Thirty Light Years - Staging Chinese Art

Collateral Event of the 56th International Art Exhibition - la Biennale di Venezia

Since the “Open Door” policy from the 70s, China has been experiencing an unprecedented development. The traditional social system was quickly disintegrated and replaced by skyscrapers, this is a country of rapid change. Since China is a country bearing 5000 years of civilization and history but being part of the world as a total it is inevitably under influence of all globalization processes. Human relationships seem to have become more and more enigmatic. Perceptions have changed, we are not just observing developments anymore, we ourselves are creating the progress. China is becoming our stage where we can play and perform.
 
Over the last thirty years developments seem to have gone faster and faster, it feels like earth years became light-years. The notion arises that the inhabitants are becoming more and more both the spectator and the creator of its own play. Looking down upon ourselves we cannot escape the awareness of playing a role in this theatre, of being active present on this stage. Our art is influenced by the art and education of surrounding cultures and this combined with the inner Chinese art developments has become known as Chinese contemporary art itself. A large and vibrant country with so many ways of expressing itself, to many to all bring together, therefore we decided in this exhibition to focus on abstract art. “Abstract art” in China, however, seems to have a wider meaning than in the West. Besides the visual appearance of the work, it seems that not only in China figurative works can be considered ‘abstract’ when they have a strong conceptual basis.
 
"Thirty light years - Staging Chinese art" presents a small part of the complex development of contemporary Chinese art as a total and should be seen as guidance towards the further development of our cultural contemporary heritage. This exhibition presents abstract characteristics, a language developed from a long tradition of Chinese ink paintings. The exhibited works present the awareness of each artist, questioning and reflecting upon himself, where he came from, where he is and where to go. The artists communicating with themselves, fighting, discussing and creating works as a result of this; Performers on their own stage. This play has become a Chinese realty as it was in other cultures and at other times before. This is today’s China. Ideas, thoughts, culture expressed in works of art. Trying to make all of you to learn about, question again and re-create a deeper understanding of contemporary China. A fast play on a big stage.

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