Alex Taek-Gwang Lee explores "Asia as a Method" at Kritika Kultura Lecture Series

On 11 July 2025, Kritika Kultura, in partnership with Ateneo de Manila's Literary and Cultural Studies Program (LCSP) and PLUME, hosted a lecture by Alex Taek-Gwang Lee titled Revisiting “Asia as a Method” in the 21st Century.

Lee is the director for Centre for Cross-Cultural Studies and the Global Centre Technology in Humanities in Kyung Hee University in South Korea.

He has held academic posts in Europe and Asia, including roles at the Czech Academy of Sciences, the University of Brighton, and the University of Santo Tomas. He has contributed to major international art events such as the Gwangju Biennale (2017) and the Venice Architecture Biennale (2021). His recent publications include Communism After Deleuze and Made in Nowhere: Essays on the Asiatic Modes of Existence (both 2025).

The lecture deep dived into the meaning of the word “Asia.” According to Lee, Asia is not a fixed or clearly defined place–it means “nowhere.” This idea, which he explores in his book Made in Nowhere, challenges the way we usually think about Asia as just a geographic or political region. Instead, Lee explained that “Asia” is often shaped by outside perspectives, especially by Western powers, rather than by Asians themselves. By calling Asia “nowhere” he invites us to question how identities are formed, who defines them, and how Asian people might reclaim and reshape those meanings on their own terms.

The lecture was followed by a brief Q&A session, where participants had the chance to engage with Lee’s insights. The event concluded with closing remarks from Dr Vincenz Serrano, Editor-in-Chief of Kritika Kultura.

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