At 6:00 pm on January 16, 2015, Future Formula: Tracking Program of the 2nd “CAFAM ? Future” Exhibition was officially unveiled at 798 Art Factory. “Formula Future” is a section of “The Second CAFAM Future Exhibition: Observer-Creator/The Reality Representation of Young Chinese Art”, being presented in the 798 Art District, which adds another level of symbolism to the show. By emerging from the art academy into the public space, these young artists have opportunities for development in the larger world.

Here, they utilize the multiple implications of the term “formula” – a mathematical equation, a set of rules, or a detailed plan. In science, a computer formula is both an operation and a simple method for symbolically conveying information. Therefore, they combine the symbolic concepts of the formula and the future, but they do not intend to stylize and conceptualize this segment of Chinese contemporary art. Instead, they want to provide a true future for Chinese contemporary art through possible operational plans and future standards.

The honored guests attending the opening ceremony of the exhibition included the 4 members of the curatorial team: Wang Chunchen, Director of the Academic Department of CAFA Art Museum, Sheng Wei, deputy Editor-in-Chief of the “Art” magazine, independent curator Li Zhenhua and Cai Meng from the Academic Department of CAFA Art Museum, in addition to a large number of honored guests such as Chen Xiangbo, Director of Guan Shanyue Art Museum, Zhang Jie, Director of the Art Museum of Hubei Institute of Fine Arts, Wang Jian, Director of the Art Museum of Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, Zhu Jinhui, Director of the Art Museum of Xi’an Academy of Fine Arts, Wang Weiyi, Director of the Art Museum of Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts, Wang Yigang, Director of the Art Museum of Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts, Li Xiaoshan, Director of the Art Museum of Nanjing University of the Arts, Xiong Yu, Director of the Art Museum of Sichuan University, Guo Xiaoyan, Deputy Director of Minsheng Art Museum in Beijing, Chu Teh-I, Director of Kuandu Museum of Fine Arts at Taipei National University of the Arts.

Wang Huangsheng, Director of CAFA Art Museum presided over the opening ceremony, he said that the “CAFAM ? Future Exhibition” held two opening ceremonies in two different places, which was special for this exhibition. In the 798 Art Factory, a space with a sense of modern art, it was of special significance to hold the opening ceremony of Future Formula: Tracking Program of the 2nd “CAFAM ? Future” Exhibition there. The 12 artists in this section have also participated in this edition, and the last edition of “CAFAM ? Future”. For this edition, artists were nominated by art institutions, and they are artists that have continued to move forward in their artistic practices. They have planned “Formula Future” around their latest creations. In this sense, “Formula Future” represents “CAFAM ? Future” Exhibition and the continued encouragement of and support for young Chinese artists, while also closely linking this edition of the “CAFAM ? Future” series to the last edition.

Xu Bing, Director of the Academic Committee of CAFA, and the Chief Curator of “CAFAM ? Future” Exhibition addressed the opening ceremony: Future Formula that was held at 798 Art Factory made people feel warm offering an independent sense for the artists. The work of independent artists was to build a relationship between their creation and society, to question society, and together with colleagues to discuss what art was, and they were the favorite things they wanted to do. So far, art has developed and entered the times that were not clear about the identity of art, this edition took “Observer-Creator/The Reality Representation of Young Chinese Art” as the thematic concept which increasingly seemed to be appropriate, the concept of “creator”actually classified the behavior of some of the people which was impossible tobe classifiedas “creator”, the artists and their behavior were both difficult to define. People generally believed that the part of “creator”was creative, with the spirit of participation, with the spirit of sharing, and resisting and adjusting to the boring and insipid reality of reality in their own way. These people and excellent artists actually did the same thing, pursuing the same thing. From the first edition to now, “CAFAM Future Exhibition” had always insisted on adhering to the tenet offocusing on young people, because young people and young art ecology were very vivid, dynamic and uncertain which grows into a sensitive zone, while it also represented the future for us (curators). If one wanted to know the art in future or the art trends of the next stage, he/she had to pay attention to the behavior and tendency of the young artists.

Geng Xue, on behalf of the participating young artists addressed the opening ceremony, and shared her art judgment on the harvest: In the current conditions of contemporary artthere are various forms and problems, in the increasingly diverse circumstances, everyone had a different idea and unique artistic language to find the self judgment for art, and the positive word of “future” did not only show the time in the future, but also heralded the promising, lively vitality, sensitivity and creativity of art now. Even though the participating artists of the Future Exhibition would not be young any more in the future, she hoped the artists always retained the characteristics of the “future”, keeping sensitivity, lively and a positive creativity attitude whilecontinuing their creation in the future.

Wang Yanling, Chairman of Beijing 798 Cultural Creative Industry Investment Co., Ltd. expressed his feelings after visiting the exhibition and said, these artists proposed the sharpest problem in real social life, living style and the way peoplegetalong with nature, which were beyond imagination.

About the Exhibition

Venue: 798 Art Factory, Beijing

Artists (in alphabetical order by last name): Cai Yuanhe, GengXue, Li Qing, Ni Youyu, Pei Li, Tian Xiaolei, Wu Jian’an, Xu Bacheng, Yan Bing, Ye Funa, Yang Xinguang, Zhang Wenchao

Text by Sue, Photo by Sue, Xu Lei (798 Art Factory)

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