The exhibition theme "The Great Rising Tree" is derived from Rainer Maria Rilke's Duino Elegies and The Sonnets to Orpheus, specifically the line "There rose a tree. O pure transcendence! O Orpheus sings! O tall tree in the ear!" Rilke pays homage to the mythical poet Orpheus, embodying pure aesthetic pleasure and the pursuit of free will. Like a tree that rises in the gray wilderness, a straight tree dances gracefully, singing in the ear, illuminating people in the east and the west, and ceasing within the grove. Depicting the landscape, yet stripped away by the wind. This exhibition showcases over twenty new works by Xie Xuanxuan in recent years, maintaining her purity, joyfulness, and playfulness, continuing her translation of myths and fairy tales filled with childlike wonder and philosophical reflection. The visual impact and dramatic tension inherent in mythology and fairy tales merge with reality, presenting the artist's exploration of the possibilities between daily life and myths, society and emotions.

 

Mythology is a complex system of images and beliefs, constructing the sacredness of human life on a linguistic level, providing possibilities for human cultural existence. Roland Barthes broadens the definition of mythology to the realm of popular culture in Mythologies, as a deliberate form or mode of signification. These "social myths" retain the falsehood and symbolism of traditional myths while incorporating theories of modern semiotics and the strategies of ideological control and guidance. Similarly, Martha Rosler exposes the inherent mechanisms of cultural symbol production and naturalization, stating, "All the myths of everyday life stitched together form a seamless envelope of ideology, the false account of the workings of the world." In between, everyday life is not merely a by-product of capitalist material consumption but also a link that presents and connects all activities with individual sensory meaning. In Xie Xuanxuan's exhibited works, these two levels of mythology intertwine and coexist rather than oppose each other. The sewn-together everyday myths are dissected, revealing humanity's eternal longing for connection and community.

 

Xie Xuanxuan's trees grow upward with sly eyes, bearing suns, and swaying flexibly with the wind. Their astonishing vitality transcends anthropocentric limitations and resembles the spontaneous encounter and fusion of nature and humans. In this exhibition, selected paintings depict different sun legends from Chinese and Western mythology, including the stories of Kuafu chasing the sun and Houyi shooting the sun. The pursuers of the sun seem to step into the land of Oz, where the boundaries between Chinese and Western narratives dissolve in this dreamlike place. Images of the Greek gods of wine, sun, and Medusa are also reshaped by Xie Xuanxuan. Under her loose and playful brushstrokes, the gods of wine and the sun go beyond Nietzsche's representation of the Apollonian spirit embodying hopeful ideals and the Dionysian spirit representing ecstatic indulgence. They acquire a touch of naivety and populism, bridging the gap between mythology and life. Additionally, the traditionally monstrous Medusa with snake-like hair opening her lips resembles a woman deeply immersed in both love and the pursuit of self-expression. Furthermore, the Little Mermaid from Andersen's fairy tales, Snow White from Grimm's Fairy Tales, and Rapunzel are placed in ambiguous contexts of different eras, opening up possibilities and diversity for contemporary female narratives. These princesses are no longer just protagonists of love stories: the Little Mermaid wears an engagement ring, mocking the subjectivity brought by consumerism; Snow White surrounded by flowers gazes unfocused, immersed in her own thoughts, rendering the romantic symbol ineffective, silently rejecting the viewer; Rapunzel is no longer lonely waiting for rescue, and the laundry hanging to dry reveals the possibilities of her daily life. Myths and fairy tales are blended with colourful childlike colours, making everything no longer out of reach.

 

Michel de Certeau believes that the practice of everyday life can become a way of resistance and subversion. In Cheers, Friends, Lingering Fragrance in the Hand, and Give You A Bouquet of Flowers, the connections and emotions between individuals are strengthened through the practice of daily rituals. Contemporary life inevitably imposes uncontrollable changes on individuals, and ritual behaviours help maintain the subject's subjective agency and sense of dignity, protecting lifestyles threatened by external instability. The gentle kiss of a chair, the touching of hands in a crowd, Xie Xuanxuan's vibrant and warm painting language not only illustrates the fusion of daily life and mythology but also brings the viewer closer to both, allowing them to glimpse the cracks in between, incorporating transcendence into life, seemingly turning the formation of a loving community into more than just an illusion.

 

Therefore, in Xie Xuanxuan's painted world, mythology and daily life mutually depend on each other. The wind awakens branches and leaves, and tomorrow the mermaid will sing. A tree, a house, a flower, a fruit, natural objects, man-made objects, the sun, birds, clouds, land, every detail of daily life reveals the meaning of the everyday, discovering the wondrous world within ordinary reality, and the heroic childhood that should not be forgotten. The everyday trees undergo transformation, and the pursuit of the state of everyday life brings about transcendence and malleability, just as Rilke wrote in French Poems: "Tree that perhaps think innerly, tree that dominates itself, slowly giving itself the form that eliminates hazards of wind!”

 

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