Charles B. Wang Center
Stony Brook University, New York
POTASIA: Potatoism in the East marked an important expansion of Potatoism into a global and cross-cultural context. Co-curated by Jeffrey Allen Price and Jinyoung Jin, Director of Cultural Programs at the Charles B. Wang Center, the exhibition examined how the potato functions as a cultural symbol throughout Asia and beyond.
Featuring 19 artists from 10 countries, the exhibition brought together paintings, drawings, sculpture, photography, video, installation, and historical materials that explored the potato’s social, political, artistic, and symbolic dimensions. Works from China, India, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Lebanon, Russia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the United States demonstrated the remarkable diversity of meanings attached to the potato across cultures.
The exhibition was accompanied by lectures, workshops, guided tours, and public programs, including Price’s lecture “Potatoism: A Global History of Potato Art.” POTASIA represented a significant milestone in the development of Potato Humanities by extending the study of potato culture beyond Europe and the Americas and highlighting the potato’s presence within Asian art, media, and popular culture.