The UK's first Asian Art Triennial opens at various locations and venues around Manchester in April 2008 with an innovative programme that echoes Manchester's strong political and social history.

Shisha, the UK's premier international agency for contemporary South Asian crafts and visual arts, conceived the idea behind the new international festival, which features artists from Mainland China, Hong Kong, India, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan.

The idea of protest has been a starting point for individual artists in creating their exhibitions. This produced a variety of different views and perspectives, which reflect the social and political history of Manchester, as well as the views of Asia and Manchester in the 21st century.

Shisha has worked in partnership with Castlefield Gallery, Chinese Arts Centre, Cornerhouse, The International 3, Manchester Art Gallery and Manchester Metropolitan University, who will each host exhibitions.

Shilpa Gupta, There is No Explosive in This

Several of the city's major galleries and institutions are involved in the project including Castlefield Gallery, Cornerhouse, Chinese Arts Centre, The International 3, Manchester Art Gallery and Manchester Metropolitan University.

None of the work featured has been seen in the UK before and for some of the artists, who are from China, Hong Kong, India, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan, it will be their UK debut.

Gwon Osang

Paticipating Galleries

Castlefield Gallery is working with Channel A from Taiwan and p-10 from Singapore who will reside in Manchester in the lead up to ATM08 for a piece of art that will be heavy on technology, web broadcasts, social engagement with the local public and publication.

Channel A (Hongjohn Lin and Ella Raidel) is re-inventing the identity of 18th century bogus Taiwanese, George Psalmanaazaar, as an estate agent, exploring the notion of fantasy and property.

P-10 (Woon Tien Wei, Jennifer Teo working with collaborators Jeremy Chu and Kai Lam) are investigating 'localness' within the context of the international Triennial and Biennial. They created a symposium platform for on-going research purposes, whereby British-based artists can work in response to their locality.

The gallery space will become a hive of activity for the collection of information which will be made into an artwork in the physical space.

Chinese Arts Centre is hosting a residency and exhibition programme. Running until Wednesday April 30 Chinese painter Mao Yan Yang is in residence.

His work revolves around the idea of the media, how it affects us and how much we believe about what we're told. By using Time magazine images, which he works into his art, he presents an alternative view of historical figures and events.

From Thursday May 1 – Sunday June 29, Kong Kee, the Hong Kong comic artist will be in residence. Continuing to explore his interest in social interaction, Kong Kee will be inviting Manchester's elderly community to express their views about where they live.

Meanwhile 'Contemporaneous' is running until Saturday June 15 2008, showing ink animations by Chinese artists Chen Shaoxiong and Qiu Anxiong. The themes of people, cities and time are prominent in Shaoxiong's work, whilst Anxiong is showing animations in response to the world's potential energy crisis.

Mao Yan Yang - Bang! 2007. Oil painting, 220x100cm.

Cornerhouse is staging "What do you want?" with artists Tejal Shah, Jasmeen Patheja, Shilpa Gupta, Surekha and Shaina Anand, all living in India and working amongst a new generation of artists with activist concepts.

The exhibition and community project will seek to challenge traditional cultural opinion, contemporary political issues and controversial social situations through the use of photography, performance, sculpture, video and new media. At the heart of the piece will be an analysis of the problems faced by Indian women and those living within conventional family structures.

Manchester Art Gallery will present contemporary work by two Korean artists, Gwon Osang and Choe U-ram. Gwon Osang makes extraordinary life-size sculptures of people using hundreds of photographic images to build up the surface appearance of his models.

Choe U-ram uses precision cut and polished metals, machinery and electronics to create stunning kinetic sculptures inspired by sea creatures and plant life. Two of the artist's enormous robotic works, Urbanus Female and Urbanus Male, will be exhibited for the first time in the UK in the gallery's glass atrium from April 5 until September 2008.

Choe U-ram, Urbanus Female, 2006. Scientific name: Anmopista Volaticus Floris Uram. Courtesy bitforms gallery, New York.

Gwon Osang, Yamaha 2008. C-prints, mixed media. Courtesy Arario Gallery, Seoul.

As part of ATM08, there will also be a Tea Discussion Series across Manchester. Events are free, but you need to book in advance. See www.asiatriennialmanchester.com for more details.