As globalisation increasingly permeates the world, the differences between places are gradually diminished. Meanwhile, the process of production and consumption of goods creates an ever-present consumer culture phenomenon that controls people’s desires and tastes, and forms the dominant ideology for a portion of the population. Times Museum’s new launching project, Banyan Commune invited Swedish artist Gunilla Klingberg to collect materials from the Huangbian neighborhood, to transform the signs of consumption in a critique of the collective unconsciousness of contemporary consumer culture, and also to create a brand new aesthetic experience in the space.
After exhibiting in Stockholm, Vancouver, Istanbul and Houston, Gunilla Klingberg is invited by Times Museum to continue her Brand New View (2003-) series in the northern suburbs of Guangzhou. For this artwork, the artist collects a wide array of consumer logos and images from shops and local supermarkets around the museum which are then sampled, repeated, mirrored and transformed in other ways to create a giant mandala pattern, covering the museum’s street-facing glass wall. All in One One in All (2015) together with several acrylic surveillance globes is well proportioned and hang in the exhibition space. With powerful sensitivity to space and light, the artist draws the scenes and shifting light of the streets outside the museum into the space with the intent of breaking down the division between the art work and the exhibition space.
Artist’s talk, workshops and online events will be held along with the exhibition. Klingberg’s work will be further exhibited on the Times Museum’s “Art on Track” rail car in the city center in April 2016.
About the Artist
Gunilla Klingberg was born in 1966 in Stockholm, where she works. She was educated at Konstfack, University College of Arts, Crafts and Design, and Berghs School of Communication. In 2003 she participated in the Venice Biennial (with Peter Geschwind) and 2007 in the Istanbul Biennial and was included in the Curitiba Biennial, Brazil (2013), the 1st Biennial of Art, Nature and Urbanism, Gernika, Bermeo, Spain (2012) and the Biennale for International Light Art, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany (2010). She has had solo presentations at Malmö Konsthall, Malmö (2014), Rice Gallery, Houston (2013), Eastside Projects, Birmingham (both 2013), Zeppelin University, Friedrichshafen (2009), Bonniers Konsthall, Stockholm (both 2009) and Kiasma, Helsinki (2004) among others. Her works have been on view in group exhibitions at CAN - Centre d'art Neuchatel (2012), Moderna Museet, Stockholm, Museo Tamayo Mexico City (both 2011), The National Museum
Banyan Commune
Banyan tree with a particular meaning is representing the uniqueness traditional civil cultural in Canton region. It is a temporary stopping place in the streets and alleys, an open courtroom and also a community centre. Times Museum launch a brand new project space, Banyan Commune, open to public for free since 2016, located just inside the street-facing glass wall at the main entrance to the museum. This space witnesses the seasonal shifts, day-and-night alternate of the surrounding neighborhood while serving as the window for connecting the museum to the public. Participation and openness are two major focus to this project. In different seasons throughout the year, artists will be invited to present a small scale solo exhibition aimed at the unique traits of the community and the architectural space, drawing from many forms including installation, video, sound, performance and event, among others.
About the project
Date: 2016.1.1- 2016.3.31
Venue: Guangdong Times Museum, Ground Floor Banyan Commune project space.
Address: Times Rose Garden III, Huangbianbei Road, Baiyun Avenue, Guangzhou (Exit D, Huangbian Station, Line 2 of Guangzhou Metro)
Hours: 10:00-22:00 Monday– Sunday
Courtesy of the artist and Guangdong Times Museum, for further information please contact via +8620 26272363 or visit www.timesmuseum.org.
