Exhibition SiteWhen "matter" serves as a carrier and "consciousness" is manifested on matter through artistic creation, the trajectory of matter emerges in such discussions. In artistic creation, the existence of matter is not only an external physical form, but also the concretization of internal thoughts and emotions. Artists convey their perception and understanding of the world by selecting specific materials, shapes, and colors. For example, in the mid-20th century, abstract artists such as Mondrian and Malevich seemed to pursue a rational world through cold lines and geometric shapes, but behind them lay a profound reflection on emotions and freedom. Matter is not only a tool for artistic expression, but also a reflection of consciousness. In contrast to emotionally rich abstract expressionism (hot abstraction). The industrialization and mechanization features of cold abstraction convey restraint and calmness, influencing modernist design and emphasizing the importance of simplicity and practicality, which still has a profound impact on contemporary art and design.
Artist Su Yi WorksToday, the development of technology has changed our understanding and application of matter. Emerging technologies such as digital technology and artificial intelligence have revolutionized the way art is created and its concepts. Matter is no longer a single entity, but an interwoven entity of multiple existences. Artworks are not only combinations of materials, but also collisions of data, information, and ideas. In this context, the trajectory of matter reminds us to pay attention to how technology reshapes our perception and survival state, and to reflect on our relationship with the material world in the era of information overload—— Excerpt from Curator Guan Tianqi's "Material Trajectory"
「MATERIAL TRAIECTORY」OPENING CEREMONY
Exhibition Site
「Material Trajectory」Group exhibition of abstract art
Opening CeremonyCommon Art Center will present the "Material Trajectory" artist abstract exhibition at 4:00 pm on November 14, 2024. The exhibition is coordinated and presented by curator Guan Tianqi. The exhibition showcases the works of nine artists, including Huang Zhejun, Li Hongcheng, Ma Shengzhe, Su Yi, Sun Yue, Tang Mingwei, Yin Maojian, Zheng Jiayan, and a special exhibition featuring Chen Darui. Through this perspective, we can understand how material changes reflect the flow of consciousness, how the passage of time affects our culture, and how technological advancements shape our way of life. Enable us to have a deeper understanding of our own existence and its connection with the material world when facing the complex contemporary world.「MATERIAL TRAIECTORY」Review of the Opening Salon
From left: Artist Zheng Jiayan, Host A Qingshan, Co founder of Common Art Center Bao Yu
Curator Guan Tianqi, Furniture Artist Chen Darui, Artist Ma Shengzhe, Artist Yin Maojian
Host, renowned aesthetic blogger, and collector Ah Qingshan
Q：As the curator of this exhibition, how did you conceive "Material Trajectory" and plan such a creative and profound abstract art group exhibition?
Hello everyone, I am a space designer and I am honored to serve as the exhibition curator this time. I am relatively amateur in the field of pure art, but I will examine these works from the perspective of a designer. Designers usually explore the unknown based on known ranges, while artists create the unknown and present it as a known state, in completely different ways. Although there may be intersections at times, they are only accidental. Therefore, as a designer, I have chosen works from several outstanding contemporary artists that break through traditional patterns and showcase a sense of space and material diversity, which is in line with my understanding of space. These artworks exhibit diverse characteristics in terms of materials, colors, and expressive techniques. In recent years, some works in the design and art circles have appeared dull and lack vitality. In the post pandemic era, we need more spaces and artworks that can bring spiritual comfort. The works exhibited today left a deep impression on me. They are positive and forward-looking, presenting a positive trajectory based on existing materials. This deeply moved me.
Artist Tang Mingwei WorksThe "material trajectory" is closely related in form and philosophy to cold abstraction and minimalism. These two concepts emphasize the essence of materials and their presence in space by removing decorations, which is a focus on the trajectory of matter itself. It focuses on the intrinsic properties of materials and their relationship with the environment, such as light and shadow, texture, and spatial tension, which are also the core elements of the 'material trajectory'. However, the extension of "material trajectory" in contemporary art goes beyond the static expression of cold abstraction and minimalism. It focuses more on the dynamic generation and change process of matter, including corrosion, deconstruction, migration, etc., revealing the fluidity of matter in time and social context. Complementing 'restoration', using matter as a record and medium, exploring the deep relationships between humans and non humans, space and non space, virtual and reality.
