The Origin of Dao – New Dimensions in Chinese Contemporary Art
As part of “Hong Kong Art: Open Dialogue” series that began in 2008, this exhibition seeks to reconstruct the ideologies of traditional Chinese art by exploiting traditional mediums in a new way, thus bringing the artist’s works into the contemporary age. The exhibition, curated by Professor Pi Daojian, presents works by 37 Chinese artists in a variety of mediums – from video projection to textiles. Journeying diachronically through the roots and influences of these Asian avant-gardes, I present to you some snippets from the Origin of Dao exhibition.
Zhang Yu - “A form of thought” 2013
Ink as a ritual practice. What this practice expresses is not merely the medium of ink; its most endearing characteristic lies in the message and connotations you can evoke by using it. The white bowls filled with black ink play on the idea of Yin and Yang. There is a certain beauty and harmony in the equidistance between each bowl of which there are over 300. Mounted on the far wall behind these bowls are three large frames that hold innumerable red fingerprints. From afar the frames look as if they were large blocks of colour, however, it is not until closer inspection that we notice the individual fingerprints. Yu uses the fingerprint as a signifier of identity.
Leung Kui-ting - “Internet” 2009
In the melange of the skills of Chinese painting and the glimmering neon light, this work provides a context for the dialogue between the space of landscape and a time-based medium.
City. The World of Mortals.
Yu Hongbin - “Mum the wolf comes. Flowers…?”
Hongbin, a former primary school teacher, created this work based upon a collection of pupil’s drawings. This piece captures the naiveté, pureness and curiosity of youngsters. The artist uses his art to represent the characteristics and some common concerns of growing youths.
Energy field: Creation and Space
Xie Zhen - "Drinking Tea and Playing Chess in Mountain" 2013
Wood, lacquer and gold foil
Energy field: Creation and Space
Zhang Chengzhi - "Layered, Breakthrough and Survive" 2013
Lacquer, foil and textile
The art piece translates traditional Chinese lacquer technique into the paradigm of contemporary Chinese art.
Yang Jiechang - “La Rivoluzione Siamo Noi” 2012
Guangdong Province, geographically located at the bottom of China has been nurturing generations of important figures. Its close proximity to Hong Kong has allowed to culturally diversify faster than other regional parts of China. Yang believes in a famous Chinese proverb: the best fish swims at the bottom.
Wu Guanzhong - “Leaving youth behind” 2009
It was with inexplicable immediacy that this painting reminded me of René Burri’s photograph taken on his visit to the Summer Palace in Beijing. Perhaps it was the sharp angularity of the lines, but this was enough to provoke my interest in overlaps between Asian and western art.
dededos
tangentwithtanner
kianamaiart
yousharknotpass
stormborns
titsay
annaxmalina