At 16:00pm on June 15, 2013, “Blank to Blank – Inframince Exhibition II” raised its curtains at Soka Art Center in Beijing, curator Li Yanling, philosophical director Professor Xia Kejun, the artists whose works included in this exhibition as well as chairman of Soka Art Center Hsiao Fuyuan, were invited to be present at the opening ceremony. “Blank to Blank – Inframince Exhibition II” was the second group show focusing on the curatorial concept of “inframince art”, following the “Inframince Exhibition” held last year, artists include: Qiu Shihua, Liang Quan, Shen Qin, Chen Qi, Liu Guofu, Xiang Yang, Chen Guangwu.

Hsiao Fuyuan, Director of Soka Art Center and philosophical director Professor Xia Kejun addressed successively to the audience at the opening ceremony. Hsiao Fuyuan said the exhibition featured a unique philosophical background, where the seven artists confirmed Professor Xia Kejun’s idea “inframince art” from different angles.

Moreover, Xia Kejun gave his own interpretation to “infra-mince”, a mysterious concept initially put forwards by Duchamp, thinking about the possibility to transform an existing product into an artwork, this kind of “infra” and “mince” had a inner link with Chinese traditions and contemporary art. The exhibition aims to continue the discussion of “infra” while further deepening the dialogue between the contemporary Chinese art and tradition. He pointed out that, traditional Chinese ink and wash painting focused on “l(fā)eaving blankness” and “five graduations of ink”, thus he put forward the concepts of “blank to blank” and “five graduations of white”, using the rich contrasts or “dialogues” between white and white, white and black, qi and white, jade and white, remnants and white, nothingness and white, emptiness and white, the infra and white, light and white together with in-betweenness and white to present the enchantment of reverse reconstruction in their respective ways while also attempting to provide new forms for Chinese art.

The journalist from CAFA ART INFO had an interviewwith artist Shen Qin, professional painter from Jiangsu Academy of Traditional Chinese Painting after the opening ceremony, his featured work at this exhibition was “Metasequoia White House” (ink on rice paper, 135×2cm, 135×65cm×3, 2013). He talked about his interpretation of the concept of “inframince art”, “Comparing with Western art, Prof. Xia Kejun found an idea to show ‘oriental beauty’, ‘infra’ is ‘ethereal’, ‘mince’ means “penetration”, which is the unique character of traditional Chinese painting.” It was worth mentioning that was an archaistic chant of poetry “Intermezzo of White” written by Xia Kejun was specially arranged at the opening ceremony, which interpreted “white” of traditional Chinese culture in a special way.

The exhibition will be on view until July 21.

About the exhibition

Duration: June 15 – July 21, 2013

Venue: Soka Art Center (No.2 Jiuxianqiao Road, 798 Art, Chaoyang District, Beijing)

Opening Time: 10:00-18:30 (Tue – Sun)

Journalist: Yu Ya, Photo: Hu Zhiheng/CAFA ART INFO

Translated by Chen Peihua and edited by Sue/CAFA ART INFO