Embassy of Foreign Artists     
​Shaping in Between

Vendredi 24 juin de 18h00 à 20h00 
Coopérative Ressources Urbaines
Route des acacias, 76
1227 Carouge
à 50 m de la Maison Baron (Ex Piano Nobile) 

Présentation de la démarche de l’artiste et programme de vidéos d’artistes en lien avec les espèces invasives, le tout accompagné d’une petite collation. La discussion ainsi que les vidéos seront en anglais.

Ayant étudié la peinture, Chen a eu son diplôme de bachelor à l’université des beaux arts de Shanghai. En utilisant divers médiums, ses travaux traitent des questions relevant de l’impact environnemental lié au commerce, de l’écologie, de la mondialisation et des transmutations culturelles. Jouant souvent avec de  malicieuses métaphores, il fusionne concepts et matériaux comme un alchimiste. Il voit l’artiste comme une incarnation contemporaine des figures antiques du philosophe, de l’artisan et des lettrés.

Chen Hangfeng came to Switzerland with a mission to find some “Invasive Species” as part of his ongoing research. By surveying the conditions of “exotic species” under different ethnic, cultural, and natural environments, the project attempts to reflect on and explore the issue of ‘Identity’—from the perspective of mutations of identity caused by geographical displacement. Instead of finding the Mitten Crab, he found the Mandarin Duck, Knotweed and Goldfish are also listed as invasive… Though they were immigrated from China and East Asia originally, they have made a certain impact on the environment, or is it that they have changed their own behavior in order to adapt to the local environment? Chen will share with some discoveries, and discuss about his experiences, presenting with five video works by different artists, which are exploring a similar issue.


Artist Talk by Chen Hangfeng: 18:00 – 18:45

Participating artists for the screening program: 19:00 – 19:45 

Savinder BUAL (London)

CHEN Hangfeng (Shanghai)

JIANG Hongqing (Shanghai)

LI Xiaofei (Shanghai / New York)

Clemens WILHELM (Berlin)

Follis Nyctanthous (5’30”, 2010) by Savinder BUAL

Savinder Bual makes reference to illusions constructed by early-cinematic devices such as the moving panorama. In contrast to computer-generated imagery that aims to conceal or smooth out flaws and divert attention to how the moving image is made, this work draws attention to this. The paper jolts and judders and the viewer has to want to maintain the illusion of a coherent world. 

Savinder Bual (1976) gradated from Royal College of Art, London. Her practice is driven by her fascination with the illusory qualities inherent in cinema. Imagining herself as a film pioneer she explore the interplay between the moving and the still creating works that sit between the pre-cinematic and the digital… Exhibitions and screenings include Bloomberg New Contemporaries, PEER & Animate Projects, and Wimbledon Space, London; Turner Contemporary, Margate; CCA, Glasgow. OV gallery, Shanghai and 1Shanthiroad, Bangalore. 

www.savinderbual.com

The Sealed Bridge (13′, 2014) by JIANG Hongqing

The structure of this film is analogous to a kind of wormhole structure. It was a lonely journey, and a forgotten encounter. Facing Saint Michel on the top of Castle Saint Angelo in Rome, who would guess that 300 years ago, a humble Chinese man came from the dragon kingdom only to be imprisoned here alone until death.

JIANG Hongqing (1975), graduated from the China Academy of Art in 1998, and also obtained a diploma DNSEP in Ecole Nationale Superieure d’Art Paris-Cergy. He works in film and photography. As the result of his life experience in France from 2001 to 2006, Jiang Hongqing has been paying sustained attention to the issue of migration, and how to rebuild a sense of self-perception during the process of cultural integration. The common experiences and the introspection of different individuals are explored through the format of narrative video. He also believes video-art shares similarities with the self-salvation proposed by Christianity, wherein the only way to reflect upon the true self is through perceptual image. His recent shows includes: “Only for the Tourist, HilbertRaum”, Berlin, “COSMOS”, Minsheng Twenty-first Century Modern Art Museum, Shanghai, “Double Act”, DDM Warehouse, Shanghai, “Infantisation, Dreispitzhalle”, Basel and “Make Over”, OV gallery, Shanghai.

www.issoart.canalblog.com

Invasive Species – The Vegetables (5’20”, 2010-2015) by CHEN Hangfeng

Chen exposes the shifting nature that takes place when holistic elements become manipulated and tainted due to the regulation of public measures, or the lack thereof. Exemplifying their state of corruption, the verdant inhabitants of the garden (water spinach, pepper, bok choy, eggplant and carrots…) can only communicate through profane and defiled conversations that are only distinguished as incomprehensible noise. The schizophrenic and disjunctive animation is thus mimicking the invasive presence of the altered as the Other.

Chen Hangfeng (1974) graduated from Fine Arts College of Shanghai University in 1997. He works in all media, and he sees artist as a present-day incarnation of ancient philosopher, artisan and literati. Chen’s work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions internationally, including: The Asian Carp project, AM Art Space (Shanghai); Essential Matters, Moving Images From China, Borusan Contemporary (İstanbul); All that glitters must be gold, CFCCA, (Manchester); Endless Demand, Cable Gallery (Helsinki); Serve the people, White Rabbit Museum (Sydney); Prosperity, Gallery 22,48m2, (Paris); Christmas Project – Rockbund Museum (Shanghai). He also curated Organisam – iD Town international artist residency program (Shenzhen)

www.chenhangfeng.com

A Foreign Boss (6’50”, 2010) by LI Xiaofei

Li Xiaofei presents us a video of a foreign boss working in a cigarette filter factory who talks about his changing mentality and behavior while working and living in China. This footage is intercut with scenes of repetitive, continual, mechanical movement—the factory assembly line, which kills creativity and passion while maximizing efficiency and production speed. The abrupt and awkward pacing of the interview presents a kind of “order” which is constantly being cut up, restructured, transformed and rebuilt into an illusory reality.

Li Xiaofei (1973) was born in Hunan, and studied at the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Art. He lives works in Shanghai and New York. Li has received grants from the Iaspis International Residency and the Asian Cultural Council. Li’s work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions internationally, including: “Social Factory: The 10th Shanghai Biennale”, “The 8th Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art”, “60th International Short Film Festival Oberhausen”, “5th Nakanojo Biennale” and the “2013 Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture”, Shenzhen. 

www.lixiaofei.org

Contact (15′, 2014) by Clemens WILHELM

A man and a woman meet in real life after meeting online. They get close to each other but the contact is quite unreal. While handling smart phones, sex toys and e-cigarettes, all they can talk about is the beauty of Prague. Substitutes replace the “real thing” in the name of security. A computer camera watches the scene.

Clemens Wilhelm (1980) is a multi-media-artist based in Berlin who works mainly in video and photography. His works are shown internationally in institutions and festivals such as CFCCA Manchester, Times Museum Guangzhou, Loop Festival Barcelona, WRO 15th Media Art Biennale Wroclaw, Stuttgarter Filmwinter, and Goethe Institute New York City. In 2014 he won the First Prize of the Now & After Video Art Festivals Moscow for his film PETER IS DEAD. He was nominated for the Kino der Kunst Award 2013 and the Lichter Film Award 2012. He received the TATE Artist Rooms Joseph-Beuys-Scholarship, the Lo Schermo dell’Arte/Visio Scholarship and the Pepinieres Europeennes Scholarship. 

www.clemenswilhelm.com

See also :

Organism (related project curated by Chen Hangfeng)

www.chenhangfeng.com

 

 

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