Exhibition SiteQ：The works in this exhibition may seem like furniture, but they are more like independent artworks? May I ask what philosophy these works are based on?I understand it this way because I started as a furniture designer. We understand modern furniture design in the West, where architects, artists, interior designers, and others use furniture as a medium to create art. I entered this field 20 years ago, and today, I have found that more people from different backgrounds are involved in the art of furniture, but they are not pure enough. There is still a difference between art and design.
Artist Chen Darui WorksIn fact, the concepts of material trajectory and cold abstraction that I understand are a path for furniture to move from functionality to non functionality, that is, a process from living to abstraction. This relationship is very subtle, and we need to find a cutting point between design and art. What is this cutting point called? It should be a deconstruction of practical objects, using architecture, light and shadow, and balance relationships to construct a state that is both cold and still warm. Many people wonder if my work is really furniture? I think discovering new possibilities and forms of it is the most interesting thing in my exploration.
Artist Li Hongcheng Works
Q：May I ask Ms. Bao, why did the gallery choose these artists for a joint exhibition? How did you decide to hold such an abstract art group exhibition?在Before the establishment of our gallery, we focused on book publishing and published a themed book called 'New Abstraction' in 2011. In that book, we have included many important contemporary Chinese abstract artists and their works, including Professor Li Xianting's article "Nianzhu and Brushwork". Artists include Ding Yi, Yu Youhan, Tan Ping, Meng Luding, and 30 others. But in the process of interviewing and organizing, we found that most abstract artists still adhere to Western philosophy and logic. Therefore, when we opened our gallery, we chose another direction - to contemporary transform traditional Chinese culture.
Artist Yin Maojian WorksThe opportunity for this exhibition comes from the regular lectures and presentations held by our gallery. During these lectures, we will use an artist's work to introduce the context of contemporary Chinese art and world art history to everyone. In the lecture, we mentioned the concepts of cold abstraction and hot abstraction, and found that many people and collectors are not aware of their differences: cold abstraction is relatively restrained, such as Mondrian's works; And hot abstraction is even more passionate, like Pollock's works. The gallery is considering starting such an exhibition.
Artist Huang Zhejun WorksAlthough the development of art history in China was relatively late, people's aesthetics are increasingly inclined towards abstract art. Why do many designers and collectors prefer abstract art over figurative painting? Because abstract art gives people a more metaphysical expression. However, how to understand abstract art? I often use listening to music as a metaphor. If you can understand popular music but struggle with electronic music or symphonies, then abstract art is no exception. In earlier years, abstract art emphasized de meaningfulness rather than imitating nature, that is, works directly awaken the emotions and thoughts of viewers through the visual experience of geometric forms. But the Chinese people's thinking is intentional thinking, and we always try to see the concrete image from the works, which just becomes the most prominent feature of our oriental abstraction: image.
Artist Sun Yue Works（Painting: Artist Li Hongcheng）Q：Do you think the materials themselves can also give a specific meaning to your work when you choose these specific materials to complete your creation?
ARTIST JIAYAN ZHENG
My undergraduate major was in imaging, while my graduate studies focused on traditional language conversion. There is no direct connection between the two. During my graduate studies, I tried various materials, especially fabrics, and focused on fabric carving for three to four years. During my previous exhibition, the teacher pointed out that although I had ventured into visual and three-dimensional works, I had not yet attempted to install flat installations. He suggested that I transform the stories and images I usually weave into irregular flat paintings, that is, alien paintings. At that time, I was framing a three-dimensional work and asked the acrylic processing master if they could use AI graphics for carving, and received a positive response. From then on, I began to come into contact with and try using acrylic materials.
Artist Zheng Jiayan WorksI think sometimes it's not that we actively search for materials, but rather that materials naturally appear in specific environments and require us to adapt to them. Starting from flat acrylic, I explored various combinations, not limited to flat bonding, but also including techniques such as interlacing. Just like the tie dye technique I tried when doing fabric carving before, it may appear flat, but when extracting a point from flat to solid or from solid to flat, it presents a new visual effect. Similarly, although acrylic itself is a flat material, through interweaving and structural design, we can give it new forms and meanings.
