2014.08.09—2014.09.10
A Thousand Plateaus Art Space is pleased to announce the opening of the four-year local art practice project Parallel Suspension by the artist group Chen Jianjun + Cao Minghao, as well as the first edition of annual group exhibition project Summer Discovery 2014 on August 9th.
叶凌瀚，未知，纸本水彩，200×153cm，2011
Ye Linghan, Unknown,
Watercolor on Paper, 200×153cm, 2011
Parallel Suspension is an exhibition project gathering the art programs on the local society during the last few years. Its practice and work strategy always begin from field communication and interviews, and does creations and researches in the way of society interaction and intervention. This exhibition includes the cooperative art project Village Politics Being Watched launched in 2010, the art-involved project A New Way to Explore Liangshan Village curated in 2012, interactive project Gaze from the Top Floor curated in 2014, and River Environmental Art Project undertaken in 2014. Basing on the events between the three places, the new question consciousness Parallel Suspension has been raised. It’s to see the time course of other scenes “countryside, suburbs and urban villages” changing their identities in the practices and extensions of the project. During this process, the hidden factors get evolved into all current problems, to deprive the simple coping thinking of the ability of facing the suspended and haunting historical problems, or to think about the current reality. Thus the question consciousness and text structure can be raised from the local landscape society which was caused by the current “paternalistic” rational planning, as well as the critical concern without any specificity. We also have to rethink, the [international] urban have eliminated the conflicts between urban expansion and the villages. The constant expansion and reproduction brings many potential problems hidden deep in the social structure, hung parallelly and ignored.
陈建军+曹明浩，互动计划《顶楼之眼》之布上遇见，合作装置，服装材料，尺寸不等，2014
Chen Jianjun + Cao Minghao, Interactive Project Gaze from the Top Floor, Encounter on Cloth, Cooperative Installation, Clothing Materials, Sizes Differ, 2014
Except for a possible dialogic relationship between the specific artwork representation and the viewers, there will also be researchers and practitioners in all areas invited, a series of discussion topics organized and in-depth dialogues conducted, contributing to the generation of public discourse and the continuation of response.
A Thousand Plateaus Art Space is always devoting itself to present and introduce works and projects of emerging artists who have outstanding talent and distinct value, and to discover and promote new creative artists. From this year, we are going to name the group exhibition project in the summer of each year as Summer Discovery. In the way of parallel exhibition, it will present the artists’ new experimental works and exploratory projects.
Summer is the season of all species with the most vigorous life force, is the first harvest time throughout the year. Moreover, it’s always been used to describe the splendid season of life. In Summer Discovery 2014, we select the creative and unique works of six young artists including He Wei, He Yida, Li Lang, Xiao Wenjie, Yang Xinguang and Ye Linghan, work media include painting, installation, animation and on-site project. Among these works and projects, some have presented the experimental results of their early stage, while some other have presented the fresh impetus in their career.
陈建军+曹明浩，对话性艺术项目水与井计划——合作与重见现场，图片，99×66cm，2013
Chen Jianjun + Cao Minghao, Dialogic Artistic Project, The Project of Water and Well—Co-operative and Re-visualization of the Originary Site, Photograph, 99×66cm, 2013
There is no relationship in art context or content between the six artists, except for the continued exploration, which is extremely unique and conscious. The presented phased fruit make us expect more of their future. Thus, they formed a parallel group full of vitality. Actually, they are just a possible epitome of the future of Chinese contemporary art, or a beginning of Summer Discovery project. From an art development perspective of view, there’s no existing tide any more for us to follow, contemporary art have enter the age of individual discovery. At this time, artists can not find their own art directions without confidence or courage. At the same time, only with open approach and rigorous attitude can we find these artists, or the future of Chinese art.
Summer Discovery is the summer record. Seasons are going round and round endlessly, with energy and wisdom in the details. In nowadays, China’s culture is re-trying to take strength from the source. Therefore, maybe Summer Discovery is also outlining a nicer and broader view.
