Architectural Representation in Chinese Contemporary Art

Artists:
Bi Rongrong, Birdhead, Szelit Cheung, Luke Ching, Chow Chun Fai, Cui Xiuwen, Gao Weigang, Hu Haibo, Huang Rui, Hung Tung-Lu, Ji Zhou, Li Lang, Liu Bolin, Liu Weijian, Shen Zhenglin, Shi Jinsong, Eason Tsang Ka Wai, Wang Enlai, Yang Mushi, Zhang Jin, Zhou Zixi

Eli Klein Gallery is proud to present "Architectural Representation in Chinese Contemporary Art," a group exhibition of twenty-one artists whose works survey the multitude of approaches of aspects of architecture interplaying with Chinese contemporary art. The exhibition, held on the full-floor penthouse of the One Thousand Museum edifice, not only pays tribute to the architectural giant, but also raises more possibilities in the ever-changing linkage of  architecture and fine art. The exhibition will be on view from November 30, 2019 through December 9, 2019—concurrent with Art Basel Miami 2019.

Contemporary art and architecture have become increasingly interconnected, terms such as "deconstructivism" and "abstractionism" link the two fields. In numerous recent projects throughout China such as MOCA Yinchuan, the Harbin Opera House, and the Ningbo Museum, we observe a mixture of the present and the past, the east and the west within the design of these new buildings, further redefining and blurring the line between fine art and design.

A part of Zaha Hadid's legacy that needs more examination is her deep involvement with China, which had been soundly established during her first visit to the country in 1981. Zaha famously claimed: "For many years, I hated nature. As a student I refused to put a plant anywhere."  It was her bond with China that had shifted her focus towards an embrace of nature. Zaha visited every single garden in Suzhou, her observation on the manner in which public parks had been the focal point of gatherings in the Chinese society that inspired her many design projects in the country. The striking structure of the Beijing Galaxy SOHO complex, evokes water and land forms in a traditional Chinese sense.