ASEAN has been in existence for over twenty-five years and whilst there is no doubt that it has played a vital role in enhancing regional security and stability the grouping remains - for most people - little more than an annual gathering of senior officials. This exhibition - 12 Asean Artists - is an attempt to look beyond the superficial aspects of the association and thereby encourage a more enduring engagement.

If one agrees that art is a window into the individual's soul, then by extension it should be arguable that a nation's art (not to mention its literature, its theatre and dance, its songs and its music) provides an equally intimate and revealing glimpse of a country's psyche.

As the region becomes ever more integrated we will have to learn - and in greater depth - about one another, charting the deep recesses of our national personalities. And whilst we are familiar with the art of the modern European and American masters a great deal more needs to be done in order to ensure our familiarity with the aesthetic icons that preoccupy our neighbours'vision of the world.