Artists
Wang Mei Yi, Li Si Yuan, Duolan Kumori, Guo Pengjun, Hong Junwen, Yang Sixue, Guan Wenyue, Xiang Mengchuan, Liu Nuojia, Mika Kamiya, Taylor Chyn, Wu Jiayi, Song Xinyi, Zhou Weichen, Lu Shangfeng, Zhang Jiyu, Chen Yunyu, Xie Qianhui, Li Quanzhen, Ren Ruoyu, Shan Luojia, Zhao Junni, Ding Xinyi, Liu Jintian.
On the afternoon of May 18, 2024, the “The Power of Stillness, the Boundaries Between Noise and Sound” art exhibition opened at the 3.5 Art Space in the Beijing 798 Art District.
This exhibition brings together 25 artists from diverse backgrounds, including current students and graduates from renowned art institutions such as the Royal College of Art, UAL-Central Saint Martins, Washington University in St. Louis, Birmingham City University, as well as students from international schools in Beijing such as DSCHK, Keystone, Harrow, Keystone, ISB, and Dulwich. These young artists present a fascinating exploration of visual and auditory art.
As part of the “Global Young Artists Support Program,” this exhibition follows the important project of the “Temporal Collision” art exhibition in London in 2023. The core theme of the exhibition, stillness and noise, provides a reflective mirror for contemporary society, exploring how individuals find inner peace and meaning in an environment of information overload and sensory numbness. Through their works, the artists not only showcase their unique perspectives and deep reflections on this theme but also spark widespread discussions on how to maintain inner tranquility in a fast-paced life.
Exhibition Preface
This exhibition takes “the power of stillness, the boundaries between noise and sound” as its theme, exploring issues such as stillness in images, propositions, beliefs, and perceptions.
Young artists have rarely experienced the long and sometimes tedious history, and most of them are engaged in debates around representation and reason. These debates often affect the image (and matter) itself to the extent that the image is often seen as the metaphysics of “photography,” the latter (the debate) predominating the former (image).
In Wittgenstein’s later concept of the “world picture,” he mentioned that the image is an image of thought, which is actually thought “itself,” and our sum of thoughts is a picture of the world. So propositions are real images. However, images cannot exist outside of their representational forms. Most of us work according to images because the stability of things gives us the motivation to study. As for what the world is, besides scientists and philosophers, artists use images to express subjective understandings of the existence and evolution of the world.
Artists seem to have unshakable beliefs, but what are their beliefs? Belief is an anchor that exists in all our questions and answers. In this seemingly only-speaking space, who is willing to listen to the truths that artists express with their hearts but cannot speak with their mouths?
This exhibition will provide a completely different approach. It first encourages artists to “argue” with their works in the form of narratives. Then, it will serve as part of the exhibition’s contribution, in fact, what might our artistic living environment become from the perspectives of art groups, politics, subjects, and society? The curatorial team will conduct a dual narrative.
On the other hand, how are the images and “arguments” of artists intertwined, what does it mean for artists? Or what might it mean in this world of robots, concept activations, and multidimensional time distortions, what can contemporary art still mean?
Academic Adviser, Curatorial Team’s Address
At the opening ceremony, Lin Yu (representative of the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in Greater China) first delivered a speech, mentioning that as an artist, visiting exhibitions is an experiential process of learning from other artists. At the same time, she also shared her feelings when viewing works by young artists, which reminded her of the passion and challenges that initially drew her into the art industry. Finally, she compared the past and present conditions of artistic creation and encouraged young artists to maintain an open mind, enjoy the creative process, and never forget their initial love.
Lou Yang (member of the China Artists Association) expressed appreciation for the works of young artists of different ages, believing that these works are not only full of power but also brimming with vitality, as if one can feel the continuous creativity and vitality through the canvas, sculpture, or image. She also mentioned that this is the first time for many children to participate in a professional art exhibition. Whether it is for their personal growth or their exploration and attempts in the field of art, this is an invaluable experience. She believes that by participating in this exhibition, not only can they gain valuable exhibition opportunities but also grow through communication and learning, inspiring their love for art and the courage and determination to continue pursuing their artistic dreams in the future.
As the executive curator of this exhibition, Lu Jiayi recalled her views on the 798 Art Exhibition during her school days, feeling that it was the domain of professional artists. She believes that the exhibition is an opportunity for experimental works, and the important thing is the whole experience and the feedback received after the work is displayed, not just the final presentation of the work. At the same time, she also emphasized the importance of listening to different voices, including questioning voices, which helps in rethinking and progressing.
The exhibition runs from May 18 to May 27, 2024, allowing the audience to experience and contemplate the depth of static beauty and sound in modern fast-paced life. The exhibition not only showcases the creativity and innovation of young artists but also provides a platform for communication and inspiration for art enthusiasts and professionals.