Held by Hubei Museum of Art and CAFA Art Museum, planned by Feng Boyi, the exhibition titled “Boundless: Wang Huangsheng’s works(2009-2013)”will be another grand solo show for Wang Huangsheng, after the “Post Refined Joy” in 2012 in Beijing, and the “Losgelöst/ Roaming | Apparition” in 2013 in Berlin. Over 50 artworks created between the 2009 and 2013 are on display, ranging from Chinese ink paintings, installations to video art.
Named after “Boundless”, by juxtaposing three display spaces of black, white and grey, this exhibition presents the artist’s creation, thinking and judgment during this period all together, and at the same time implies the exploration phase the artist is going through, during which his attitude towards art still lingers between “boundless” and “wandering”. The experimental Chinese ink paintings by Wang Huangsheng, are directed towards the endless conflict between the poetic romance and the realistic circumstances of an individual art experience, trying to find the visual tension of transformation and separation inside this intensive paradox, and therefore forming the three themes of this exhibition, which are “Separating”, “Participating” and “In-Between”. The rotated, crossed and entangled lines are moving, but with neither a beginning nor an end; The interacting image formed by veiling the newspapers is like an intervention, is a subversion and disassembly for the ideology of the media; amid the fragments of structure and scene of materialism and invisibility, void and solid, light and shadow, the tactility of an individual towards the reality arises, just like wandering and floating between the critical points of these works, without any limitation.
Firstly, Separating
By twining the lines to reveal an inner secret conversation, the overall structure constitutes a screen which is like a multi-voice ensemble-style tone, or a melody that resonances with the mood. The images caused by ready-made barbed wires, transform the sharp, hurtful physical objects into illusions going hand in hand, the superposition and wavering of multi-shadows and real shapes, expanding the capacity of the conflict, resulting in a kind of fluctuation.
Secondly, Participating
Shifting the position to see and to be seen, it is naturally attached to the images of “anxiety of influence”. Rotating lines, strokes, and stains to cover the original images. The participation in the original text leads to an initiative change, allowing the viewers to view the original “truth”, bypassing the rotating lines.
Thirdly, “In-Between”
In processing image, Wang Huangsheng practiced a series of visual tension designs. This tension not only embodies a certain natural phenomena and scenery such as ink lotus, branches, sunflowers, etc., but also makes the whole picture into a saturated vision, which is also the “in-between” procedure that his artistic creation is transformed into from traditional ink painting to the multi-media experiment and interpretation.
From “Clues” series (2009) to “Losgelöst/ Roaming | Apparition” (2011), it seems that it’s impossible to simply review the changes of previous figurative images to the abstract works of Wang Huangshang, instead, the interpretation of his experiences, face complex living circumstances. His experimental ink creation is precisely decided by his living circumstances and attitude, in addition, reinforcing the helpless and infinite contradictions to the realities.
As for the general public, “boundless” may be understood as the multiple identities of Wang Huangsheng, including being a director of an art museum, artist, curator, and scholar, as well as the cross-border works, comprehensive performance of ink and wash, installation, imagery, etc.
About Wang Huangsheng
As a curator of the museum, Wang Huangsheng, also serves as a director in Guangdong Museum of Art and CAFA Art Museum, focusing on academic building, knowledge production, system construction, institutional norms, social development and service, etc., to get the attention and recognition of the industry.
As an artist, Wang Huangsheng sticks to his observation, thinking and artistic experimentation, the exhibition features his artistic explorations and practices in recent years, as well as a reflection of his double identities, an artist and curator to think about what art is, how to diversely promote his art creation and experimental philosophy, to enrich the connotation of a director.
As a scholar and curator, Wang Huangsheng graduated from the Nanjing Institute of Arts, with a PhD degree in History of Art, he has been engaged in the studies of artistic theories and the museum, published monographs including “History of Chinese Painting: Landscape”, “Art Museum as Knowledge Production”, etc., has edited some academic journals such as “Art Museum”, “University and Art Museum”, he is also the founder and planned some important exhibitions and activities, such as “Guangzhou Triennial”, “Guangzhou Photo Biennial”, “CAFAM Pan-Themed Exhibition”, “CAFAM Future Exhibition”, which reflect his experiences, ideas, and thinking of the construction and development of an art museum, and explanation that professionalism of the museum not only diverts from the academic foundation and expansion, but also is the process of academic practice and knowledge production.
About the exhibition
Curator: Feng Boyi
Organizers: Hubei Museum of Art, CAFA Art Museum
Exhibition Dates: June 8 -June 23, 2013
Location: Hall No.3, 4, 5, 6
