leuli Mazyar Luna'i Eshraghi, Liu Yujia, Lucreccia Quintanilla, MAP Office, Okin Collective, Prasad Shetty, Raqs Media Collective, Ravi Agarwal, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Rupali Gupte, Sid M Duenas, Sheelasha Rajbhandari, Taloi Havini, Tintin Wulia, Tita Salina, Trevor Yeung, Tuan Andrew Nguyen, Zheng Bo

PEER REVIEW Katina Davidson, Kittima Chareeprasit, L.uli Mazyar Luna’i Eshraghi, Mariam Arcilla, Olivia Chow, Renan Laru-an

EDITOR Tess Maunder

PUBLISHER Lobregat Balaguer

GRAPHIC DESIGN Kristian Henson

COPY EDITOR Evie Franzidis and Sarah Gory

PRINTING Tito Aquino Noscal Printing

1697 C.M. Recto Avenue

Manila City

1014 PH

Made with the generous support of Australia Council for the Arts, Asialink, and Queensland

Government through Arts Queensland.

The main editorial and production costs for the book have been made with the generous support of Australia Council for the Arts, Asialink, and Queensland Government through Arts Queensland.

However, this special pre-sale early-bird sale will assist us with covering the final costs before sending the publication to print, these include printing, design and shipping costs.

Every project has its challenges but that is how we learn and grow!  I would argue that now at this late stage of project production that the main challenges have already been addressed; these included engaging with the right content for the book, something that was mediated through a peer review group that I set up for this project including Katina Davidson, Kittima Chareeprasit, L.uli Mazyar Luna’i Eshraghi, Mariam Arcilla, Olivia Chow and Renan Laru-an. This panel alongside the steadfast advice and support of publisher Hardworking Goodlooking has allowed this vibrant project to come to fruition.