Beijing
ON | OFF Concepts and Practices of Young Chinese Artists
January 13 – April 14, 2013 Ullens Center for Contemporary Art
Now, Chinese artists born after 1975 have already matured, and their artistic practices and concepts have shown amazing diversity. As the first generation to grow up after China introduced reform and opening up, these artists found more channels to study foreign arts and more opportunities to travel and study overseas. More than 40 artists are participating in the exhibition, and together, their work will create a collective image of a generation.
Brian Brake: Lens on China
October 31, 2012– February 1, 2013 National Museum of China
Late New Zealand photographer Brian Brake(1927–1988) worked for Parisbased Magnum Photos from the 1950s to 1960s. In 1957, Brake traveled to China and visited Beijing, Xian, Gansu, Henan, Sichuan, and Yunnan over a three-month stay. In 1959, he was the only freelance photographer from the West invited to cover the 10th anniversary of the founding of the Peoples Republic of China.
Brake documented many aspects of China, but periodicals in Europe and the United States only showed interest in his work depicting public events and political figures. Before this exhibition, his photographs of ordinary Chinese people had rarely been seen by the public.
Shanghai
Electric Fields: Surrealism and Beyond– La Collection du Centre Pompidou
December 16, 2012– March 15, 2013 The Museum of Contemporary Art Shanghai
This exhibition marks the first time that Centre Pompidou, a leading museum of modern and contemporary art, has displayed its collection on the Chinese mainland.
The exhibition is divided into six chapters, each of which begins with a surrealist masterpiece and a different theme. The themes set contrasting tones for the chapters, and concentrate more contemporary art related to each. Each chapter includes images on large screens, paintings, sculptures, photographs, architectural models, and manuscripts.
Miami
Void and Substance: Li Hui Solo Exhibition
December 6, 2012– February 18, 2013 Zadok Gallery, Miami Two lighting pieces by rising Chinese artist Li Hui are on display at Miamis Zadok Gallery through February 18. A Beijing native, Li Hui achieved acclaim by pushing the boundaries between art and technology and making dramatic use of lasers and LED lights in installations and sculptures that present complementary ideas about void and substance, life and death.
London
Zeng Fanzhi Solo Art Exhibition
November 20, 2012– January 19, 2013 Gagosian Gallery
Beijing-based painter Zeng Fanzhi is currently holding a solo exhibition at Londons Gagosian Gallery. This is his first exhibition at the London gallery, following an exhibition in Hong Kong in 2011.
The collection consists of nine paintings. Zengs aesthetic zeal epitomizes the evolution of Chinese contemporary art, grappling with local history and tradition in the face of massive external influences and accelerated change. Since the beginning of his career, Zeng has presented a succession of powerfully introspective subjects. For the past decade, landscapes have been a central focus in Zengs work.