自2018年開始，視盟連續兩年透過「西亞南亞交流計畫」，邀請來自俄羅斯、印度、尼泊爾、孟加拉、伊朗、烏克蘭、喬治亞、土耳其等地共計13組西亞、南亞國際當代藝術空間，將既有國際事務交流合作平台延伸落實至東亞以外的亞洲地區，梳理並逐步建置西亞、南亞當代藝術空間名單，並透過邀請受邀單位參與「台灣當代一年展」展出，以及進行藝術沙龍、藝術論壇、臺北藝術空間參訪等交流活動，受邀單位以及臺灣藝術機構在交流非營利運作的同質經驗中，得以分享各國藝文生態、共學非營利的營運策略，促進多方對話與連結。
2021年，西亞南亞交流計畫因疫情影響改為線上進行，以「2021亞洲當代藝術共策計畫」為名，4家國際藝術單位Britto Arts Trust（達卡．孟加拉）、Center of Contemporary Art–Tbilisi（提比里斯．喬治亞）、Mahal Art Space（丹吉爾．摩洛哥）以及Open Place（基輔．烏克蘭）於虛擬展間中與10家國內藝術單位聯合呈現其計畫、展出或作品，帶來多個國家和不同城市的藝術能量，提供一個多元、跨國際的藝術交流空間；同時首次提出「影展播映計畫」，透過其不限形式與類型的影像作品，發掘亞洲獨特觀點，開啟觀眾對於該地區藝術文化與人文風情的想像。
除此之外，視盟亦特別規劃2場線上座談，以「共感未來」為題，在「藝術在社會中實踐的觀察筆記」及「藝術與土地的那些事」兩場不同子題的分享中展開對話，4家國際藝術單位與4個橫跨臺灣北中南的國內藝術機構或團體，聯合分享藝術之於土地、藝術之於人群的經驗回顧及省思，同時展望未來，思考在疫情或其他不穩定的條件之下，如何在變化中獲得不同面向與創意的發展可能。
視盟期許能延續2018、2019年的成果，逐步完整大亞洲地區的當代藝術空間名冊，並接洽臺灣從事國際交流的機構，彙整其交流交往過的國際單位名單，用以勾勒一個更為清晰的亞洲當代藝術空間地圖，同時盼於未來建立長久的雙向交流模式，形塑出穩固的「國際夥伴關係網絡」，確實締造臺灣與國際間的連結。
2021年12月4日至2022年1月8日在摩洛哥Mahal Art Space的實體展出，視盟期待不只是首次嘗試轉為雙向交流的深化合作模式，更可以將彼此10月的國際交流內容做一個延續、整理及發展，在異地展現更多關於視盟、關於國際交流計畫與台灣當代一年展的豐富成果。
本次展出特別邀請入圍一年聚焦評審團獎20位藝術家之一的鄭雅璇帶來錄像作品《聲音考古》，在Mahal Art Space策展人Nouha延續其10月參與台灣當代一年展的策展主題《What Dies Last》下，與其他摩洛哥的藝術創作展開碰撞及對話。
Since 2018, through the cultural exchanges with South and West Asia West, which are supervised by the Ministry of Culture, the Association of the Visual Arts in Taiwan (AVAT) has invited 13 groups of West Asia and South Asia international contemporary art spaces or organizations from Russia, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Iran, Ukraine, Georgia, and Turkey. Through this program, the AVAT is able to extend the international exchanges and cooperation in cultural affairs outside East Asia to other areas of Asia. AVAT has also sorted out and established a list of contemporary art spaces in West Asia and South Asia, and invited them to participate in the TAIWAN ANNUAL exhibition, which includes salons, forums, art space visits and many other activities. Through these activities, the invitees and Taiwanese art institutions are able to exchange mutual experience in non-profit operations, sharing the cultural ecology of various countries, learning non-profit operating strategies from one another, events that will eventually promote multi-party dialogue and connection.
In 2021, due to the impact of the epidemic, the West Asia and South Asia exchange program will be streamed online. Under the name of “Cultural Exchange Program 2021,” four international art groups, including Brito Art Trust (Dhaka, Bangladesh), Contemporary Art Center – Tbilisi (Tbilisi, Georgia), Mahal Art Space (Tangier, Morocco) and Open Place (Kiev, Ukraine), jointly exhibited their plans, productions and works in virtual exhibition booths with 10 Taiwanese art groups, bringing the artistic energy of many countries and different cities. This project provides a diversified and cross-border art exchange space, and launches the “Film Festival Broadcasting Project” for the first time, exploring the unique perspective of Asia through its indeterminate forms and types of video works, which brings out the unique Asian perspective and guides the audience to imagine the arts, culture and humanities of these regions.
Meanwhile, AVAT specially planned two online seminars with the theme of “Mutual Sensibility to Future,” including two different sub-topics, “observation notes on the practice of art in society” and “Something between art and land.” Four international art units and four Taiwanese art institutions or groups will jointly share their experience and reflections on art to the land and art to the locals, thinking about how to shape a multi-aspect and creative future under the impact of pandemic and other unstable conditions and changes.
AVAT expects to continue the results of year 2018 and 2019 to gradually complete the roster of contemporary art spaces in Asia, and contact institutions engaged in international exchanges in Taiwan to compile the list of international organizations with which they have interacted with, to outline a more complete map of Asia contemporary art spaces. Meanwhile, we look forward to the establishment of a long-term mutual communication model, forming a solid international partnership network, which is expected to create a connection between Taiwan and the world.
In terms of the exhibition that will be held at Mahal Art Space in Morocco from December 4, 2021 to January 8, 2022, AVAT expects it to not only be the first attempt to shift to a two-way communication that deepens current cooperation, but also serves as a showcase and continuance of the content of each other’s international exchanges in October, showing more about the rich achievements of AVAT, various international exchange plans and TAIWAN ANNUAL in an exotic surrounding.
In this exhibition, CHENG Ya-Husan, one of the 20 artists shortlisted for the Focal ANNUAL Jury Prize of TAIWAN ANNUAL, is invited to bring her video work “Sound Search”. The curator Nouha from the Mahal Art Space will share her collisions and interactions with other Moroccan art creations under the theme “What Dies Last,” which is the continuation of her participation in the curatorial exhibition of the TAIWAN ANNUAL in October.
