Artistic innovation thrives in China as evidenced by an array of diverse exhibitions and artistic explorations in various forms and themes. This creative prowess is notably on display at the Autumn Mosaic Art Center in Xiamen, located in East China’s Fujian Province. A group exhibition is currently underway, spotlighting promising young artists and setting the stage for a rich artistic exchange between the emerging and established creators.
Titled ‘Art Room Model: From the Sky to the Earth,’ the exhibition boasts a wide range of artistic forms, from oil paintings and traditional Chinese paintings to sculptures, videos, and installation works, totaling to 88 individual pieces. Many of the featured artists have gained recognition from their appearances on the variety show, The Cosmos of Artist, aired on Hunan TV.
The exhibition’s central objective is to highlight the subjectivity of art appreciation – the understanding that aesthetic tastes vary from individual to individual. While the exhibition works towards popularizing art appreciation and collection among the public, it also underscores the importance of aesthetic education, encouraging viewers to independently contemplate the concept of beauty.
Curators Xiao Ge and Jonas Stampe elaborated on the exhibition’s underlying philosophy. They believe in the notion that art should be accessible and open to public appreciation, exploring the concept of ‘art destination.’ Art pieces, after being created in the artists’ studios, are not confined to professional spaces like art museums and galleries but are made available in places where they can be broadly admired.
Further north, in Beijing’s renowned 798 Art Zone, another innovative exhibition, the Rainforest Art Annual Exhibition, is captivating audiences. This immersive exhibition intends to bring the tropical rainforest to the city, an environment located roughly 2,000 kilometers away from Beijing on China’s largest island, Taiwan.
Artists involved in the exhibition have creatively represented the rainforest through a series of imaginative and whimsical expressions. Artist Wang Chao has designed a circular theme house, allowing visitors to experience an intimate interaction with the rainforest.
A range of other artistic endeavors have seen classic works of art reimagined with rainforest themes. These include the transformation of Andy Warhol’s brain into rainforest plants, Matisse’s dancing crowd replaced by dancing tree frogs, and Leonardo da Vinci‘s Mona Lisa donning a skirt made of rainforest creatures.
One intriguing contribution comes from Liu Xin, a former rock musician, who spent three years in the jungle recording local indigenous songs and the natural sounds of the rainforest. His dedication is indicative of the creativity and commitment driving China’s dynamic and diverse art scene.
READ MORE: