ESSENCE: AN EXHIBITION OF CONTEMPORARY ART

CURATOR: GU ZHENQING
DIRECTOR: BATBAATAR NAMSRAIJAV
ASSISTANT CURATOR: LI JIAONI
ARTIST: CHEN WEINONG, DENG GUOYUAN, GAO BROTHERS, GUAN WEI, HE HAOYUAN, LIU WEI, QI ZHILONG, SHI JINSONG, SUN YUAN+PENG YU, TAN XUN, TONG YANRUNAN, YI DEER,
PRESENTED BY: MONGOLIAN NATIONAL ART GALLERY
MEDIA SUPPORT: www.artda.cn

OPENING: 15:00, SATURDAY, 8 OCT. 2016
DATES: 8 OCT. – 28 OCT. 2016
VENUE: MONGOLIAN NATIONAL ART GALLERY, CENTRAL PALACE OF CULTURE, SUKHBAATAR SQUARE-3, ULAANBAATAR, MONGOLIA.
CONTACT: +976-331687；www.art-gallery.mn

ESSENCE: THE ORIGINAL HOMELAND

By Gu Zhenqing, curator

“Essence” refers to the origin of spiritual homeland for mankind. It means the original homeland that people from different nations and religious who have struggled to find, a land that is removed from their own cultural traditions and subjectivity. What the “essence” seeks out is not just a cultural homeland for a people or a nation marked by cultural identifiers, but the kind of unfading spiritual wellspring that was opened up by the religious and philosophical traditions of the “Axial Age” of ancient civilization. Under the conditions of globalization, modernization and urbanization, China, like other developing nations, in facing the various new leaps and crises brought about by a period of social transition. This has often led people to return to the spiritual foundation that was constructed by ancient philosophical systems of thought, and upon which mankind has long relied for survival. “Essence” is a longing look back on human spiritual geniuses from a society flooded with material desire. The essential experience of Chinese modern and contemporary artists is a continuation and generation of conscious spiritual transformation born out of Chinese cultural traditions, as well as a contemporary aesthetic mode marked by logical progression and active innovation. On the new multicultural stage shared by international society, Chinese contemporary writers and artists are producing a human experience unique to development nations, one which forms their responsibilities and contributions to national culture and global society as individuals. “Essence” is the open spiritual concern that has been maintained by Chinese contemporary artists who possess profound imagination and creativity, one which carries the great dream of a renaissance in Chinese culture that forward-thinking and conscientious Chinese people have dreamt for a century.

▼ 展览现场

▼ 部分艺术家作品

▲ Shi Jinsong Diamond Sutra, copper items, ink on paper, video, 1min23sec, loop

▲Chen Weinong A boundless View, 2010, video, 30mins, loop

▲ Gao Brothers Utopia of Construction No.6, 2014, digital print, 110x110cm

▲Guan Wei War on Paper, 2003-2014, video 5mins

▲Sun Yuan +Peng Yu If Seeing is not an Option, video, 30mins, loop

▲ He Haoyuan Civilization, 2015, silk

▲TanXun Project of Limingzhuang Village 30#, stainless steel, 16x9x3cm, 1 set of 3 pieces

▲ Yi Deeer Golden Fairy Tale-River 2, 2003, photo, 90x120cm

▲Qi Zhilong Girl with Hairpin, 2014, silk screen print, 63.5x52cm

ESSENCE: AN EXHIBITION OF CONTEMPORARY ART

CURATOR: GU ZHENQING
DIRECTOR: BATBAATAR NAMSRAIJAV
ASSISTANT CURATOR: LI JIAONI
ARTIST: CHEN WEINONG, DENG GUOYUAN, GAO BROTHERS, GUAN WEI, HE HAOYUAN, LIU WEI, QI ZHILONG, SHI JINSONG, SUN YUAN+PENG YU, TAN XUN, TONG YANRUNAN, YI DEER,
PRESENTED BY: MONGOLIAN NATIONAL ART GALLERY
MEDIA SUPPORT: www.artda.cn

OPENING: 15:00, SATURDAY, 8 OCT. 2016
DATES: 8 OCT. – 28 OCT. 2016
VENUE: MONGOLIAN NATIONAL ART GALLERY, CENTRAL PALACE OF CULTURE, SUKHBAATAR SQUARE-3, ULAANBAATAR, MONGOLIA.
CONTACT: +976-331687；www.art-gallery.mn
 
ESSENCE: THE ORIGINAL HOMELAND
By Gu Zhenqing, curator

“Essence” refers to the origin of spiritual homeland for mankind. It means the original homeland that people from different nations and religious who have struggled to find, a land that is removed from their own cultural traditions and subjectivity. What the “essence” seeks out is not just a cultural homeland for a people or a nation marked by cultural identifiers, but the kind of unfading spiritual wellspring that was opened up by the religious and philosophical traditions of the “Axial Age” of ancient civilization. Under the conditions of globalization, modernization and urbanization, China, like other developing nations, in facing the various new leaps and crises brought about by a period of social transition. This has often led people to return to the spiritual foundation that was constructed by ancient philosophical systems of thought, and upon which mankind has long relied for survival. “Essence” is a longing look back on human spiritual geniuses from a society flooded with material desire. The essential experience of Chinese modern and contemporary artists is a continuation and generation of conscious spiritual transformation born out of Chinese cultural traditions, as well as a contemporary aesthetic mode marked by logical progression and active innovation. On the new multicultural stage shared by international society, Chinese contemporary writers and artists are producing a human experience unique to development nations, one which forms their responsibilities and contributions to national culture and global society as individuals. “Essence” is the open spiritual concern that has been maintained by Chinese contemporary artists who possess profound imagination and creativity, one which carries the great dream of a renaissance in Chinese culture that forward-thinking and conscientious Chinese people have dreamt for a century.