The First "CAFAM• Future" Exhibition--Sub-Phenomena: Report on the State of Chinese Young Art aims at encouraging young artists exploration into artistic language and new ideas. By using field investigation, the exhibition analyzes and studies contemporary and future Chinese artistic tendencies. It places emphasis on investigating and presenting the new generation artists' unique and special "artistic expressions" in a contemporary global context, cultural framework and meaningful production .
At its opening ceremony, Pan Gongkai, President of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, emphasized that it is an academic biennale closely related to the education philosophy and personnel training of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, which embodies its Nomination Committee as well as its academic activities. Based on in-depth research, it provides a professional estimate of the future art trends in China, setting an academic example of visual art studies.
Xu Bing, a renowned artist and Vice President of the Central Academy of Fine Arts emphatically pointed out the First "CAFAM• Future" Exhibition is a unique exhibition as it assembles young artists who are different from former generations of artists in China or foreign artists. They have undergone a special epoch which inspires their creativity. The curatorial process, for him, is a researching process which comprehends the creations, factors, phenomena of young art. Like researchers, curators have striven for multiplicity and inclusiveness. Although the exhibited artists need further improvement of their own values and their works are not perfect, we still find specific cultural nutrition and the autonomy of culture in their works.
As an honorable representative of the Nomination Committee for the first "CAFAM• Future" Exhibition, Richard Vine, an active critic from Art in America pays close attention to Chinese contemporary art, expressed his appreciation for being invited to participate in it. He believes that it’s a fantastic time to promote young art as Chinese athletes do at the London Olympic Games. When talking about some optimistic views on the art market in China held by some art reviewers in an interview with CAFA ART INFO, Richard Vine held that it depends on the effect of two factors: one is that art agents in the west come to understand Chinese contemporary art; the other is potential appreciation in the value of works.
Jiao Meng, the youngest artist selected to attend this exhibition has expressed her gratitude for this magic chance of being nominated for this serious exhibition. On behalf of all the “subjects investigated”, she thought this exhibition would objectively present their existential circumstances and modes of behavior. She would like to share and communicate in this meaningful event.
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Photo by Hu Zhiheng/ CAFA ART INFO
Academic Activities of "Sub-Phenomena: Report on the State of Chinese Young Art"
I Lectures about" Subculture"
"Subculture" is a kind of affiliated culture which tries to establish its acceptance by challenging mainstream culture through stylized and offbeat symbols. The youth subculture study is a new term that has emerged with the formation of a modern society, which finally captured a relatively stable audience and established theoretic construction in the process of urbanization, industrialization and the establishing of a consumer society. It is characterized by resistance, marginalization and stylization. Based on these characteristics, we combined the current ecological situation of youth art and summarized 6 visual rhetorics: "Vine Growth, We-media, Forge Art, Otaku Space, Shallow Life and the Unknown," through which we are going to launch the exhibition under the title of "Sub-Phenomena: Report on the State of Chinese Young Art".
Thus we invited scholars from the domestic cultural field to carry out studies on phenomena and analyses on the current situation in terms of the characteristics, style, function and future development of Chinese contemporary youth subculture [the discussion will be around the 6 phenomena of the exhibition].
Lecture 1/ Chinese Contemporary Youth Subculture: Representation and Perspective
Speakers/ Hu Jiangfeng, Associate Professor of Capital Normal University
Zhou Zhiqiang, Professor, Nan Kai University;
Time/15:30-17:30, July 22
Venue/ Auditorium Room, CAFA Art Museum
Lecture 2/ Subculture: Mainstream of Non-Mainstream
Speaker/ Wu Qiong, Professor of Renmin University of China;
Time/ 14:00-15:30, September 5
Venue/ Auditorium Room, CAFA Art Museum
II Discussion/ Beyond Art
Time/ August 9, 2012
Venue/ Auditorium Room, CAFA Art Museum
"Sub-Phenomena: Report on the State of Chinese Young Art" mainly reveals the creative state of contemporary young artists. They represent a historic passage inheriting tradition and carrying on the future, and they also demonstrate the psychological symptoms of a new generation in the context of a rapidly developing society in China. We will hold an cutting edge meeting, which does not focus on a conclusion, but the fresh experience of the process. Why we emphasize "face-to-face discussion" is because we want the young and active hearts to feel the age. Art resolutely steps forward to diversification today. The deepest reason is because of the diversification beyond art. When talking about "beyond art", we are living in an ever-changing era in China. The discussion will gather Chinese young artists together, and will specifically invite 3 young artists from India, Germany and America to embark on communication. With their on-site experience, we will share the stories beyond art and the reality of life.
