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Yishu Journal publishes Today/Tomorrow: Chinese Art

In conjunction with our summer exhibition, Death, Shop director Carrie Scott sat down with contemporary artists Le Guo, Sheng Qi and Haili Sun, and academic Voon Pow Bartlett to discuss the varied interpretations and implications of the Gao Brothers’ sculpture, The Execution of Christ (2009). A transcript of the discussion, entitled Today/Tomorrow: Chinese Art, was published in Yishu Journal of Contemporary Art alongside beautiful installation shots and images of some related works.

The title of the project illustrates not only the wide range of topics covered in the hour-long conversation, but also the broad reach of the Gao Brothers’ work. Streamed live from our site, the conversation explored the sculpture’s relationship to the art historical canon in works such as Edouard Manet’s The Execution of the Emperor Maximilian (1868-9) and Francisco Goya’s The Third of May 1808 (1814), as well as religion, Mao’s reign and censorship in China, and the role of audience participation in sculpture. The Gao Brothers’ bronze sculpture depicts seven Mao’s with rifles aiming at Jesus, who stands, arms outstretch at his sides with stigma visible on his hands. What is most striking and unique about the piece is the larger-than-life scale of these figures. The scale and sculptural presentation of this scene were of great interest during the conversation. Unlike the Manet and Goya paintings, as a sculpture, the audience is able to walk around the figures, viewing both the victim and the gunmen’s expressions. Their size makes the figures aggressive and even accusatory.

Undoubtedly the work is politically charged and controversial, making it particularly interesting in terms of China’s cultural and political climate. As our panel members noted, being an artist in China is always risky and often dangerous. As artist Sheng Qi explains, portraying Mao’s face alone is not allowed, regardless of his stance. Considering the risks the Gao Brothers took in creating this work, let alone having it transported to the UK, adds a layer of urgency and violence to the piece. What is at stake is not just the life of Jesus, as illustrated, but in a sense the life of the artist who dares to oppose the regime.

Today/Tomorrow: Chinese Art is available to view on our website as well as a guided tour of the exhibition, Death.

Reported by Megan N Liberty
Via showstudio.com

Chinese Fashion: From Mao to Now

How has fashion mirrored the social and cultural changes that have taken place in modern China? To what extent has fashion contributed to those changes?

This book provides the first comprehensive account of modern Chinese fashion from 1978 to the present day. The post-Mao era witnessed the birth of the Chinese market economy, the reawakening of Chinese fashion, and the rejuvenation of Chinese society. The program of economic reform turned China into the world’s leading manufacturing powerhouse, and the Chinese fashion industry now plays a key international role. During the same period, Western companies discovered China as a significant market for branded fashion and luxury goods.

This book, which takes a chronological approach, offers an analysis of the development of the Chinese fashion industry as well as an analysis of the relationship between dress, gender, identity and consumption in contemporary China. As such it will be welcomed by all students of fashion and textiles.

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China Fashion: Conversations with Designers

This book documents the rise (and rise) of fashion design in China. Told through the stories of three generations of designers: those born in the 20s and 30s, who were active before the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949; those born in the 1950s and 60s, when fashion in China was isolated from the rest of the world and the wearing of “Mao suits” became obligatory; and those born in the 1970s and later, who are now attempting to integrate China in to the global fashion industry, not only as producers of clothing but as designers and marketers as well. Chinese fashion in the past half-century is a fascinating case study, given that the country began in penury, isolation, and political correctness, went through a phase of militant anti-fashion ideology, and is now rapidly developing internationally-minded, and eager to challenge the world in all fields of endeavour. Written by an insider, this book provides a fascinating survey based on the personal, professional and creative experiences of the most influential Chinese fashion designers. As such it will be welcomed by all students of contemporary fashion and design.

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On the Edge Ten Architects from China

The People’s Republic of China is currently the largest market for architectural services in the world, and its cities—sites of the greatest economic migration in modern history—are rapidly being transformed into rival centers for global trade and commerce. On the Edge: Ten Architects from China is an unprecedented critical anthology on new architecture in China, the first book of its kind devoted to the development and maturation of an indigenous approach to modern architecture and urbanism in China. Focusing on the work of ten young design firms based in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, On the Edge documents the rise of a new aesthetic, the evolution of contemporary architectural practice, and the irresistible, global aspirations of an emerging avant-garde.Included in the book are completed buildings, proposed projects, and urban master plans by Gary Chang of Edge HK, Rocco Yim, Zi and Ming Zhang of Original Design Studio, Li Hu of Open Architecture Studio, Ai We Wei, Qingyun Ma of MADA, Jiakun Liu, and Yung Ho Chang, who is the present dean of the Architecture School at MIT

About the Author

Ian Luna is the author and editor of four books on architecture, urbanism, and design for Rizzoli: Kohn Pederson Fox: Architecture and Urbanism, Volume 3; New New York: Architecture of a City; Imagining Ground Zero (with Suzanne Stephens and Ron Broadhurst); and Retail: Architecture and Shopping.

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Architecture in China

Great Leap Forward: Contemporary Architecture in China The past five years have seen a revolution in Chinese architecture?the emergence of independent designers, and a number of new stars?and above all new and interesting buildings that are not the product of direct Western influence. These developments have laid the groundwork for an indigenous modernity that differentiates itself from outside schools as well as eschewing the temptation to put a “Chinese-style” roof on ordinary office blocks. The fact that Beijing has been chosen to host the 2008 Summer Olympic Games has been more than a catalyst for the development of high-quality contemporary architecture in China. Major foreign firms like OMA/Rem Koolhaas or Herzog & de Meuron are participating in the design of buildings that will have functions during the Games, but Chinese architects, too, have been mobilized in this massive effort to prepare the country for an unprecedented level of world-wide attention.

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