Excellent new Asia site "through Asian Eyes"

Anyone interested in arts, culture, and life in Asia should check out the new site asia! through Asian Eyes. I'm not just saying that because they've featured a slideshow of IMPACT artwork -- the site is really good and has all kinds of information about the latest in Asian art, culture, and current events.

From the site:

asia! is an online and mobile platform for Asian bloggers and other writers. For readers, asia! is a place to get a feel for what ordinary Asians are thinking and saying and doing, a glimpse of the Asia that lies beyond the news headlines.

Our editors scour the web for fresh thinking and good writing about what’s going on in Asia. We look for interesting or entertaining perspectives on issues both big and small, and we ask these bloggers and writers to contribute their posts or to collaborate with us in one or another way.

We keep an eye out for interesting people in Asia and we talk to them. Some may be famous, some deserve to be famous; most are just ordinary people going about their lives in the world’s largest, most populous and most diverse continent.

We also watch out for trends that are taking shape, the changing patterns of life – whether personal or professional, social or economic - as Asian countries develop.

And we look for pictures or photo essays that capture all these aspects of Asia.

IMPACT New York opening a success

Thousands of people from around the world have learned about the situation of landmines in Cambodia through seeing the artwork from IMPACT: an art exhibit about landmines in Cambodia.

The most recent opportunity was at the UN Headquarters in New York. Hundreds of people attended the opening on 5 April, and countless more have seen the exhibit thanks to its prominent position at the opening of the UN visitors center.

On the evening of 5 April, Under-Secretary General for Peacekeeping Operations Mr. Alain Le Roy presided over the commemoration ceremony, which featured the Cambodian artwork as well as photos by renowned photographers Kike Arnal from Venezuela and Arne Hodalic from Slovenia. Acclaimed Verve recording artist Lucy Woodward and her band performed live music.

Below are some photos of the installation.

Here's the entry to the exhibit, just left of the doors leading into the visitor center.

To the left is the Cambodian artwork, and to the right are the photographs.

You can see both "halls" of the exhibition from this shot. On the front panels of the Cambodian side are the paintings by Bandol, Vichet, and Vutha.

Now we're going clockwise, starting with Dina and Bunna's sculptures.

Next comes Sothy's painting.

Facing Sothy's painting are Riem's painting, Sodavy's collage, and Vanndy's sculpture.

The four young survivors' pieces follow.

Here's a shot of the exhibit from back to front.

Cambodian handicrafts made by landmine survivors were also on display.

In the other "hall" were the photographs by Kike Arnal and Arne Hodalic.

In the center are some Free From Explosive Unexploded Ordnance (FFE UXO).

I visited the day after the opening to take photos, and lost count of the number of people who came through to check out the exhibit during their tour of the UN Headquarters.

Who knew this building could hold such lovely art?

Definitely needed this banner on 1st Ave: