NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 V OLUME 11, NUMBER 6 INSI DE Artist Features: Edward Burtynsky, Jiang Zhi, Shyu Ruey-Shiann, Gao Brothers, Cai Guo-Qiang “Nice Painting” in Hong Kong et al. Contemporary Art Spaces in Xi’an Vitamin: A Conversation with Zhang Wei and Hu Fang Possibilities for the Page: Artist’s Books US$12.00 NT$350.00 PRI NTED IN TA I WAN 6 VOLUME 11, NUMBER 6, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 CONTENTS Editor’s Note 34 Contributors 6 Displaced Cultural Landscape and Manufactured Landscapes: The Three Gorges Project in Art Zhou Yan 15 "Nice painting" et al. – Different Kinds of Painting and Related Practices in Hong Kong Frank Vigneron 41 34 Jiang Zhi’s Faulty Display Mathieu Borysevicz 41 Gleaned Memories: The Art of Shyu Ruey- Shiann Gilles Guillot 48 The Gao Brothers and The Execution of Christ: A Conversation Voon Pow Bartlett, Le Guo, Carrie Scott, Sheng Qi, and Haili Sun 61 61 Leaving Chang’an: Establishing Contemporary Art Spaces in the Ancient Capital Yang Wang 70 The Institution of Forgetting? Contemporary Chinese Art, Crititque, and the Academy Julian Scarff 83 Nutrition Spaces: Vitamin, Guangzhou, and Beijing 83 Edward Sanderson 92 Possibilites for the Page: 88BOOKS and Artists' Books in China Joni Low 103 Cai Guo-Qiang: Sky Ladder Orianna Cacchione 110 Chinese Name Index Cover: Cai Guo-Qiang, Crop Circles, (detail), 2012, reeds, 103 plywood, approximately 800 x 3600 cm. Photo: Joshua White/ JWPictures.com. Courtesy of the artist and The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. We thank JNBY Art Projects, Canadian Foundation of Asian Art, Mr. and Mrs. Eric Li, and Stephanie Holmquist and Mark Allison for their generous contribution to the publication and distribution of Yishu. Vol. 11 No. 6 1 Editor’s Note YISHU: Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art Katy Hsiu-chih Chien Infoshare Tech Law Office, Mann C.C. Liu Yishu 53 presents a number of features that Ken Lum explore the work of artists who live in various -- Keith Wallace parts of the world. Zhou Yan points to the Zheng Shengtian Julie Grundvig difference between how Torontonian Edward Kate Steinmann Chunyee Li Burtynsky depicts the phenomenon of Three Larisa Broyde Gorges Dam compared to the way Chinese Michelle Hsieh Maryon Adelaar artists portray it. Mathieu Borysevicz talks about Chunyee Li Beijing artist Jiang Zhi’s unexpected entry into the genre of abstract art, but, as it turns out, Judy Andrews, Ohio State University his work is not so truly abstract. Gilles Guillot Melissa Chiu, Asia Society Museum John Clark, University of Sydney proposes that Taipei’s Shyu Ruey-Shiann’s Lynne Cooke, Museo Reina Sofia recycling of everyday materials is an extension of Okwui Enwezor, Critic & Curator Britta Erickson, Independent Scholar & Curator his personal life and family history. Beijing artists Fan Di’an, National Art Museum of China the Gao Brothers's remarkable sculpture that pits Fei Dawei, Independent Critic & Curator Gao Minglu, University of Pittsburgh Jesus Christ against a small army of Maos is the Hou Hanru, San Francisco Art Institute subject of an in-depth conversation in London. Hu Fang, Vitamin Creative Space and the shop Katie Hill, University of Westminster Orianna Cacchione reviews New York-based Cai Claire Hsu, Asia Art Archive Guo-Qiang’s exhibition in Los Angeles, where Martina Köppel-Yang, Independent Critic & Historian Sebastian Lopez, Critic and Curator he continues a long-standing engagement with Lu Jie, Independent Curator the idea of communicating with extraterrestrials. Charles Merewether, Director, ICA Singapore Ni Tsaichin, Tunghai University Frank Vigneron argues for making a distinction Apinan Poshyananda, Ministry of Culture, Thailand Philip Tinari, Independent Critic & Curator in Hong Kong painting between artists who have Chia Chi Jason Wang, Independent Critic & Curator come to be referred to as “Nice Painters” and Wu Hung, University of Chicago Pauline J. Yao, Independent Scholar those who might seem to be affiliated with them but are not. Art & Collection Group Ltd. 6F. No. 85, Section 1, Chungshan N. Road, While Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Taipei, Taiwan 104 Phone: (886)2.2560.2220 Shenzhen represent the most vital centres Fax: (886)2.2542.0631 for contemporary art in mainland China, Yang E-mail: [email protected] Wang offers an overview of the art scene in Jenny Liu Xi’an, China’s ancient capital city, and the new Alex Kao Joyce Lin opportunities for contemporary art that are Perry Hsu establishing themselves as the city expands. Betty Hsieh Chi Wei Colour Printing Ltd. We conclude with three texts about alternatives. http://yishu-online.com Julian Scarff responds to a critique of art Design Format institutions by Zhou Yan (not the same Zhou Yan 1683 - 3082 who is represented in this current issue) that Yishu is published bi-monthly in Taipei, Taiwan, and edited was published in Yishu 49 and examines some in Vancouver, Canada. The publishing dates are January, March, May, July, September, and November. All subscription, options that exist for artists in taking a critical advertising, and submission inquiries may be sent to: stance within Chinese institutions. Edward Yishu Editorial Office Sanderson speaks with Zhang Wei and Hu Fang 200–1311 Howe Street Vancouver, BC, Canada about discovering ways of working within a V6Z 2P3 private gallery that fosters an experience of art Phone: 1.604.649.8187 Fax: 1.604.591.6392 that is more than mere consumerism, and Joni E-mail: offi[email protected] Low discusses Vancouver publisher Ho Tam’s 88BOOKS series in the context of artists' books 1 year (6 issues): $84 USD (includes airmail postage) both within China and abroad. 