A review of modern art :: 'CHINA 8'

Su Xinping :: On the Run, 2010 :: Oil on canvas :: 250 x 250 cm ::

© Su Xinping

                                                                                                                                     

The largest-ever institutional exhibition of contemporary Chinese art worldwide, entitled 'CHINA 8', is indeed a matter of superlatives in every respect:

As many as eight cities across the German Rhine and Ruhr region are taking part, nine museums in total are playing host, 120 artists were invited to have their works shown and a whopping 500 works of art were assembled altogether.

Why 'CHINA 8'?

The title of the exhibition is owed to the fact that eight cities are involved and that the number eight is known to be the most auspicious in China. This mammoth cultural highlight even beats the forerunner that took place in Berlin back in 1993, when the so-called 'China Avant-garde' exhibition was met with a lot of fanfare as the first larger show of modern Chinese art outside the country.

General artistic responsibility for the ambitious project 'CHINA 8' is shared by Walter Smerling (spokesman for the curatorial committee and Director of the MKM Museum Küppersmühle), Ferdinand Ullrich (Kunsthalle Recklinghausen) and Tobia Bezzola (Director of the Museum Folkwang Essen).

The main partner and consultant on the Chinese side is the internationally experienced curator Fan Di'an, President of the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing.

Zhang Xiaogang :: Big Woman and Little Man, 2012 :: Oil on canvas :: 140 x 220 cm ::

© Artist / Courtesy of Pace Beijing

During the mega-event 'CHINA 8', virtually all genres, styles and artistic approaches can be explored in depth, be it explicitly modern paintings with a traditional touch, alternate forms of calligraphy, irritating sculptures, imposing large-scale installations, up-to-date photography, mindful conceptual works, experimental object art or daring sound and video art.

Each of the participating houses has its own focal point, ranging from the themes 'The Panorama of Painting - Emerging and Established Positions' (Kunsthalle Recklinghausen), 'Tradition Today - Chinese Ink Painting and Calligraphy' (Kunstmuseum Gelsenkirchen), 'Models of Irritation - Installation and Sculpture' (Kunstmuseum Mühlheim an der Ruhr), 'New Figuration - Narrative Sculpture' (Lehmbruck Museum Duisburg), 'The Vocabulary of the Visible World - Painting' (MKM Museum Kuppersmühle für Moderne Kunst Duisburg) to the subjects of 'Works in Progress - Photography from China' (Museum Folkwang Essen), 'Overview - Views of China' (NRW-Forum Düsseldorf), 'Paradigms of Art - Installation and Object Art' (Osthaus Museum Hagen) and 'Arrested Time - Video and Sound Art' (Skulpturenmuseum Glaskasten Marl).

Lam Tungpang :: Land Escape No. 12, 2014 :: Acrylics, charcoal, stickers and plywood :: 244 x 400 cm ::

© Courtesy of the Artist

                                                                                                                                      

Several of the most prominent and internationally successful artists have been attracted to exhibit their latest creations, but this doesn't mean that newcomers were overlooked.

The curatorial team tried to strike a balance between celebrated icons of the contemporary Chinese art scene and younger up-and-coming artists.

Besides acclaimed masters such as so-called 'cynical realist' Fang Lijun or equally famed Yue Minjun who both belong to the small faction of established and highly valued top-sellers in global art markets, visitors can discover still lesser known protagonists such as Yuan Yuan or the artist collective MADAHA.

The lion's share of the works on display date from the time around the turn of the millennium and scrutinize the dramatic economic, social and cultural transformations shaping present-day Chinese society.

Drawing on widely divergent forms of creative expression, recent phenomena such as endemic alienation, deeply felt cultural loss, frantic urbanization, crass materialism and consumerism or environmental degradation play a major role in portrayals of the country and its vast population. 

As usual, not everyone is pleased with the artistic concept and selection process in preparation of the illustrious mega-event.

Critics have raised doubts about the overall quality given such an overwhelming mass of artists. The curators have also been blamed for not having included truly controversial artists (whatever that's supposed to mean) and that many of those represented in the show have been living in Germany for a rather long time.

In the same vein, there were concerns that the prime Chinese counterpart, Fan Di'an, might not be the man open to politically provocative positions inside the Chinese art world (for an example of critical comments in the German press, see here).

(And in case you are wondering if the German side considered an invitation to enfant terrible Ai Weiwei, yes, they did, but bad boy Ai declined the offer, apparently not being overly enthusiastic about group exhibitions.)

Huang Rui :: Four Yellow, 2014 :: Oil on canvas :: 125 x 300 cm (4 parts) ::

© Courtesy of the Artist

Anyway, if you happen to be in Germany sometime between May 15 and September 13 (beware: The show 'Overview - Views of China' in the NRW-Forum Düsseldorf only runs to August 30!), don't miss this rare opportunity to see a spectacularly large number of modern-day works of art from China!