Internationally renowned installation artist: Using art to establish a certain connection between overseas audiences and today's China

The exhibition mainly brings two sets of exhibits: 16 restorations of Tang treasures excavated from the cellar of Hejia Village, and a large crystal art installation in the center of the exhibition area, in Culture

February 3 (Reporter Li Jiajia) "For many Europeans, everyone is familiar with Made in China, but China still has a long history and rich culture, and everyone also wants to know." Susan Drewman, an internationally renowned installation artist, said in a recent online interview with a reporter from China News Network that art transcends national boundaries, and if the understanding between people and people can be enhanced through art, it will be a very wonderful and imaginative thing.

At present, the exhibition "Flower Dance Datang" jointly presented by the Shaanxi History Museum and the internationally renowned installation artist Susan Drewman is being exhibited in Xi'an, and one of its main curators is in Shanghai, In Culture, which has promoted the cooperation between the former two under their matchmaking.

The overall exhibition area is based on the silver sachet of grape flowers and birds, and is designed by refining its hollow pattern elements to provide in Culture

"Flower Dance Datang" is a big IP that the Shaanxi History Museum has focused on since 2018, which wants to present the grand Tang Dynasty atmosphere embodied in the core of the cultural relics elements of Hejia Village. In 1970, the cellar of Tang Dynasty gold and silver artifacts unearthed in Hejia Village, a southern suburb of Xi'an, was not only exquisite and magnificent, but also reflected the craftsmanship level, artistic achievements and spiritual outlook of the Tang Dynasty. The exhibition mainly presents two groups of exhibits that reflect the ancient and modern: 16 restorations of Tang treasures excavated from the cellars of Hejia Village, and a large-scale crystal art installation that surrounds the center of the exhibition area. The overall exhibition area is based on the silver sachet of grape flowers and birds, designed by refining its hollow pattern elements, and the wall shape is integrated into the lotus petal pattern elements on the gold and silverware stored in Hejia Village.

Courtesy of "Flower Dance Datang" exhibition In Culture

The artwork located in the center of the exhibition area was brought by Susan Drewman, which is completed by tens of thousands of crystals, Tang Dynasty grapes, flowers and birds with silver sachet replicas, spherical mirrors and other materials. The composition is inspired by the exquisite and magnificent Tang Dynasty gold and silverware Mandarin Duck Lotus Petal Pattern Gold Bowl, Grape Flower bird pattern silver sachet, gilded pomegranate pattern silver box, gilded phoenix pattern silver plate and other national treasures. Because of the epidemic, this is the first time that Susan has completed her work through remote collaboration, "I completed the artistic creation and the drawing of the work, and the Chinese team assisted in the landing."

Susan said: "I am good at abstract artistic expression, crystal is a medium of my creation. In this work, the bird is abstracted into a curvature that stretches and repeats, and these lines are made up of crystals. The choice of crystal color not only shows the golden splendor and red of the Tang Dynasty's gorgeous wealth, but also has the green lotus and cloves like ordinary and beautiful women, and the colorful Tang Dynasty jumps out of sight. The dark velvet lines are the traces of the movement of the tail of the abstract phoenix bird, and under the reflection of light from different color crystals and large mirrored spheres, it will bring a dazzling sense of continuous movement, as if opening the door of all wonders, traveling through time and space and memory. ”

Courtesy of internationally renowned installation artist Susan Drewmon In Culture

Susan Drewman told reporters that in ancient civilizations, craftsmen achieved the exchange of crafts through the Silk Road. As a member of human beings, she also hopes that her works can play a role as a bridge and connection, and can connect ancient and modern craftsmen and cultures, "Europe and China have a long history and culture, in this way, it should be a good exchange."

She also hopes that once this exhibition goes out of China, it will also be liked by overseas audiences. "Including art, including the story behind the ancient civilization, this is what we want to convey through this work, we want to let the audience feel a certain relationship between the ancient Oriental civilization and the current China through the work." Susan Drewman said that as an artist, I hope that through art, a human language, people will be closer and more understanding, which is also the meaningful place of this work, using art to establish a certain connection between overseas audiences and ancient China and today's China.

Susan crystal installation at the 2021 Trailblazers exhibition at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.　Image courtesy of In Culture

Previously, Susan Drewman had visited Shanghai, Dalian and Hong Kong in China. She looks forward to re-embarking on this ancient land after the epidemic, but this time her choice is no longer China's big city, "I have not been to China's countryside, if I have the opportunity, I want to see China's landscape and idyllic scenery." 」 In the Netherlands, we have seen many beautiful pictures of Chinese countryside, such as China has very beautiful tea mountains, etc., and I hope to walk into the days when the local people have temperatures." (End)