2 years (12 issues): $158 USD (includes airmail postage) 1 Year PDF Download (6 issues): $49.95 USD (http://yishu-online.com) Leap Creative Group Raymond Mah Keith Wallace Gavin Chow Philip Wong No part of this journal may be reprinted without the written permission from the publisher. The views expressed in Yishu are not necessarily those of the editors or publisher. Yishu: Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art 200251 2 4 (Larisa Broyde) 6 (Chunyee Li) 15 (Philip Tinari) (Judy Andrews) (Britta Erickson) (Melissa Chiu) 34 (Sebastian Lopez) (Claire Hsu) (John Clark) 41 (Pauline J. Yao) (Martina Köppel-Yang) 48 Lynne Cooke Okwui Enwezor 61 Katie Hill Charles Merewether Apinan Poshyananda 70 83 856 : (886) 2.2560.2220 (886) 2.2542.0631 [email protected] Yishu Office 92 200-1311 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 2P3, Canada : (1) 604.649.8187 (1) 604.591.6392 : offi[email protected] 103 Leap Creative Group, Vancouver 108 6 http://yishu-online.com Design Format Contributors Voon Pow Bartlett, Ph.D., is an artist, curator, Gilles Guillot is an independent researcher and lecturer, and writer. She was born in Beijing and art producer based in Lyon, France. He received a educated internationally. Her focus is on exploring Ph.D. in Chinese and Transcultural Studies from the an expanded field in the study of the complex causal University of Lyon (Jean Moulin) and is a member framework influencing the global discourses on of the Institute of Transtextual and Transcultural fine art. She has taught cultural studies and fine Studies (IETT). From 1995 to 2005, he worked in art practice at the B.A. and M.A. levels, at various East Asia (Taiwan, Shanghai, Japan) as a manager universities in London. She studied at the School of of the cultural centres belonging to the cultural Oriental and African Studies, University of London; network of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Chelsea College of Art and Design; and Central His current research interests include globalization, Saint Martins College of Art and Design; in London, identities, Asian contemporary art, and the cultural United Kingdom. She now works at Tate Research development of Asian cities. Centre: Asia Pacific, in London. Le Guo was born in China in 1964. He received an Mathieu Borysevicz is an artist, filmmaker, writer, M.A. in Fine Art from Central Saint Martins College and curator, and is former director of the Shanghai of Art and Design, United Kingdom, and a B.A. in Gallery of Art at Three on the Bund. Since 1994, Fine Art from North West Normal University, China. Borysevicz has written widely on contemporary He has lived and worked in London since 1990. His Chinese culture, focusing on the intersections of work explores the dichotomous worlds of conflict social transformation and artistic production. He and balance, proposing solutions that generate is Artforum’s former editor in Shanghai, and his fluidity within the fragmented mind. writings have appeared in Art in America, Tema Celeste, Art Review, Art Asia Pacific, Modern Painters, Joni Low is a freelance writer and independent and Yishu. Several of his essays are featured in curator currently working at the Vancouver Art Chinese Art at the End of the Millennium, and he Gallery. Her writing has appeared in exhibition has published essays in many exhibition catalogues. catalogues and in publications such as Canadian Borysevicz’s latest book project, Learning from Art, C Magazine, Fillip, Ricepaper, and Yishu. She is Hangzhou, a semiotic analysis of urbanization interested in the relationships between visual art and in Hangzhou, was chosen by the New York Times language and art that exist outside the context of as one of the “Best Architectural Books of 2009” conventional exhibition spaces—art that continues and given the prestigious DAM (Deutsches to destabilize and create new understandings of the Architekturmuseum) Book Commendation in contemporary experience. Frankfurt. Borysevicz’s artworks as well as his films have been exhibited and broadcast widely. Edward Sanderson is an art critic and editor based in Beijing. His writing focuses on contemporary art Orianna Cacchione is a Ph.D. student in art in China, with a particular interest in alternative history, theory, and criticism at the University artistic practices.