The "Discussion" has four units
Unit 1/ 10:00-12:00 Life Memory
[Discussion between 3 artists]
Unit 2/ 14:00-15:20 Education and My Art Road
[Discussion between 3 artists, including 1 foreign artist, simultaneous translation]
Unit 3/ 15:30-16:50 Who Decide My Life?
[Discussion between 3 artists, including 1 foreign artist, simultaneous translation]
Unit 4/ 17:10-18:30 Why We Make Art?
[Discussion between 3 artists, including 1 foreign artist, simultaneous translation]
III Dialogues/ Inside Art
Art also has its inside and outside. When we are going into its inside, what does it means to youth art today? How can its diversified languages facilitate artists' choice and existence? Inside art, there is not only the issue about media, form and language. Then, what possible problem is there currently? Our series of dialogues and lectures will share you with the wisdom and intelligent of curators and artists.
Dialogue 1/ Interpretation of Youth Art
Speaker/ Richard Vine [Editor-in-Chief of " Art in America"]
Time: 18:00-20:00, August 7th
Venue: Auditorium Room, CAFA Art Museum
Dialogue 2/ When Art Museum Meet Curating: Dialogue Between Wang Huangsheng and "Future Curators"
Time: 14:00-16:00, August 9
Venue: Auditorium Room, CAFA Art Museum
Dialogue 3/ Art--Eternal Possibility
Speaker/Fumio Nanjo [Director of Mori Art Museum, Japan]
Time: 18:00-20:00, August 11
Venue: Auditorium Room, CAFA Art Museum
Dialogue 4/ Choices and Self-Activating: Dialogue Between Xu Bind and "Future Artists"
Time: 14:00-16:00, August 14
Venue: Auditorium Room, CAFA Art Museum
Dialogue 5/ "Academies" in the Flatenization of Culture: Dialogue Between Pan Gongkai and Young People
Time: 18:00-20:00, September 4
Venue: Auditorium Room, CAFA Art Museum
Dialogue 6/ Topic TBC
Speaker/ Hans Ulrich Obrist[Art Director of Serpentine Gallery, London, UK]
Time: TBC
Venue: Auditorium Room, CAFA Art Museum
Dialogue 7/ Topic TBC
Speaker/ Alexandra Munroe [Senior Curator of Asian Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum]
Time: TBC
Venue: Auditorium Room, CAFA Art Museum
"Promoting Future" Public Education Activities of "Sub-Phenomena: Report on the State of Chinese Young Art"
In parallel with "CAFAM Future Exhibition", we will organize a series of public education and popularization event, to provide the "future artists" with opportunities in sharing experience, practice and communication on how to proceed towards the future and the world from different perspectives and in different forms.
Activity 1/ Future Collection and Collecting Future
"Collecting the Art Created by Artists of the Same Age" Lecture
Speaker/ Daisuke Miyatsu [Famous Japanese Art Collector from Wage-earner Class]
Time/ 14:00-16:00, September 1
Venue/ Auditorium Room, CAFA Art Museum
Activity 2/ Visiting Project
Daisuke Miyatsu and Chinese Wage-earner class art collectors visit the studio of "CAFA Future" participating artists
Time/ 14:00-16:00, September 2
Venue/ The studios of "future artists"
Activity 3/ A Walkthrough on Artist Residency Programs
Section1/ Experience sharing by the artist who have successfully applied the artist residency programs in foreign countries
Time/ 15:00-17:00, August 30
Venue/Auditorium Room, CAFA Art Museum
Section2/ Tips on Applying for Artist Residency Program and World Art Fund
Speaker/ Julie Segraves( Director, Asian Art Coordinating Council, USA)
Time/ 14:00-16:00, September 6
Venue/Auditorium Room, CAFA Art Museum
Courtesy of the artists and CAFA Art Museum.
