MUSEmemoirs

Info

• Dates: 9.10.24 – 3.02.25
• Curator: Philippe Bettinelli, Paul Frèches and Youyou Gu
• Where: Centre Pompidou
• Price: 16 euro/ 13 euro reduced

Born from a partnership between the Centre Pompidou and the West Bund Museum in Shanghai, this exhibition offers a fascinating window into the contemporary art scene in China. Curated collaboratively by Chinese and French curators, the exhibition brings together the work of 21 artists spanning multiple mediums—painting, sculpture, installation, video, and photography. These artists, born between the late 1970s and early 1990s, represent a pivotal generation that witnessed China’s rapid transformation following the opening-up policies. Their works provide a diversified perspective on the tensions, developments, and reflections that define a nation navigating the interplay between tradition and globalization. The seismic shifts after 1989 not only provoked massive changes within Chinese’s lifestyle and society, but also fueled contemporary art practices and propelled Chinese art into the global art market, where it is has now a predominant presence.

The display is both streamlined and immersive, adopting an open-space format that encourages exploration rather than adhering to a chronological approach. Each artist is represented by a single artwork or a few interconnected pieces, allowing each individuality to resonate. The juxtaposition of diverse mediums immediately captures the visitor’s attention, inviting them to wander amidst the varied narratives on display.

Video art and new media are given major emphasis in the exhibition—practices often underrepresented in traditional museum environments. Given China’s position as a leader in digital innovation, these mediums hold special significance, reflecting how the diffusion of the internet has profoundly influenced Chinese societal dynamics, despite the governmental controls placed on it. Many artists today integrate technology into their work. In this exhibition, some pieces take the form of cinematic works, such as Liu Chuang’s Lithium Lake and the Island of Polyphony II (2023). This 55-minute video installation exemplifies the interplay between the global and the local, delving into the consequences of globalization and humanity’s dependence on rare earth metals and fossil fuels. Liu intertwines environmental concerns with an anthropological exploration of polyphonic sound, inviting viewers into a meditation on resource depletion and the specter of extinction. Presented across three screens, the installation creates an immersive audiovisual experience.

Themes of overproduction and disposable consumption also emerge in works like Li Ming’s Dust on Crust on Combust (2024). Growing up in a province renowned for its lighter production, Li draws on personal experience to critique the overabundance of disposable objects. His installation features piles of discarded lighters accompanied by a scenographic documentation of their production process. The work’s centerpiece—a wall covered in counterfeit images intended to be glued onto lighters—powerfully symbolizes the ephemeral nature of consumer culture.

Throughout the exhibition, many other contemporary issues are addressed. Some focus on national concerns, such as China’s integration into the global economy, while others touch on universal themes like urbanization and environmental degradation. By positioning themselves at the heart of these changes, these artists act as mirrors to their times, offering insights that are both deeply personal and widely resonant.

My personal highlights:

• Liu Chuang, Lithium Lake and the Island of Polyphony II (2023)
• Li Ming, Dust on Crust on Combust (2024)
• Alice Chen, Decided! (2022)
• Hu Xiaoyuan, Wood Purlin No. 12 (2023)