In the rapid pace of the times, how do artists dismantle their own understanding of "words"? On November 7th, the second session of "Seeing Words as Faces - Invitation Exhibition of Contemporary Artists" was launched at the Shanghai Putuo District Art Museum.
The exhibition is hosted by Shanghai Putuo District Art Museum, and organized by Artron Art Network and Hurun Art Club.
Yi Bing, "Seeing Words Like Pictures-Letters of the Master"
In the summer of 2020, Yang Jianyong, co-curator of The Putuo District Art Museum, curated the first exhibition under the title of "Seeing Words as Faces", which emphasized the characteristics of pointing to words but not basing on words. This year, more like-minded people are joining us to explore meaning beyond the appearance of words.
Yang Jianyong said, "The words that undertake the ideographic function have enough tenacity, they can be collected, forged, grafted, reconstructed, and can still reach the meaning of affection." ”
The exhibition features more than 70 distinctive works by 26 artists. These works are divided into two major sections, traditional and contemporary, and the art forms are varied and rich. "For thousands of years, human beings have communicated each other's emotions in the form of letters, and have linked their respective family and friendship." Yang Jianyong said, "While exploring the meaning of words and reconstructing related visions, this is a very interesting practice." ”
At the exhibition site, artist Ma Jin's installation "Jile Tree" sees "Lucky GoodNess, Joy and Peace" on the one hand, and "Future Love Jinji" on the other side, integrating all the beauty into the installation.
MaJin "Jile Tree"
Artist Niu An's acrylic quadriparty painting "Keep Your Mind Undisturbed" records a mental journey of life. "Chaos and non-chaos, the difference between a word turns into an emotional entanglement."
Artist Yi Bing writes letters from literary masters in calligraphy. In his view, writing is like a performance ceremony, quietly transforming inkblots into solemn and solemn standing images.
Artist Hu Youchen wrote traditional gold and stone seals in oil paintings. In the work, the golden stone seal body is enlarged, creating a sense of alienation.
The exhibition continues the theme of "Tribute to Traditional Chinese Culture". In Yang Jianyong's view, since ancient times, Chinese letters have been preceded by greetings, and no matter how the paper and pen and ink change, the meaning of seeing the words is consistent. "Nowadays, the slow Feihong has moved away from daily life, and the digital Chinese characters generated by mobile phones and even voice AI will be a little blunt when conveying emotions."
Some artists said that the rapid typing of mobile phone Chinese characters makes "expression" feel cheap, and the communication that has lasted for thousands of years is gone. This irreversible reality makes it impossible for artists to remain indifferent.
"To continue 'see words as faces' as the title of this exhibition is to try to start from the text, and to make a big fuss about the text through the artist's whimsy and present a new vision." Yang Jianyong said.
The exhibition is open to the public free of charge until 18 November.
Column Editor-in-Chief: Li Junna Text Editor: Li Junna Photo Editor: Zi Xi
Source: Author: Junna Li