Change and uncertainty: China's emerging artists respond in New Urbanism

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Change and uncertainty: China's emerging artists respond in New Urbanism


New Urbanism, opening on 31 August at UTS Gallery introduces emerging Chinese photography and video artists to an Australian audience. Curated by Zhang Zhaohui, the exhibition presents the individual responses of a new generation to the unprecedented changes that have reshaped China's cities in the past ten years. These artists of the so-called one-child policy generation have grown up in uncertain and unpredictable times. Their environment has been one of demolition and reconstruction, of modernisation and globalisation, and their art expresses the social and cultural anxieties that have come with this tremendous change. Environmental degradation, unemployment, the loss of traditional communities, internationalisation and the acceleration of urban lifestyles are some of the issues commonly raised in the work. Also of concern is the destruction of traditional architecture, and its replacement with 'kitsch' Western styles. However, such changes have also had an energising effect on Chinese society, and the positive results of this transformation are evident in the vivacity of its contemporary art. Like the cities that inspired it, the photography and video artwork of New Urbanism is dynamic and contradictory, unpredictable and diverse. Using panoramic photography to exhibit a giant construction site filled with seventy enormous cranes, Wang Nengtao's Subversion of the Earth exposes the scale and volatility of China's current urbanisation, ridiculing its wild exploitation of environmental resources. Miao Xiaochun's work elaborates on the conflict between traditional and modern culture, presenting images of himself dressed as Confucius walking through the chaos of China's modernising cities. Other artists represented in the exhibition are Ya Liang, Liu Wei, Zeng Yicheng, Lei Wei and Zeng Hao. Urbanisation is one of the key issues currently affecting contemporary culture in China. By redefining how urbanisation has affected their identities and lifestyles, participating artists in New Urbanism create a new perspective to document and comment on this dramatic period of transition. A public discussion will be held on the same day as the opening of the exhibition (31 August), running from 4pm to 5.30pm in the gallery. Featuring a number of curators, critics and practitioners of contemporary Chinese art, the talk will expand on some of the ideas raised in the exhibition and discuss more generally the new youth, visual and sub-cultures being generated by China's urbanisation. This free event is organised in collaboration with the UTS Trans/forming Cultures Centre and supported by the Centre for Research on Provincial China, a joint centre of University of NSW and UTS. New Urbanism runs from Tuesday 31 August until Friday 24 September at UTS Gallery, Level 4, 702 Harris St, Ultimo (gallery hours: Tuesday to Friday, 12pm - 6pm). Wednesday 11 August 2004