A Group Photographic Exhibition
Featuring work by Jia Youguang, Liu Bolin, Liu Jin, Xu Changchang and Yang Yongliang
27th November 2008 – 16th January 2009
China is in transition. Everything is in a constant state of flux and the feeling of displacement this causes is a recurrent theme in contemporary Chinese art. Over the last decade, photography has become an important medium for its ability to record and propagate the changes in society’s fabric as well as to portray very personal stories. The works in this exhibition form deeply personal narratives; the artists’ creations are not restricted to a single model or school of thought, but seek to express individuality and a distinct sense of subjectivity. In order to achieve this, they utilize the different applications of new media that are available to them. Thus China’s art today is like a “mixed maze”. Different perspectives (informed by upbringing, schooling, personal preferences), lead to diverse artistic results. Some conform to tendencies of the era or the vicissitudes of Chinese social psychology, some indulge in stereotypes (without progressing the genre), and as result their work does not reflection the real significance of contemporary art, but rather confuses and tangles as the walls of the maze thicken and ensnare. At it stands today, China’s contemporary art is at risk of disintegration, unless a multitude of widespread copycat imagery is eliminated as patrons grow tired of their faddish conspicuousness. It is at this time, when history comes to a critical impasse, that the moment has come for new artists to seek fresh expressions to portray their perspective, and find a way to escape the maze.