Gao Brothers, Jiang Zhi, Li Wei, Liu Lijie, Xu Yong & Yu Na, Yan Zhuangmei
The Paris-Beijing Photo Gallery is proud to present the works of Gao Brothers, Jiang Zhi, Li Wei, Liu Lijie, Xu Yong & Yu Na, and Yan Zhuangmei in the group show “Between the Sexes”.
The original idiom "Between the Sexes" (男女有别) is derived from the Book of Rites (礼记) written in the Western Han Dynasty:
“ From the distinction between man and woman came the righteousness between husband and wife. From that righteousness came the affection between father and son; from that affection, the rectitude between ruler and minister. ”
“The interaction between man and woman gives birth to all things,” the distinction between the sexes is particularly emphasized as it is listed first among the set of guidelines. According to Confucius classics, marriage is one of the fundamental principles in establishing a harmonious social structure. Whereas woman is associated with Yin and man with Yang, and Yin-Yang are believed to be complementary elements rather than the dualistic notion of masculinity and femininity in the West. However, the ideal state of relationship is rather questionable in practice. There is and has always been a sense of inequality between the opposite genders, generally one tends to be more aggressive and the other more passive, and one being the dominating and the other being dominated.
Clearly, man-woman relationships are the central theme in this game of tug-of-war, in which each photographer directs an amusing battle between the sexes. Whether set up by a male or female photographer, the women are always the main protagonists even if she doesn't necessarily define the rules. The camera follows her as the narrative develops, generating tension (and humor) due to a lack of balance in the interplay of sexual identity. As “opposites attract,” the paradox of the male and female characters become the source of their interaction, where pain is tangled with pleasure, boredom triggers destruction, intrusion leads to resignation, liberty contradicts equality, and sex appeal becomes either a toy or a weapon. In the name of individuality and sexual freedom, we are no longer bound by conventional standards of whom to love and how to love. Each figure confronts his/her various roles in relation to the opposite sex, questioning the traditional values and seeking for new interpretations of love, passion and companionship.
The works of both renowned and emerging artists are displayed in this group exhibition, in which most of them have been rarely shown and some are presented for the very first time.
Yan Zhuangmei – Soap Opera
In Yan Zhuangmei fantasy-world, the young and daring celebrates moments of excitement full of vibrant colors and sexual energy with an insatiable appetite.
Xu Yong & Yu Na – Solution Scheme
In a typical office with metallic-yellow walls, the unclothed female leads a group of middle-aged men in suits, with full control of the scene clutched in her hand.
Liu Lijie – Another Episode II
Tension grows as the storyline of an adult woman’s daily life unfolds, as she is haunted by isolation and intrusion of hostile men in cold rooms.
Li Wei – Dream-like Love
Li Wei offers himself as a plaything for his beloved in the game of seduction, where he bounces around hoping to satisfy her unpredictable demands.
Jiang Zhi – I’m so Bored
An abandoned woman kills time by cutting her nails, “taking care” of herself as she waits expressionlessly on her king-size bed.
Gao Brothers – Opposite
The black and white photographs capture the vacant, inhuman concrete blocks, where a vulnerable yet armed woman hides in fear and pleasure from the one lingering on the opposite side of the wall.
