Fou Gallery is pleased to announce Lin Yan’s first solo exhibition in Europe - Lin Yan: Beyond Xuan, opening at The Associazione Culturale Officina, Brussels on 14 November, 2014.

Officina transforms a private town house into a special exhibition space. For this unique space, a luxury three-story house with ample space and elegant fitment built in 1906 and influence by art nouveau style, Lin Yan conceived of a series of site-specific Xuan paper installations. The artist suggests, “My ideas grow from gazing into different space. Details of the architecture, such as walls, windows, stairs and furniture, can all become part of my work.” Her various artworks contrast with classic household decorations and generate a subversive visual effect. In Passing By (2014), created for the abode’s staircase, Lin Yan cast Beijing’s old city walls with multilayer Xuan paper in black, grey and white. Another work, Between Inhale and Exhale (2014), was designed specifically for the dining room and is a response to the air pollution in Beijing. Its glowing cloud is made of ink and Xuan paper and suddenly intrudes in the living space. The work seems to represent the current industrial phase of China’s history.

On 13 November at 7pm, the WIELS Contemporary Art Centre will host a talk by Robert C. Morgan, renowned art critic, lecturer and writer - Ink and Xuan: Chinese artists, Writing beyond Writing – the Specificity of Lin Yan. Free entrance. On this occasion the catalogue of the exhibition will be presented, published by Officina, with an essay by Robert C. Morgan and a preface by Pascale Viscardy.

About the artist

Lin Yan (b. 1961, Beijing). Lin Yan is the third generation artist in her family to study abroad. Having graduated from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing (1984), she continued her studies at the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux Arts in Paris (1986). Moreover, she earned her M.A. from Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania (1989). Yan has exhibited internationally at such prestigious venues asThe Museum of the Chinese in America (New York), The National Art Museum in China (Beijing), Shanghai MOCA and the Dresden State Art Collection in Germany. Her works have been included in the public art collections of the National Art Museum of China (Beijing), Long Museum (Shanghai), Museum of Central Academy of Fine Arts (Beijing), Chengdu Contemporary Art Museum and Deutsche Bank Art Corporate Citizenship (New York), Sprint Flatiron Prow Art Space (New York),Yuan Art Museum (Beijing). Her recent shows include: Lin Yan: Dispelling the Clouds, Tenri Culture Institute, New York (2014), Lin Yan: Paperweight, Fou Gallery, New York (2014); Tales of Two Cities: New York & Beijing, Bruce Museum, Greenwich (2014) and Double Vision: The Culture China, Overseas Chinese Women’s Invitational Exhibition, Shenzhen (2014).

 About The Associazione Culturale Officina

Officina was established in Rome on 11 September 2013, with the aim of promoting culture and in particular contemporary art. In order to pursue its objective, Officina organizes exhibitions regularly in Brussels, supports exhibitions and other cultural events organized by museums and other public institutions.

About the exhibition

Date: 2014.11.15-2014.12.14 (Wednesday-Saturday, 2:30-6:00pm; Sunday, 12:00-5:00pm)

Location: Officina, Av. du Général de Gaulle 45, 1050 Brussels

Opening: 2014.11.14 (Tuesday), 6:00–9:00pm

Talk and Book Release: 2014.11.13 (Monday), 7:00pm，WIELS Contemporary Art Center, Avenue Van Volxem 354, 1190 Forest, Brussels. Talk with Art Critic Robert. C. Morgan

Courtesy of the artist, Officina and Fou Gallery, for more information on the exhibition and the space, please go to: www.officinart.com

Press contact: Annalisa Giannella (algiannella@gmail.com, +32.476.575749)