 n March 28th, contemporary artist Zhang Xiaogang’s solo exhibition opened in Queensland Gallery with approximately 600 guests attended the event. Zhang Xiaogang: Shadows in the Soul stands out from the artist’s all other previous exhibitions. It displays more than 60 works of art from various periods of the Zhang’s artistic career and development, stretching from sketch works in the 1980s to the most recently completed photographic works in 2008.
However, this is not a mere retrospection on Zhang’s previous art works. The comparison and collision of his recent and past art works in this exhibition emphasize on the examination of a deeper connection shared among Zhang’s art works, as well as on the discovery of the many layers and perspectives of his art creation.
 Works on view include Guishan series and The Ghost between Black and White series from the artist’s early “Southwest Style” period. The new Green Wall series, which was exhibited in the recent Revisions exhibition held at PaceWildenstein gallery in New York. In addition, the more well known Bloodline series, as well as the most recent Descriptions series are all displaying as a group in the same space. This brings about a unique visual perspective on Zhang’s works, which tightly intertwine with the “past”, “memory” and “history”. It also reveals the artist’s investigations and thoughts on history, human spirit and humanity.
Before the opening, Zhang created a colorful work of art with his personal writings on one of the exhibition walls as eternal tribute and memory for the museum. And after the opening, the artist participated in a discussion session expressed his personal artistic concepts and new creative quests.
When interviewed, many guests expressed delights in seeing the artist’s calm attitude in retrospect his creative experiences. They were also thrilled to be able to view Zhang’s works in various time periods and styles under one roof, which allowed them to witness the artist’s continuous creative thinking and artistic experiments.
This exhibition is co-curated by Suhanya Raffel, head of Asian, Pacific and International Art at Queensland Art Gallery, and Leng Lin. The show will be on view until June of 2009.
Below are some images and pictures from the exhibition:
Description of a Day of 19/12/2008, Sliver ink and oil on B&W photograph, 180 cm x 350 cm, 2008
Describing the Week of 08/06/2007 to 15/06/2007, Silver ink on C photograph, 51 cm x 76 cm, 2007
Amnesia and Memory – Boy with Closed Eyes, Oil on canvas, 200 cm x 260 cm, 2006
Father and Daughter, Oil on canvas, 160 cm x 200 cm, 2008
‘In-Out’Series No.10, Oil on canvas, 200 cm x 150cm, 2006
Case of 16
Zhang Xiaogang was drawing on the exhibition wall
Curator Leng Lin, Zhang xiaogang and his family and friends
Zhang Xiaogang with co-curator Suhanya Raffel
Zhang Xiaogang interview with ABC, Autralian
Opening reception
Opening reception
Lecture after the opening reception
At the exhibtion scene
At the exhibition scene
Related Links:
The Metaphysics of Zhang Xiaogang
Zhang Xiaogang Goes to New York: The PaceWildenstein Exhibition
CNN Talks to Zhang Xiaogang
In the Studio with... Zhang Xiaogang
The Rise of Zhang Xiaogang
Artist: Zhang Xiaogang
Auction Price: Zhang Xiaogang
|
