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| Chinese artist Song Dong's installation "The Scar," inspired by Chinese chess game, is on display at the Busan Museum of Art through Feb. 28, 2021. Courtesy of Busan Museum of Art |
By Kwon Mee-yoo
BUSAN ― Art is in close relationship with social and political situations and Chinese modern art is no exception. The Chinese Economic Reform started in the 1980s influenced Chinese art and "The Scar" exhibition at the Busan Museum Art looks into the diversity of Chinese contemporary art.
The exhibit features three Chinese artists in different generations ― Zhu Jinshi, a first-generation artist after the beginning of the Chinese Economic Reform; Song Dong, a leading proponent of the resistance art movement of the 1990s known as "Apartment Art"; and Liu Wei, who is known for his inter-media approaches.
"These artists reflect the trauma that has stemmed from the struggle for freedom, from capitalism and from the urbanization that resulted from China's reform and opening up ― the three keywords essential for understanding contemporary Chinese art," curator Yang En-jin said.
Zhu, Song and Liu are born in 1954, 1966, and 1972, respectively, and though the age gap between them are not big, they certainly represent different times in Chinese modern history as the country went through rapid changes.
Zhu fought for democratization and profound trauma connected with the struggle for freedom can be found in his works.
Zhu explores the concept of painting by contrasting canvas of the West and rice paper of the East.
His large-scale installation "South and North" is similar to "The Ship of Time" series, emphasizing the materiality of Chinese traditional paper.
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| Zhu Jinshi's "South and North" / Courtesy of Busan Museum of Art |
"Zhu's works regularly juxtapose elements from Western art and Chinese tradition and transcend the boundaries of mainstream art, and can thus be interpreted as a resistant practice for finding artistic autonomy and demanding freedom," the curator said.
Song, who resisted the government's control by sustaining his artistic activities in personal space known as "Apartment Art," embodies dramatic encounters between personal histories and China's modern national history.
Song presents a new installation "The Scar" at the lobby of the museum. Inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic politics which is similar to a game of Chinese chess with the purpose of protecting the king, Song created a large chess board consists of daily objects collected from redevelopment areas. Visitors can play chess game four times a day and the pieces outside move around as in the game, representing the Invisible Hand.
Liu is a witness to the rapid urbanization of Beijing marked by ceaseless redevelopment and demolition of old buildings and his works represent the latest trend in Chinese contemporary art.
"Looks like a Landscape," a black-and-white photograph of upturned buttocks resembling Chinese mountain scenery, is one of the early works in which Liu made his name.
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| Liu Wei's "Microworld" / Courtesy of Busan Museum of Art |
"Microworld," the aluminum world which awakens the sense of dimension and the difference of scale, is also on view.
The exhibit runs through Feb. 28, 2021.
