Group Exhibition ShanghART Singapore, Singapore
In the field of art history, conventional academic discourse has long been dominated by a Western perspective, perpetuating a narrow viewpoint that often sidelines the contributions of non-Western cultures, including the Asian cultures in our current exhibition. In recent decades, however, a notable reversal of this trend has emerged, as art historians, academics, critics and artists from the regions in question, as well as international experts, have collectively sought to challenge and reshape these entrenched narratives. This re-evaluation has also been embraced by some artists who, to some extent, engage with and deconstruct these supposedly dominant paradigms by playing with concepts, figures, objects and elements of Western cultural heritage. These include Geng Jianyi, Sun Xun, Melati Suryodarmo, Wei Guangqing, and Boedi Widjaja, whose works serve, among other things, to shift the focus of critical reflection.
Melati Suryodarmo and Geng Jianyi revisit domestic spaces and objects of European origin, such as German, Swedish and Dutch living rooms surrounded by windows, and imported goods - refrigerator doors - which are as much synonymous with social reflection as they are with openness to the outside world.
Interiority is another theme addressed by Wei Guangqing who, against a background reminiscent of Pop Art motifs, inscribes a teapot in which traditional life, as enshrined in ancient Eastern philosophy, unfolds. By subverting the ancient classics, tradition is renewed and intertwined with contemporary culture influenced by the West, and its relationship with consumerism, politics and religion.
These principles, which have governed and still govern our societies, formed the basis of Sun Xun's artistic proposal, which drew inspiration from G. Orwell's work for his People's Republic of Zoo before conceiving a parallel world to the principles set out in the Republic of Jing Bang.
Finally, this cultural brouhaha comes to an end with Boedi Widjaja's series, which takes a quasi-archaeological approach, returning to the natural and universal language of rocks.
This is the opening exhibition under My boss told me to not do exhibitions. Curated by Zélie Chabert and put together with the help of Tian Lim and Joshua Kon.
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