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Art of the Post-1980 Generation2011-12-30 14:54:00 From: chinaculture.org
Young Chinese artists who are tagged as post-80ers are considered adventurous and self-centered. Their works are usually fast-paced and reflect the latest trend in every field. However, artist Tang Yuhan, 26, is focusing on something old and traditional - the art of Chinese geomancy or feng shui. In her latest solo exhibition, Interior Divination, the young artist has created a series of installations, which she named "sculpture blessings", for her family's good health and fortune. For Tang, interior decoration is both metaphor and divination, a method of revealing traditional Chinese family dynamics. In the exhibition space, Tang recreates her parents' home and rearranges its decoration in accordance with the principle of feng shui and the divinatory symbols in I Ching, the Book of Changes, a philosophical text on the themes of geomantic principles, balance and evolution. In the two rooms - a bedroom and living room - Tang uses a round carpet, cloth-covered sofa, fan-shaped lights, and a "Water Wall" with water drops made of chrome-plated porcelain. By installing a series of sculptures that are both decorative and with divinatory symbols, Tang offers a loving tribute to her parents, and meditates on superstition and tradition in a modern age. Tang was born to an ordinary family in Changsha of Hunan province. Her parents had wished that their child be blessed with talent and Tang grew up studying painting. During her study with the Central Academy of Fine Arts, she became curious about feng shui. "Chinese feng shui has been used by many people and for many centuries. People are trying to learn the philosophy. Through the exhibition, which is an experiment,"I want to combine the traditional culture with today's modern life. It also displays a relationship between the house, the furniture and people living in the space," she says. The exhibition's curator is internationally known contemporary sculptor Zhan Wang, who is also Tang's teacher. "When she told me about the theme, I was very interested. "I wanted to know what the young artist brings to us and how she uses ancient culture," says Zhan. "She is among those who have been educated with scientific and practical knowledge. "This makes the exhibition worth anticipating." The exhibition is at Ullens Centre for Contemporary Art (UCCA) together with three other exhibitions. Sculptor Zhan Wang will show his series of stainless-steel rock casts in his exhibition, My Personal Universe. Leading Thai film director Apichatpong Weerasethakul leads visitors through a cinematic narration with the exhibition, For Tomorrow For Tonight, which blends video, images and sound from three of his original films and one sound work to create an intensely lyrical atmosphere. Parallax is a site-specific installation by Kolkoz, a French duo known for their diverse artistic practice and bold, creative use of materials. Total:1 Page: 1
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