"The Pluralistic Look of Chinese Contemporary Art Since the Mid-Nineties"
| Part I:
Objects, Space and Early Performances
In the early 1990's, as Political Pop and Cynical Realism experienced greater recognition and popular appeal throughout China several exhibitions followed in their wake, taking place against an international backdrop of a post Cold War era. Sparked by the concurrence of these factors, a number of new developments began to emerge, some of which were seen as positive, some negative. |
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 Qian Weikang
"Wind Direction: 205 Grams White
Count"
1993
Installation
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number of these developments have been worth noting: for example the increasing
emphasis on object-space relations, and materiality, amongst other forms
of purely experimental art. All have been in response to the political
and social character of post-89 art.
Much of this artistic activity was concentrated in the Shanghai and Hangzou. The most interesting of these were Shi Yong, Qian Weikang, Wang Qiang, amongst others. Directly after the Post 89 Exhibition, Shi Yong and Qian Weikang participated in a number of exhibitions, including "Two Aspects of an Image '93," which clearly demonstrated their departure from works presented in the 1989 China/Avant Garde exhibition in Beijing. For example, Shi Yong's interests mainly lie in transforming the attributes of both object and their shadows, including the interstitial space created between the objects. Qian and Shi also applied theories more commonly associated with physics. Qian's dried plaster mix piece calculated to combine its precise weight spread thinly over a specified area. Other works reveal similar properties relating to the science of energy and matter, "An Object Raised Five Degrees Gives a Sense of Volume to its Shadow," and "Slanting Toward a Dynamic Point," Wind Direction: 205 Grams White Count." In an exhibition catalogue, they explained: "The methodology of physics experiments only deal with one aspect of objects." Subsequently, they began working with Hangzhou artist Wang Qiang. Two typical group shows involving these three artists included: "Because it was 26 November 1994" and "Because it was 45 Degrees." Just as the titles of these two exhibitions suggest, their focus remained on space, time, weight, volume, area and other questions of physics. Wang Qiang's "The Visible Color White," uses transparent PVC containers with hinged openings, which evokes feelings of the coldness associated with industrial finishing processes. It is this outward perfection that contrasts poignantly with the sensitive, delicate materials or objects that form the contents of the box. Perhaps the most extreme work of this kind was done by Qian Weikang in January 1995. The piece entitled "Live Performance of the Wind," was shown in Shanghai's "Installation: The Positioning of Language," exhibition, and involved an elastic band connected between the wall and a curtain. As the wind blew the curtain, it pulled the elastic band and thereby demonstrated that even the wind can have a measurable sense of weight. Developments in Performance Art, reached their peak between 1987 and 1992, again mainly in the two regions of Shanghai and Hangzou. In 1987, performances often dealt with many symbolic acts such as swathing objects and oneself in bandages and presenting the work in culturally charged environments including the Great Wall, The Ming Tombs and, Yuanming Garden. Continue with article...
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 Shi Yong
"Slanting Toward a Dynamic Point,"
1993
Installation
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Copyright ©
1999
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