The exhibition consists of an entirely new series of photographs that Geng Jianyi created in 2008. In these black-and-white pictures, the artist portrays himself in various settings that have been slightly manipulated to create a feeling of uncertainty and distorted reality.
A main focus of the extensive oeuvre of Geng Jianyi is the issue of individual identity, that is, his own personal position within the context of the collective. His work can be described as ’after-images’ that continuously veil and unveil fragments of the individual. Geng Jianyi demonstrates an intense concern about self-awareness and the multitude of forms by which the individual is expressed and represented. In a series of portraits titled “Face” (2001), the artist utilizes light-sensitive paper to create ghost-like portraits. He depicts what Paul Virilio has termed ‘the aesthetics of disappearance’ with subtle calmness and stillness. The semi-transparency of the portraits corresponds to a notion of withdrawal or abandonment of individuality. These images oscillate between total abstraction and recognizable facial features. A similar approach is undertaken in an earlier series of portraits titled “Impossible to Name”. Here, the artist combines oil on canvas and paper-cuts to signify the diverse layers that constitute our beings and the shifting ground that threatens our existence into dissolution. Other works revolving around themes of existential identity include “Who is He?” (1994) and “Proving the Existence” (1994).

Geng Jianyi was born in Zhenzhou, Henan province in 1962. He graduated from Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts, Oil Painting Department. Today he lives and works in Hangzhou. Geng Jianyi’s works have been widely exhibited since his first show in 1989. Exhibitions include The Real Thing-Contemporary Art from China, Tate Liverpool, UK and IVAM, Spain (2007/08); Zooming into Focus, National Art Museum of China (2005); 5th Shanghai Biennale: Techniques of the Visible, Shanghai Art Museum (2004); Geng Jianyi - Useless, BizART (Shanghai, 2004); 4th Gwangju Biennale (2002); Living in Time - Contemporary Artists from China, Hamburger Bahnhof (Berlin, 2001); Inside Out: New Chinese Art Exhibition, New York (1999) and Cities on the Move, Secession Vienna (and other locations,1997); 45th Venice Biennale, Italy .

ShanghART Gallery Beijing Opening Reception
ShanghART cordially invites you to the opening of the gallery’s space in Beijing
Sunday, April 13, 3pm

Situated in Cao Chang Di, Chaoyang district in Beijing, ShanghART is pleased to launch its new gallery in addition to its venues in Shanghai. The space will host both solo shows and group exhibitions featuring ShanghART’s more than 40 represented artists. Art enthusiasts, curators and collectors are also welcomed to frequent the gallery’s collections of catalogues and publications.

ShanghART Beijing

261 Cao Chang Di, Old Airport Rd., Chaoyang District, Beijing 100015, China