LIKENESS OF THE OTHERNESS:
2 SOLO SHOWS OF KATARZYNA JOZEFOWICZ AND WENG FEN
OPENING: WEDNESDAY, 28TH APRIL 2010, 4:00 p.m.
DATES: 28TH APRIL 2010 – 20TH MAY 2010
VENUE: LI-SPACE, CAO CHANGDI, BEIJING 100015, CHINA
CURATOR: GU ZHENQING, MONIKA SZEWCZYK
ASSISTANT CURATOR: REN DADI
PRESENTED BY: GALERIA ARSENA?, LI-SPACE
IN COOPERATION WITH: THE ADAM MICKIEWICZ INSTITUTE, WARSAW, POLAND.
Likeness of the Otherness
Gu Zhenqing
Professionals see the essence while nonprofessionals see the appearance. All appearances may resemble one another; each essence is different in its own way.
Contemporary art aims at independent innovation. Homoplasy used to be one internal injury or flaw to many artists and they have been relentlessly trying their best to avoid it. However nowadays, it transforms into a lion in the way and origin of frequent traffic accident at many global art exchange live scenes. Indeed, in the international context of today, the similarity between art works and the so called "traffic collisions" are very often seen. However, China and Europe are of different historical background, ideology, as well as mode of thinking, thus, their grammar system of art ought to be diverse. Therefore, the duplication and collision of art works are often regarded as pure imitation, copycat-like culture trick or business for material gain. One argument says that under the condition of globalization, Chinese and European artists are forced to face up to the increasingly similar daily life. Although people of this contemporary time are categorized into different nations and nationalities, their ways of sensing the outside world are of no big distinction. In this case, the similarity appeared in their art works should be no longer surprising.
The tendency of cultural globalization is developing at the same time as the wave of multi-culture concept. The battle between these two has never stopped. The duplication or collision between artists' works and works of their predecessors are understandable for the similarities are merely in the form or appearance. However, if the similarities shift to grammar constructions, tones and mood, it then becomes weird and abnormal. Such artists are artists who lost their real selves. During the life of an artist, he/she has to confront with various traditions and regulations. Being constrained by the rules can only lead to mannerism. When compared with predecessors or their peers, duplication in appearance is merely of minute difference to duplication in essence for that the charm and soul of predecessors' works can never be copied.
The value of artists lies in their uniqueness. The different approach and understanding of Chinese and European artists towards the same object are necessary and obligatory. By others faults wise men correct their own. Borrowing from others is the foreplay of artists' innovation. However, it can never be taken seriously. To judge a piece of art work, we need to emphasis on artist's self innovation and the development of his/her uniqueness and his/her courage to walk out of their personal track and whether they have built up their own grammar system. Artists are people of independent nature and spirit, their works are bound to be distinct from one another.
Our friend the polish artist Katarzyna has embodied in her works a sense of delicacy and genuineness which underlines the good qualities of a European female artist. To seek for uniqueness and independent mind and her great ability of action is her logic clue for art creation. Katarzyna's miniature type of usage of paper material has shown to us her attention to details and persistent quest for the purity of language. The relatively private living room furniture of daily life are piled up, though the work of Katarzyna, to be a giant matrix of miniatures. Her arrangement of object gives us an ordered and systematic visual experience and a sense of dialectical relationship. Her unique combination of things allows us to discover spontaneously the minutest detail in everything and at the same time, to recognize the whole through observation of the part. The works of Katarzyna manifests her abstract attitude of reconstructing the world. Her grammar system is a narration which doesn't belong to any specified social context. Her mini models are elements of her individual language of this installation. Obviously, the works of Katarzyna is of great difference from the works of Chinese artists who usually seek for grand dialogue within their works but hide their language while presenting the works.
Likeness is one contemporary flaw while the seeking for otherness should be the right direction. Arts may start from between the likeness and the otherness but never lives in between. More often, arts stand up in distinct small groups and grow afterwards in general public. The whole book of art history is full of stories like this.
