Awakening•Positioning

Re-View——Opening Exhibition part of Cases•History

By Long Museum West Bund

Long Museum West Bund

Poster from "Re-View" Opening Exhibition (2014)Long Museum West Bund

Recording art history is recording the history created by individual artists. Therefore, recording art history is inseparable from continual interpretation of the history of how artists create their works. The significance of case studies lies in constructing and presenting the context of art history through them: how various works by various artists under certain social and historical circumstances form a particular evolution lineage and an actual context. In the history of contemporary Chinese art, when exactly was the beginning of "contemporary" art? What was the quality of being contemporary in the history of contemporary art? Instead of a timeline, the key should be individual cases, or works.

Photo of "The Stars Group"Long Museum West Bund

In 1979, hanging on the iron bars to the east of the National Art Museum of China were over 150 oil paintings, watercolor paintings, pen and ink paintings, wood engravings, and wood sculptures created by artists including Huang Rui, Wang Keping, Ma Desheng, Qu Leilei, and Zhong Acheng. The display lasted only two days but caused a great sensation.These creations, with their distinct presentations and mixed styles, were all greatly influenced by Western Realism,Naturalism,Impressionism,Fauvism,Abstract Expressionism, and Surrealism. The majority of the exhibits were experimental works of Modernism, drawing many aesthetic thoughts and inspirations from existentialist philosophy, the Theatre of the Absurd, and modern poetry. Re - examining the Stars Group from today's perspective, we are able to review the development of contemporary art and reflect upon the origin and indigenousness of contemporary Chinese art.

Grey Wall, Huang Rui, 1981, From the collection of: Long Museum West Bund
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Grey and Yellow Abstract, Huang Rui, From the collection of: Long Museum West Bund
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Red Abstract, Huang Rui, 1989, From the collection of: Long Museum West Bund
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Untitled, Wang Keping, From the collection of: Long Museum West Bund
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Shooting Down the Sun, Qu Leilei, 1981, From the collection of: Long Museum West Bund
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Credits: Story

Director: Wang Wei
Curator: Wang Huangsheng, Cao Qinghui, Guo Xiaoyan

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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