Zhongguo 2185
Curated by Victor Wang
Sadie Coles HQ, 62 Kingly St W1
Free
Zhongguo 2185 is an exhibition featuring the works of ten young artists from China. The theme concerned is the shifting cultural contexts of China, and also how we can move away from these social and geographical confines. 'Zhongguo 2185' is the title of Liu Cixin's 1989 critical utopian Science Fiction novel, which remains unpublished to this day - circulating only on the internet. The works in the exhibition aim to look towards a hopeful future, whilst criticising the past and present.
To be perfectly honest with you, the information leaflet was a bundle of 'schisms', 'virtual revenants' and 'prescient anxieties' which was almost impossible to understand, so I'll give you my take on it all. The exhibition was all in one large room upstairs in the venue. Although there wasn't much there, there was a lot to take in. The wall on your left, product of artist Chen Zhe, was covered with images of self-harm and bodily violence, coupled with dark and haunting messages from some seriously pained and self-loathing people. One quote read "I hate myself for being too cowardly to die when I know my organs would be made better use of in the bodies of those who are in need of donors". This particular quote not only echoes the thoughts of a lonely and hopeless individual, but also resonates with the organ harvesting and trafficking going on in China, further highlighting the fucked up detrimental state some areas of China are still in.
Following this, there were three identical faces painted onto the wall by Lu Pingyuan, each holding a different story with the hands protruding from out of their eyes. The stories had titles such as "Beauty" and "Grandmother" and spoke of issues within our society concerning bodily image, and the extent to which people are willing to go to fit in with a culture's ideal. China has been known for many coercive and degrading beauty acts - such as the foot binding epidemic, which was based on the idea that women were more attractive with smaller feet and lasted for a Millennium. Grandmother in particular struck a chord with me, speaking of how a elderly lady went and made herself up before she was carried back to bed, never to wake again.
The last part of the exhibition worth mentioning is the gigantic inflatable head lying in the top left hand corner of the room. Again, I have no real idea why this is here but depicts a female face with her mouth open, appearing as if she is screaming. This expression, coupled with the sheer size of the sculpture could possibly be to emphasise the claustrophobic chaos many people, particularly young women feel in modern China. Not only that, but the open mouth may also be to hint at something sexual and the fact many women are still considered to be commodities and objects, not just in China but all over the globe. Next to the sculpture is a video of the head being flown like a kite, and with thick strands of hair blowing wildly, the video shows a madness which only those who truly have experienced troubles of a certain kind will understand, but also a potential freedom, away from the constraints of the metropolis.
The above assumptions are just my interpretations of Victor Wang's compilation, and may be completely inaccurate. Nonetheless, this exhibition is thought-provoking and haunting in a way which stays with you once you have left the venue. For this reason, I would definitely recommend a visit.
OVERALL RATING: ****
http://www.sadiecoles.com/exhibitions-press-release/zhongguo-2185-curated-by-victor-wang
