Jef Wall, "Picture for Women," 1979, cibachrome, purchase, 1987, Centre
Pompidou, Paris, Musée national d'art moderne - Centre de création industrielle © Jef Wall
As a special exhibition of the Centre Pompidou x West Bund Museum Project, “ANOTHER AVANT-GARDE: Photography 1970-2000” is on view at the West Bund Museum in Shanghai. This exhibition revisits the development of photography from the 1970s to the turn of the millennium, exploring how photography went from a snapshot of reality to a form of creation that possesses its own linguistic imagery and artistic expression. Centered around the themes of "construction" and "artifice," the exhibition demonstrates how photography transcended naturalist genres to become an art form on par with painting and sculpture. This is the first systematic presentation of the Centre Pompidou's photography collection, highlighting photography's newly defined role in art history.
Barbara Kruger, "Untitled", (Savoir c'est pouvoir, Knowledge is Power), 1989, colour silkscreen print on paper, purchase, 1989, Collection Centre national des arts plastiques
Photography is ubiquitous in art. Yet it only entered in museums collections in the 1970s. The exhibition looks at this turning point by juxtaposing seminal works created by artists from all over the world. What led them to turn to photography as a tool and a method? What can the camera offer in diverse contexts? With small series from the 1970s to large format works from the 1980s and after, the exhibition showcases a diverse range of artistic strategies and technical inquiries, while creating a dialogue between works from Europe, the Americas, Africa, and China. Featured artists include: Cindy Sherman, Jeff Wall, Thomas Struth, Barbara Kruger, Martha Rosler, Victor Burgin, Thomas Ruff, Andreas Gursky, RongRong, Ma Liuming, Chen Shuxia, et al.
Hong Hao, "Mr. Hong Usually Waits Under The Arch for The Sunshine," 1998, inkjet print, courtesy of the artist
About the Exhibition
Curated by Florian Ebner & Matthias Pfaller
Dates: November 9, 2024 - February 16, 2025
Venue: West Bund Art Museum, Shanghai, China
Courtesy of West Bund Museum, China Shanghai International Arts Festival, edited by CAFA ART INFO.
