Tang Contemporary Art is pleased to announce “Contact Zone”, a group exhibition of young artists to be presented from August 3 to September 16, 2024 at its Beijing Headquarters Gallery Space. Curated by Fiona Lu and Han Yali, the exhibition features more than 40 recent paintings by 12 artists, including He Keren, Etsu Egami, Li Baige, Lv Huiyao, Ning Xiaoying, Rao Weiyi, Su Yuming, Jade Ching-Yuk Ng, Xie Xuanxuan, Yan Jingshou, Yang Yifan, and Zheng Fenglin.

 

The concept of the "Zone of Contact" was proposed by Mary Louise Pratt to describe the encounter, exchange, and potential conflict of different cultures within a specific social space. Anthropologist James Clifford further expanded this concept, applying it to observations of travel and cultural contact, and proposed the theory of the "contact perspective," emphasizing the dynamic process of self-identity construction in interactions with others. This process not only reveals the crucial characteristics of power relations in cultural intersections but also emphasizes the dynamic nature of different cultures in exchange and conflict, showcasing the complexity of cultural hybridity and transformation.

Particularly in the internet era of rapid globalization, the "zone of contact" is no longer confined to tangible geographic spaces but extends to the field of transculturation, refining into an artistic frontier formed against a backdrop of diversity—a public display space filled with interaction and heterogeneity. This is a place where identity is reconstructed through the presence of transgressive possibilities between the subject and the other. In this space, 42 works by 12 young artists will be exhibited, providing a sample of artists to rethink and redefine their cultural identities, emphasizing the creative practices of coexistence, interaction, and interconnection among artists in a diverse environment, exploring the richness of painting appearances in the zone of contact. Through this exhibition, three major clues can be induced: semiotic landscape, dominant gaze, and aestheticized landscape.

Firstly,"Semiotic Landscape" refers to the collection of symbols and signs in a specific cultural or social environment. Using the visual language of painting, it addresses the distress and confusion caused by the flood of images in the post-internet era. It also considers the possible self-identity and values behind narrative paintings and explores the connections and disconnections between the signifiers and the signified and their meanings in collective experiences. In the works of Rao Weiyi, He Keren, Yang Yifan, Li Baige, and Lü Huiyao, there is not only a dialogue between images and literature but also reflections on identity construction, family memory, and news images. They first root the essence of painting in the exploration of painterliness, then attempt to seek speculative logic and contemporaneity from it, and further delve dialectically into the organic relationship between concepts and forms.

Secondly, "Dominant Gaze" focuses on exploring the descriptions of self-experience. In the works of Su Yuming, Zheng Fenglin, Wu Jingyu, Jiang Shangyue, and Yan Jingzhou, the artists explore the relationship between the "self" and "otherness" in various ways: through self-portraits that depict self-construction under the gaze of others, by using viewing as a starting point to build subjective imagination in specific environments, or through fluid writing. These works not only explore the issue of self-identity in cultural hybridity but also emphasize the multiple layers of self-experience that is simultaneously intimate and public. The artists unfolded an exploration of the through painting, attempting to distance the self from grand narratives and deeply understand the unique experiences of individual life. Additionally, the works delve deep into exploring the complexity and universality of gender contradictions and identity cognition, showcasing the subtle and multi-layered relationships between individuals and collectives in post-colonial societies.

Furthermore, "Aestheticized Landscape" is presented through the works of Ning Xiaoying and Xie Xuanxuan. Their works display the collision between dramatic scenes and reality, creating a unique spectacle of everyday life. These works explore the multiple possibilities of everyday life, myth, society, and emotion. The rich colors in their works not only symbolize the vitality of life but also depict the harmonious coexistence of nature and humanity, uncovering a marvelous world from the mundane reality.

Indeed, the zone of contact is a ubiquitous field of cultural collision that breaks the physical boundaries of culture, making art, language, customs, and more. Each individual constructs their own translation mechanism, converting heterogeneous cultural symbols into their language. This is not only a natural reaction to cross-culture but also a true reflection of reality and history. On the second anniversary of its establishment, Tang Contemporary Art is honored to provide a space for young artists to display and explore under the theme of "Zone of Contact”, carrying diverse individual voices and emphasizing the importance of artistic coexistence, interaction, and mutual inspiration in a multicultural context, reflecting the richness and complexity of artistic expressions in the “Zone of Contact”.

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