On the afternoon of April 13, 2019, CAFA ART INFO cooperated with Hui Art Space and officially launched the project of “ONE EXHIBITION: ART WALK: Behind the Scenes”.

Su Xinping, Deputy President of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Wang Chuan, Director of the Development Planning Department & Director of the International Cooperation and Exchange Division at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Fu Yijing, Director of the Research Department of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Zhang Peng, Director of the Editorial Department of Academic Journal of the Central Academy of Fine Arts and Tang Yu, a young curator and teacher from the Central Academy of Fine Arts, visited the exhibition and joined the discussion with Tao Weiguang, Director of Hui Art Space, Zhang Yanzi, Editor-in-Chief of CAFA ART INFO, Zhu Li, Chief Editor of CAFA ART INFO (CN), Ai Hai, General Planner of Hui Art Space and Sue Wang, Chief Editor of CAFA ART INFO (EN) as well as artists including Wang Qingsong, Wang Hua, Li Jie, Xu Feng, Hu Jing, Huang Wenya and so on.

From the first-person perspective, CAFA ART INFO has promoted a micro video program, entitled “ART WALK: Behind the Scenes” since September 2018. The first season of the documentary (12 episodes) was jointly interviewed, screened and edited by Chen Peihua and Zhang Yizhi from CAFA ART INFO. With a focus on independent artists’ working environments, life stories and artistic creations, we introduce a tour for spectators to explore how an artist actually survives and develops in the macro environment of the current art world.

In April, 2019, as a practical presentation of the program, CAFA ART INFO and Hui Art Space jointly organized a series of academic micro-solo exhibitions for all the artists involved in “ART WALK: Behind the Scenes”. The first season of “ART WALK: Behind the Scenes” is composed of 12 episodes and it will remain on view till 9 October, 2019. Each micro-solo exhibition combines a video record with a representative work of each artist with the exhibition lasting for two weeks. Starting from the case study of each artist, the exhibition intends to demonstrate the multiple authentic expressions from independent artists in the environment of contemporary art.

The first exhibition of “ONE EXHIBITION” was officially unveiled with the work by Chinese contemporary photographer Wang Qingsong. As one of the representative artists of China’s new photography, Wang Qingsong presents the world in a novel or absurd form of imitation and observation, recording society while also demonstrating his own opinion. In such a form of “one space, one person, one exhibition,” Wang Qingsong invites visitors to see the world, all beings and ultimately the ego with his photographic works and his video.

Su Xinping, Deputy Director of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, talked about the form of the exhibition and expressed that, “the organization and presentation of ‘ONE EXHIBITION’ broke through the conventional display form, which was a beneficial interaction and exchange between the Academy and public institutions.” Tao Weiguang, Director of Hui Art Space also expressed that the collaboration with CAFA ART INFO on “ONE EXHIBITION” is due to her original intention to make Hui Art Space become a “mobile MoMA,” “I am so happy that Hui Art Space has returned to the simple and beautiful time!”

Wang Chuan, Director of the Development Planning Department & Director of the International Cooperation and Exchange Division at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, stated while he visited the exhibition, from this pure and practical exhibition, he “found a new model of future art circulation and trading, art is actually entering public life.” Fu Yijing, Director of the Research Department of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, mentioned in her statement that, “there’s great wisdom in a small space, and this novel and unique exhibition model has encouraged refined and elegant art to descend to the everyday life and enter the daily life of the public.” Zhang Peng, Director of the Editorial Department of Academic Journal of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, thought that “the planning of exhibition is creative and it also showcases the academic connotation which is close to reality.”

Zhang Yanzi, the General Planner of “ART WALK: Behind the Scenes” mentioned the project focuses on the lives and creations of non-mainstream artists, while realistically recording their real working environment and living conditions,“I am very pleased that this video will be played in a loop in Hui Art Space, which enables more people to learn about artists and get close to them.”

Ai Hai, the General Planner of Hui Art Space, has placed deep hope on this series of exhibitions and he believed that this will accomplish “a series of exhibitions embracing a brand new mode; a scene of brand new exhibitions, art with completely new scenes; presentation with complete art, ecology with a brand new presentation.”

“ONE” is both a concept and the beginning of an infinite extension, “Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand/ and Eternity in an hour.” As the curator of “ONE EXHIBITION”, Sue Wang also expected that visitors would be able walk into the space, become calm then watch the exhibit with “ART WALK: Behind the Scenes”, hopefully they will truly focus on the works by each artist as well as the stories behind them, thus they might experience the diversity of contemporary art ecology.

“ONE EXHIBITION”: ART WALK: Behind the Scenes includes 12 exhibitions and it will be presented in Hui Art Space from 13 April through to 9 October. As a continuous art project, both “ONE EXHIBITION” and “ART WALK: Behind the Scenes” will promote and broaden exchanges, with more artists and art lovers being welcomed to participate in exhibitions and exchanges.

Edited by Sue and Photo by Hu Sichen/CAFA ART INFO