Towards The Third World

A general "third-world turn" has been found in major international art exhibitions around the globe since the 90s;a notable emergence of such exhibitions seen widely in the third-world zones,the growth in both number and proportion of third-world artists and curators in major blockbuster shows,and the focus of such events shifted to third-world topics,can be seen embodiments of turns as such that are closely linked to historical and societal backgrounds that include a)more frequent and incisive cultural exchanges between the used-to-be rivals due to the fall of the iron curtain,and b)confidence and drives provided through economic and managerial tools that verify blockbuster shows’economic and cultural benefits.It is likely,however,that western ideological influences rooted in an exotic imagery and cultural colonialism have been asserted to these shows.And reacting to such suspected cultural penetrations,third-world art exhibitions have taken(re-)constructive and deconstructive methods varying from duplication,mimicry and resistance.During Third World’s strive for new discourses and resistance to western value exportation,nonetheless,it shall be constantly warned of possible traps of a)nationalism and cultural fundamentalism,b)judgements based on narrow and standardized mindsets and c)the institutionalization of critique.