Chinese artist Tan Ping and Swiss artist Luciano Castelli
Luciano Castelli is a young talented artist. In 1972, Castelli presented his work in Kassel Documenta when he was 21 years old; in 1985, he shared an exhibition hall in the “Representation Abroad” exhibition at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, together with Hockney; in the classic “The Documents of 20th-Century Art” by France’s famous art historian Pierre Cabanne, Luciano Castelli is considered as the representative of Neo- expressionism, whose work is mentioned in the same breath with Markus Lüpertz. In 2015, the curator Huang Mei made every effort to invite Castelli and his latest work – “Energy Revolving Series” to debut in the National Art Museum of China, this being the first show in the world.
As one of the most influential contemporary artists in China, Tan Ping has always explored the fields of painting, print, multimedia and design during his 40 years of art practice, refusing to be constrained by the medium, naturally integrating and diverging in the mind, the “adducted, restrained, and definitive status” of Tan Ping’s creation gives the work a thought-provoking Oriental philosophical appeal which is increasingly understood, adored and recognised by the Western art world. Italy’s famous critic and curator Oliva reviewed Tan Ping’s art, “using the work in the different periods to connect the nodes of the exploration of contemporary art, to constantly make creations that are filled with expansive expressions.”
Dialogue between the Two Paintings
Luciano Castelli’s art revolves on the wall automatically, and he leads his portraits to dance wildly. In contrast, Tan Ping’s art lies in the frames on the ground steadily and quietly…The completely different techniques of expression by two artists from the Orient and The West open a contrasting view to the audience: abstraction VS figuration, painting VS calligraphy, stereo VS plane, watching VS reading, extroversion VS introversion, construction VS deconstruction… physical VS mental, the Orient VS the West. Those states, which seem completely different, encounter, collide and integrate in the same space and time as the contemporary.
About the Artists
Tan Ping is the Vice President of China National Academy of Arts; he graduated from the Printmaking Department, Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA), Beijing in 1984; studied overseas in the Free Art Department of Kunst der Hochschule, Berlin, from 1989 to 1994 and received a master’s degree and the degree of Meisterschule. After he returned to China, Tan was engaged in the construction and management of the teaching of CAFA for twenty years, and served as Vice-President of CAFA from 2003 to 2014. As an artist, Tan Ping is active in Chinese contemporary art world, and his work connects the Oriental and Western culture, integrating the thinking of philosophy, history and reality, naturally integrating and diverging in the mind.
Luciano Castelli applies a variety of mediums including painting, photography, video, and sculpture to his creations. In Castelli’s works in video, photography and painting, they focus onself-portraits in various forms and showcases his different characteristics and various roles. He participated in the Dokumenta 5, Kassel when he was 21 years old. From 1978 to 1990, he moved to live and work in Berlin and become the representative of the “New Wild”, which was reknowned in the late 1970s and early 1980s as the Expressionist paintings. Then Castelli moved to live and work in Paris for 20 years, addicted to developing his “rotating” painting. Today, Castelli has moved back to live and work in Zurich, Switzerland, but still keeps the studio in Paris.
About the Exhibition
Curator: Huang Mei
Artists: Tan Ping, Luciano Castelli
The Discussion on the Opening: 13:30, May 21, 2015 (Thursday)
The Opening Ceremony: 15:30, May 21, 2015 (Thursday)
Show time: 15:30, May 21, 2015 - May 31, 2015
Venue: Hall 5, the National Art Museum of China (1 Wusi Dajie, East District, Beijing, China)
The Related Academic Events
Theme of the Lecture: When We Are Young, After Hockney, Lüpertz…
The Guest Speakers: Luciano Castelli, Huang Mei
Host: Wang Chunchen
Time: at 18:30 on May 20, 2015
Venue: CAFA Art Museum
Participation: Open to the public, everyone is accessible to participate in the lecture on time without registration.
Discussion on the Opening: The Oriental and The West: Mental and Physical Dialogue
Seminar Guests: Luciano Castelli, Tan Ping, Huang Mei
Time: 13:30-15:00, May 21, 2015
Venue: Hall 5, the National Art Museum of China
Participation: The space of this activity is limited, so please send the official email orientalvswestern@gmail.com an email with your telephone number and name for registration.
Courtesy of the artists and the National Art Museum of China, translated by Chen Peihua and edited by CAFA ART INFO
