Asia Contemporary Art Forum (ACAF), is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, evolved from Asia Contemporary Art Week (ACAW), established in New York in 2001. Building on ACAW’s legacy, ACAF’s mission is to cultivate connectivity, collaboration, and meaningful relationships among Asia-based and Asian diaspora artistic communities worldwide—particularly in the United States. We achieve this through empowering curatorial and educational initiatives.

 

From 2001 to 2018, Asia Contemporary Art Week convened leading New York and Asia-based museums and galleries through multi-institutional exhibitions, public programs, and dialogues. Its annual editions highlighted the diversity of Asia’s contemporary art, culture, and histories, presenting over 3,000 established and emerging artists and institutions from across the continent, while amplifying the voices of those historically underrepresented internationally, including those from Central Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.

 

Since transitioning into a year-round, forum-based model as ACAF in 2019, the organization has focused on internal-facing programs, such as Talking Peers, a series of artist-led discussions, and Arts for Afghanistan, a project aimed at supporting recently displaced Afghan artists and cultural institutions. These programs foster the exchange of creative processes, resources, and knowledge while cultivating mentorship, cross-institutional connections, and a collaborative, globally engaged artistic community.

Past Editions of ACAW—including signature exhibitions, performances, forums, participating institutions, galleries, and artists are archived at acaw.info

 

Asia Contemporary Art Consortium (ACAC) 

A diverse group of visionary figures from leading galleries, museums, and grassroots arts organizations in New York and across Asia, some of whom are ACAW founders, while others have been long-term supporters.  For a full list of ACAC members click HERE

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