Art Basel's compass points to China
- By Harvey Dzodin
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E-mail China.org.cn, July 1, 2014
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"Two Choices" by artist Yang Fudong courtesy of ShanghART Gallery |
Art Basel has different sections that go beyond the traditional art fair booth. One very large section is called "Unlimited" which since 2000 have allowed galleries to showcase large sculptures, video projections, installations, wall paintings, photographic series and performance art.
Among many intriguing works including Yang Fudong's "New Women," a five channel video installation inspired by Shanghai's decadence of the 1920s and 1930s, was the sculptural installation "Eternity" by the Shanghai artist Xu Zhen, whose work was the only special commission from the Armory Show in New York this March. The massive installation features replica sculptures of Greek gods taken from the Parthenon, the essence of classical Western culture, wedded to reproductions of Buddhist statues, their Eastern counterpart. The pairing represents the artist's focus on the cultural frictions and conflicts between two aesthetically different traditions.
Hong Kong gallery Hanart featured the work of scholar artist Qiu Zhijie "Colorful Lanterns at Shangyuan Festival" the first phase of which began at the Shanghai Biennale in 2010 and whose development continues. Based on a Ming dynasty painting by an anonymous artist, the work depicts a lively street scene near Confucius Temple in Nanjing. According to Qiu, the work distills the "DNA of history" and is full of symbolic references and hidden codes for viewers to unravel which form mysteries for the viewer to unravel.
In addition to the main event at Art Basel there were several art fairs such as VOLTA, LISTE and SCOPE that run parallel to it. These fairs are visited by many participants to the main event because, they are often more welcoming to new art and artistic expressions. SCOPE was held in Klybeckquai, Basel's new culture district, located on the fabled Rhine River.
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