The Beijing Center for the Arts (BCA) proudly presents its 2010 inaugural exhibition "On Yunnan" from March 27 to May 9. The show marks the first-time collaboration between BCA and CAAC, i.e. Contemporary Art Academy of China, and is planned by famous artist & CAAC art director Ye Yongqing. It will exhibit nearly 40 pieces of works from the following 14 Yunnan-based artists: Wu Wenguang, Wen Hui, Zeng Hao, Ren Xiaolin, Duan Yuhai, Luo Xu, Zeng Xiaofeng, Li Ji, Liu Jianhua, He Yunchang, Zhu Fadong, Luan Xiaojie, Wu Jun and Tang Zhigang. The works include film, multimedia, drawings, installations, sculptures, and images of performance and architecture. These pieces of works comb through the intellectual history and evolution of art chronicle from the 1990s until now to show the path that contemporary art has taken.
The CAAC has attracted much attention since the establishment at the end of last year with the approval of the Ministry of Culture of the People's Republic of China. As China's first official contemporary art research institute, its theoretical research on contemporary art history and role in contemporary art development should be reflected by significant and valuable academic achievements and activities. “On Yunnan” is a step towards all-around cooperation between different art institutions, which is excitedly expected by academic circle.
Since the establishment in 2008, BCA has always vigorously promoted cross disciplinary communications on contemporary art from three directions, i.e. directly facing reality, referring to tradition and embracing future, which makes contemporary art play a positive role for social development. All this originates from the respect and deep thinking on history and reality. Thus, we select to collaborate with CAAC, an institutional landmark of Chinese contemporary art research, to organize our inaugural show of the year. Regarding the fact that contemporary art is experiencing setbacks and seeking for new directions, this cooperation is dedicated to encouraging confluence of more academic forces to conduct critical thinking and propose constructive solutions by referring to the experience and lessons in history.
The artists provide typical artistic conceptions and works in rich forms. Wu Wenguang and Wen Hui continue to use calm viewpoint to present the "truth" of life. Zeng Xiaofeng tries a new material, using a transcendent style to express the will of life. Zeng Hao intentionally exaggerates some episodes of daily life to emphasize the defamiliarized relationship between biological man and reality. Ren Xiaolin concentrates on drawing surreal and symbolic theaters of our minds, where people are able to go to the other side of self and to reexamine themselves. Duan Yuhai uses a romantic-realistic technique, unfolding the cultural conflicts and concealed worries in different periods. Luo Xu's works, which are filled with love and perception of life, are the most interactive, reflecting a deep understanding of native cultures and primitive ways of life. Li Ji displays the image of the women in early period by using the image of animals which are exposed to various scenarios in the world, metaphorically displaying the spirit of contemporary Chinese people. Liu Jianhua shows 100 people's fantasies about the international metropolis Shanghai, investigating in the context of globalization the issue of “China cities”. He Yunchang's works always exude a kind of simple contradiction, using “meaningless” method to point out the freedom of the “existence” of life. Zhu Fadong, for the last several years, has used his own body and performance to reflect the status quo of this generation featuring everything but life value, which has mirrored his own introspection and criticism on the era. Luan Xiaojie's autobiographical portrayals of boys are the linguistic symbols of his own individual experience, strongly expressing the realistic and lonely feeling in the era of informationalization. Wu Jun creates the image of callously dull intellectual beauties floating in backgrounds of city, pipeline or broken ware, expressing the ruthless “metabolism” in the evolvement of civilization, and creating a strange disassociated feeling. Tang Zhigang uses symbols of naughty children to indicate the humanity in specific period. By rewriting history in memory via scene change, he conveys more realistic understanding of life and individuals’ innermost feelings.
To sum up, if we say these artists are destined to live and work in remote fringe area, then their resistance against fate, attempt to involve in the progress and cultural practices of modernization and urbanization, and efforts to seek for self-identity in the center—marginality conflict, is exactly what they were born to be committed to; and that has turned out to be a creative, dynamic and remarkable artistic phenomenon, featuring in particular a spirit beyond the boundaries of geography, culture and art that represented by the participating artists. It is their persistence, drive for success, enterprising and adventurous spirit, legend and experience that leave footprints for us to follow, which bring to light their profound influences as co-authors of a local history of Chinese culture, and an important part of Chinese art history since the 1990s. Thus, “On Yunnan” is not simply showcasing works of “Yunnan school of painting” or a general "Yunnan phenomenon"; from an art geographic angle, it reveals the deep relationship within Chinese contemporary art in whole. It should be said that, the exhibition is open, sustainable, diverse and variable. In the future it will continue to collect new content and become more vital.
Besides, we will hold a "Yunnan Gala Night" for the grand opening. Many performances expressive of Yunnan local cultural characteristics will be staged. In addition, the elites and stars from government institutions, enterprises and culture and fashion circles of Yunnan will be invited to present a truly impressive and extraordinary exhibition.
