Five of the most active young artists from New York have been invited to the Guangdong Times Museum for 15 days, creating art with whatever materials they coulf find at Guangzhou’s various wholesale markets. At the same time, five Chinese artists are chosen and invited to exchange ideas with their American counterparts. Held from July 16 to August 28, this exhibition has succeeded in attracting many visitors and challenging their existing ideas on cultural differences.  As is known to all, American pop art was a result of commercial culture while China is famed for its massive manufacturing. Those low-cost everyday consumer goods may bridge the cultural gap between American and Chinese artists and purpose future questions for young artists.

Mass production and assembly line production are not only one of the foundations of the economic boom in the U.S., but also a characteristic of modern American culture. A reflection of mass culture and commercial culture, Pop Art was also born against such a cultural backdrop and has been influencing American artists for generations. With the prevalence of globalization, China has become a major manufacturing base for mass-produced cheap products. "Made in China" has become synonymous with low quality, mass produced, disposable, and cheap products. With the introduction of assembly line production and a quick-consumption and disposal pattern, commercial and consumer cultures have been brought to China. With this introduction of new trends, mass-produced cheap products have become materials for Chinese artists' art making. During this exhibition, cheap goods "made in China" will become links connecting American artists with Chinese audience and artists, invoking thinking about materialism and consumerism within different social and cultural contexts.

The exhibition attempts to transcend the barrier between Eastern and Western culture, experimenting an in-depth and fresh way of communication. Through the American artists' direct experiences in China, and a face-to-face exchange on issues of mutual concerns, Chinese artists and audience as well as American artists are encouraged to think from each other's perspectives. Through direct experiences, foreign artists are urged to reconsider their own culture from a different angle; through the lens of the American artists, local audiences are encouraged to re-discover their surroundings and re-examine themselves to find new possibilities. Reflection on pluralism, multi-standards, globalism and consumerism will be topics explored at the exhibition.

Venue: Guangdong Times Museum, Guangzhou

Date: 16 July–28 August 2011

Artists: Meghan Gordon, Shana Moulton, Roxana Perez-Mendez, Adam Parker Smith and Bryan Zanisnik

Curator: Ruijun Shen

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