Asia Art Center has established A+ Contemporary, a brand new platform in Shanghai, to acknowledge the vibrant and innovative spirit of the time. The exhibition was opened at 3p.m. on August 1st, 2015, presenting 4 of the most representative contemporary artists from Taiwan and Hong Kong- Chu ChunTeng, Hsu ChiaWei, Lee Kit, and Morgan Wong. The exhibition will continue until October 31st, 2015.
The exhibition title “← →” implies a bilateral expansion which also mutually attracts, while the central point represents China. China, Asia’s largest carrier of art and culture, no longer imitates the West but rather integrates and evolves to become a unique structure. The 4 exhibiting artists come from Taiwan and Hong Kong, both settle within the greater Chinese culture, similar yet not identical, correlated yet unlike one another. Artists from Taiwan and Hong Kong inherit the essence of Chinese culture, bear a history of colonialism and are educated under Western influences; such complex cultural identity remains distinct from any Chinese contemporary artist. The cognitive and imaginative expressions of these artists therefore possess further significance and wit.
The steaming vapor, scent and vibration of The Foaming Weariness by Chu ChunTeng (Taiwan) exhibit his uneasiness to conform to a different culture and lifestyle during his time abroad in Europe. Through video work How Kind of You to Let Me Come, one can observe the fascinating dynamics of learning and being educated, the shift from ambivalence to adaptation and various aggressive and passive attitudes- this incessant anxiety is in fact a truthful reflection of our society.
Hsu ChiaWei’s (Taiwan) creative method is a specific kind of “narrative” – a way of documenting that interferes with the text in reality by focusing on site-specific and peculiar characteristics, such as memory, imagination, or identification. “Huatung Village” was once an Amis tribal settlement located in the Xizhi district of Taipei. The artist invited the previous chieftain of Huatung Village to give a narrative in the Amis language of what had happened there via juxtaposing separate audio and video tracks to reconstruct an already non-existent tribe in a real area.
Among the exhibiting artists, Lee Kit’s (Hong Kong) art practice spans the widest range of media including painting, drawing, video, and installation. His work embodies the spontaneity of combining chosen “object” with one’s emotional state, creating a diversity of expressions that reflect artist’s contemplation about life.
Morgan Wong (Hong Kong) focuses on durational performance and temporality with pieces ranging from performance, video, and installation to works on paper. He exploits the language of technology and interactive media to encourage active engagement with the artist’s thoughts. His work The Remnant of My Volition Series reconstructs reality through which profound societal metaphor is being communicated.
Gradually transforming from collective socialism into valuing individual expression, such “qualitative change” continues on in China. In this context, the progress of Asian contemporary art remains unstable, insecure, yet full of possibilities. A+ Contemporary intends to act as an institution that observes, and follows, the vibe of contemporary art through experimental space, forums, and discussions, to identity the driving force behind crossroad of generations.
About the exhibition
Dates: Aug 1, 2015 - Oct 31, 2015
Opening: Aug 1, 2015, 15:00, Saturday
Venue: A+ Contemporary
Courtesy of the artists and A+ Contemporary.
