de Sarthe Gallery is pleased to present its first show of 2017, a solo exhibition in the Beijing Project Space entitled ‘Restricted: Gaze’ by Ju Anqi. The exhibition will open on January 7th at 4pm and will continue through February 26th, 2017.
The art of Ju Anqi is defined and recognized for his avant-garde and provocative style within the Chinese conceptual art domain. Ju’s art practice takes various forms such as experimental videos, narrative movies, paintings and LED installations. This exhibition at de Sarthe Project Space will feature the artist’s latest video installation. Exemplified by the nature of the exhibition’s title, ‘Restricted: Gaze’ seeks to explore the artist’s ongoing desire towards reasoning as well as the power of logical observation.
“The blatant scrutiny of the female body presented in ‘Restricted: Gaze’ turns an erotic scene into an eerie experience. This type of gaze is similar to the gaze of someone whose genuine soul has long departed from the body, an empty shell. The voyeur is simply an observer but the combination with his posture contributes to the intensity of the scene, from an evil delight to an assault nothing is actually changing, it is simply an attitude that strikes viewers.
The works of Ju Anqi confront us with the absurd--a person arbitrarily staring at another in a confined space--it is a suggestion or a foreshadowing. Up to this date, his artworks are essentially videos, which can be seen as an extension of the many films he already produced. From the structure to the rhythm of hi s films, he is unceasingly simplifying connections and pushing forward the sophistication of his compositions thanks to his rich personal life and years of experience."
– Li Zhenhua
Ju Anqi would like to thanks the artist Dai Chenlian and the actress for their performances in the video.
About the artist
Born in 1975 in Urumqi, Xinjiang province, Ju Anqi graduated from the Directing Department of the Beijing Film Academy. As one of the most widely recognized directors from China's "New Generation" of filmmakers and multi-media artists, Ju’s experimental films have been exhibited in the Centre Pompidou (Paris), MoMA (New York) and Lincoln Center (New York). Ju’s debut film was ‘There’s a Strong Wind in Beijing’, which was shot on films 8 years after their expiration date, was selected for the entry of the Berlin International Film Festival in 2000, and became the milestone for Chinese Experimental films. His recently finished film ‘Poet on a Business Trip’ premiered at the 44 th edition of the International Film Festival of Rotterdam, which won the Netpac Award Winner, and the Grand Prize at the 16 th Jeoju International Film Festival as well as three other international awards. In April 2016, Ju Anqi produced a new film ‘A Missing Policeman’ which co-starred over 20 contemporary artists from China. Film critic Tony Rans praised all the co-stars of as the sole engineers of this film. As one of the few Chinese cross-media artists, his independent practice incorporates a multi-faceted body of artworks with film and LED light boxes forming the crux of his output.
About the exhibition
Opening Dates: January 7th, 2017
Opening Time: 16:00 - 18:30
Duration: January 7th, 2017 – February, 26th, 2017
Location: 328-D, Caochangdi, Chaoyang District, 100015 Beijing, China (de Sarthe Project Space)
Courtesy of the artist and de Sarthe Gallery.