Q：What do you think is the relationship between us and the material world in this era of information overload?
ARTIST SHENGZHE MA
In my entire creative process, including my outlook on life, I actually told Musk that this world is actually a matrix game. That is to say, the material world we perceive now is actually a virtual concept, and it is set up to be controlled by something that may be a higher dimension behind this material world. This can be understood as something similar to our computers or programs. Yes, it's like a virtual thing.
Artist Ma Shengzhe WorksQ：Do you think the specific materials you choose to complete your creation also give the work a specific meaning? Can you help us understand the key materials and the relationship between art in your work in a simple and understandable way?
ARTIST MAOJIAN YIN
I started with the original frame and wanted to start making it myself. My work wanted to have the warmth I had created from the beginning. It's like I used tools to create something similar to an industrial product, with many accidental elements inside. I didn't hesitate to remove them because they are also part of the work, or rather, the place where there is a certain difference from the language of art that everyone sees.
Artist Yin Maojian WorksIt has a process, and this process may have accepted my feelings every time, because my color may have a certain thickness. At the beginning, I may blindly apply or try, but the layer left behind is the one I chose after ten thousand choices. I think this is also the most critical point of artistic composition. The one that stopped, the one that was chosen.
Artist Huang Zhejun Works
Q：The last question I would like to ask Mr. Bao is that there are often significant differences in the selected works at the just concluded Shanghai 021 Art Fair and exhibitions held by galleries. What is the relationship between the Bao Art Expo and exhibitions in the operation of galleries?
The gallery holds approximately eight to ten exhibitions annually and participates in multiple art fairs. However, exhibitions in galleries and art fairs have different purposes. The art fair is mainly aimed at promoting transactions between collectors and galleries in the short term, so the exhibited works need to be able to arouse the interest and questions of collectors. For example, some abstract art works may be difficult for some people to ask questions due to their incomprehensible characteristics. Therefore, in the daily exhibition process, we need to do more guidance and popularization work, through discussions, sharing and other methods, to help the audience better understand the artist's creative intentions and changes in the composition of the picture. In contrast, gallery exhibitions focus more on in-depth interpretation and display of the artist and their works. The 'material trajectory' can be understood as the path and traces of the existence, movement, and change of matter. The application of this concept in contemporary art is not only about the expression of matter itself, but also about the role and significance of matter in time, space, concepts, and cultural contexts. We really like the name of this exhibition, especially in the context of globalization and technological AI. The trajectory of matter carries infinite possibilities for memory, culture, and the future. This artist explores this issue from multiple dimensions.
Artist Zheng Jiayan Works
Founder/Design Director of Space Evolution (Beijing) Architectural Design Co., Ltd
Founding Partner/Artistic Director of Rainbow Stone (Beijing) Space Design Co., Ltd
Chief Design Officer/Director of Hurun Valley
Visiting professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts/Sichuan Academy of Fine Arts, awarded the "2017 Most Popular Chinese Designer" by Hurun Rich List. The author's numerous projects have won multiple awards, including being selected for the British Ander Martin Interior Design Award and the Italian A Design Award.
Opening CeremonyFor the 11th Beijing Huimin Cultural Consumption SeasonOne of the key activities in the Art Capital section
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Common Art Center, 707-b03 Hongshi Square, No.2 Jiuxianqiao Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China
Founded in 2015, Common Art Center is the first contemporary art gallery with a crowdfunding membership system in China. The Common Art Center is jointly initiated by experienced curators, art dealers, collectors and other professionals in the field. It is committed to providing professional collection solutions for contemporary art collectors with a new business model. The gallery takes "paper" as the medium and works of media as its main research and management direction, because of the importance of such works in the Chinese art system and the broad development prospect in the future. Using paper and folk art as the medium, the excellent artists make paper as a tool to resist its fate, allowing it to get rid of the veil of function and reveal its own artistic value.
