By Xiao Wu, EDITOR
On November 8, a 5.4-meter-high artwork Micro World was settled in Yuelai. It is tailor-made for Yuelai by the artist Liu Wei. And it is the 7th artwork joining in Yuelai Public Art Exhibition.
The Yuelai Public Art Exhibition will open at the Chongqing International Expo Center on November 18. The exhibition is hosted by Chongqing Yuelai Investment Group Co., Ltd. The art exhibition has invited the most outstanding 10 artists in the field of Chinese contemporary art. They are Ding Yi, Gu Wenda, Liu Wei, Pang Maokun, Song Dong, Wang Jianwei, Xiang Jing, Yue Minjun, Yin Xiuzhen, and Zhang Dali. The artists will bring a public art event with a reflection on the city’s future. The exhibition invites Professor Sui Jianguo from Central Academy of Fine Arts as the curator, Professor Sun Zhenhua from China Academy of Art as the academic host, Professor Yu Ke from Sichuan Fine Arts Institute as the exhibition planner.
Tailor-made artworks for Yuelai
The preparation for Yuelai Public Art Exhibition began in February this year. In March and April, the artists took a field trip around Yuelai to work out the exhibition program. In May, the experts conducted a professional review on the proposed program. From September to November, it is the stage of artwork making and installation.
Wang Jumeng, secretary of the party committee and chairman of Yuelai Investment Group Ltd, said that in order to attract more high-profile conferences and exhibitions and build Chongqing better as the convention and exhibition capital, it is necessary to introduce more art activities of international standards. The Yuelai Public Art Exhibition is carried out as an endeavor to achieve that goal. Each participating artist has “customized” a piece of artwork for Yuelai. Unlike ordinary exhibitions, the artworks on exhibition will be permanently displayed in the area surrounding the Chongqing International Expo Center.
“We hope to present the best Chinese artists’ tailor-made artworks for the land in Yuelai, which will increase the cultural and artistic elements of this region.” Wang Jumeng said. Yuelai has beautiful riversides. Currently “Five Riversides” are under construction. They are “Vibrant Riverside”, “Ecological Riverside”, “Poetic Riverside”, “Art Riverside”, and “Romantic Riverside”. Yuelai Public Art Exhibition will empower the riverside construction.
Read the message from the artworks
Before the artwork Micro World was introduced, some other masterpieces had been settled in the exhibition. There are Chongqing Thinker by Yue Minjun, Silent Forming by Xiang Jing, “Chongqing” Beilin Qi Department-c by Gu Wenda, The World of Senses by Zhang Dali, Tail Throat by Yin Xiuzhen, and The Will of Geography by Wang Jianwei.
Chongqing Thinker by Yue Minjun.
“Chongqing” Beilin Qi Department-c by Gu Wenda.
The World of Senses by Zhang Dali,
Tail Throat by Yin Xiuzhen.
The Will of Geography by Wang Jianwei.
Gu Wenda's“Chongqing” Beilin Qi Department-c combines abstract traditional Chinese characters with local landscapes. Yin Xiuzhen’s artwork shows the importance of environmental protection. Zhang Dali's artwork focus on the relationship between people and nature, etc. The volume of artworks on exhibition is not small. For instance, Gu Wenda's artwork is 3 meters high, Yin Xiuzhen's artwork 10 meters high, and Zhang Dali's artwork 8 meters high.
Except large in volume, these artworks have imaginative shapes with unique meanings. The artists start from the public art and further explore the multiple possibilities between art and society. They try to arouse the audience’s awareness about the connection between the city development and themselves with the artworks.
There are numerous successful cases around the world to build the urban culture with public art. For example, the Public Art Project of Chicago has collected hundreds of public artworks and displayed them in the public space of Chicago. It has improved the local cultural environment and humanism, and also attracted countless audiences from all over the world. Similar examples include Echigo-Tsumari Triennial of Japan and Sculpture Projects Münster of Germany.
Look forward to the art feast
The famous artist Gu Yue said that the development of art cannot be self-sufficient and unchanging. And it is necessary to match the international standards. And Yuelai Public Art Exhibition follows the trend. He said that the exhibition is very people friendly. The public can enjoy, appreciate, and understand it.
Associate Professor Qu Bo From Sichuan Fine Arts Institute said that Yuelai Public Art Exhibition, held at Chongqing International Expo Center, has two meanings. First, from the space dimension, the exhibition places artworks in the area with a large flow of people, which can lead to unexpected encounters between the audience and art. Second, from the time dimension, these artworks will be permanently displayed in the exhibition venue, which means the exhibition never ends. Therefore, the exhibition will nourish the public mind and improve the taste of the city.
Lu Hao, a graduate student from the Oil Painting Department of Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, talked about her opinions about the exhibition. She said that the artists participating in this exhibition are the pioneer of contemporary art and she is very happy to see their original works at the doorstep. “I often think about what is the core of Contemporary Art? How is it different from the traditional on-shelf painting? I want to get enlightened and find the answer through this exhibition. "she said.
Source: Chongqing Daily