Cultural Games in the Asian Field: Multiculturalism and Contemporary Art Practice: A Systematic Literature Review

This systematic literature review explores the conceptual frameworks and strategic practices employed by contemporary Asian artists between 2019 and 2024 to navigate or resist the dominant norms of multiculturalism within the global art field. Adhering rigorously to the PRISMA 2020 protocol and integrating both thematic synthesis and bibliometric methods, this study meticulously screened and analysed 50 peer-reviewed academic publications. The review introduces the concept of “cultural games” as an illuminating heuristic to understand artists’ strategic negotiations within systems of multiculturalism, institutional power, and the global art economy. It identifies three recurring conceptual strategies: technological critique, body politics, and traditional transformation, which are often interwoven with structural forces such as neoliberalism, digital surveillance, and colonial legacies. Significant regional specificities emerge, with East Asia emphasising technological dialectics, Southeast Asia focusing on embodied pluralism, and South Asia dedicating itself to institutional critique. The findings reveal strategic hybridity as a common regional thread while also pointing to theoretical asymmetries in global art historiography. This review aims to provide a more precise and critical lens for understanding contemporary Asian art practices, identifying key gaps for future research, particularly regarding underrepresented regions and interdisciplinary methodologies.