China Pavilion in 2006 Loverpool Biennial

by Gu Zhenqing 

    Liverpool Biennial is a prestigious British Biennial, set up in 1999, which has held successfully three consecutive times and changed the history that there was not any Biennial in Britain. Liverpool Biennial attaches great importance to the correlation between the works of exhibiting artists and the physical and cultural environment, which makes it so unique. Britain is one of the most important places of international contemporary art, which has been leading the tendency of European and American art for the last 15 years.

    Chinese contemporary art has formed the worldwide “China fever”, however, it has been in unfavorable situation among international academic environment. Chinese artists have not yet obtained as many opportunities for appearance and attention in Britain as in the European continent. Yang Fudong was the only Chinese mainland artist who took part in the 2004 Liverpool Biennial. 

    In 2005, as the Chief Curator of Shanghai Duolun Museum of Modern Art, I discussed the cooperation plan of the 4th Biennial, 2006 with Chief Executive of Liverpool Biennial Lewis Biggs and Deputy Executive Paul Domela in Shanghai. At the beginning of 2006, I went to Liverpool and held meeting with Lewis and Paul again. Finally, they reached consensus on holding 2006 Liverpool Biennial China Art Special Exhibition. On February 3, 2006, Lewis sent the official invitation letter to invite me as the curator, including Shen Shaomin, Wen Peijun, and Peng Yu + Sun Yun in this Chinese Art Exhibition. Soon after, the curator returned to China and convened all the artists to a preparatory meeting. In the first half of this year, all the artists have put forward the blueprints of the artworks for the exhibition. After several consultations, the curator preliminarily confirmed the blueprints of the artists’ artwork and went to Liverpool with the three artists to inspect the exhibition hall on July 13, 2006. They conducted a careful and prudent exhibition survey. The curator held meeting with Lewis and Paul again to confirm the time and place of the exhibition.