4C Exhibition 2023 Q3 Culture Nomad
Against this backdrop of turmoil and transformation, artists within nomadic cultures, with their unique perspectives and creativity, deeply explore multiple dimensions of individuality, race, culture, and gender through their group exhibition works.
Words by Yangyang Li
In today's era of post-globalization and geopolitical turbulence, individuals, cultural groups, and nations are inevitably swept along by vast currents. Amidst the waves of this era, they experience significant shocks and face choices of change, division, or integration. Against this backdrop of turmoil and transformation, artists within nomadic cultures, with their unique perspectives and creativity, deeply explore multiple dimensions of individuality, race, culture, and gender through their group exhibition works. The works presented in the 4C Exhibition 2023Q3 reflect on history, society, and self-awareness, provoking profound contemplation among viewers about the diversity and complexity of the world. The exhibition opens up a rich dialogue about the contemporary cross-cultural and cross-temporal conditions, investigating how we find our sense of self amidst the upheavals of the times and how we maintain our uniqueness within the trends of multicultural integration.
Circa, 1943 (left); The Ideal Woman of Whom (right)
Riesling Dong's practice profoundly reflect the collective memory of nation-states and gender groups, blending the precious preservation of personal narratives. Her works Encounter, Standardization of Average Human Being, Circa. 1943, and Ideal Woman of Whom cover a wide range of themes, touching on political culture, hidden national histories, personal memories, and gender stereotypes. Encounter employs a parallel narrative to showcase the national history and the life experiences of the artist's grandmother, whom she never met. In this fragmented narrative, the artist narrates macro historical events from a personal perspective, yet also from the perspective of a relative she never met. Fiction and real history intertwine here, and through the process of secondary narration, the switch of perspectives and narrative subjects enriches the text with profound meaning.
In Ideal Woman of Whom, Riesling Dong shifts her focus to the series of standards modern women face. She contrasts image search results for "ideal woman" with discussions on this concept from Quora, an online question-and-answer platform. Against a background of images segmented into faces and various body parts, comments from real Quora users emphasize the equality and diversity of the female community, suggesting that a singular standard has already dissolved. However, we cannot help but ask why our views on the "ideal" standard appear to converge in image results. Who holds these views? And who is maintaining this uniform standard? Are our discussions about female standards reaching a deadlock, or was it an unsolvable false proposition from the start? Regardless, Riesling Dong utilizes the medium of books to ensure that the issues explored are both historical and substantive, grounded in history yet within reach.
Liang Zhang's work This Weekend uses a life-like narrative style to depict hotpot, a symbol of traditional Chinese cuisine, along with the traditions, lifestyle, and attitudes it embodies. The artist skillfully recreates the entirety of a traditional Chinese hotpot using ceramic materials, including the yin-yang pot, beef roll, tofu, and crispy pork, constructing a vivid hotpot feast. For Chinese expatriates far from home, hotpot is one of the most iconic Chinese dishes in the United States, evoking nostalgic feelings no matter the time or place. The representation of the hotpot scene not only stirs memories of Chinese traditions but also carries deeper significance. In the artist's eyes, hotpot is like a microcosm of society, with diverse ingredients cooking together in one pot, blending with each other. The hotpot table symbolizes unity, harmony, and family reunion, representing cultural integration. Through this work, the artist aims to promote diversity and inclusivity.
This Weekend
Jiaming You’s multimedia artwork explores the power discourses, social norms, and the intertwining of popular and sports culture within American society. The artist's visual language draws from personal experiences practicing boxing and kendo, as well as a deep insight into the streets of Chicago as a resident. These experiences naturally integrate boxing elements into the artwork, delivering an impactful visual shock through pop art's unique style, using textual slogans and bold colors. As an Asian individual with a female appearance and a non-binary gender identity, Jiaming You frequently encounters challenges and discrimination in the professional environment in the US. These difficulties and prejudices are reflected in the works, as a violent pop culture, especially in the aggressive behaviors seen in televised martial arts matches. The figures, body parts, and other fighting-related objects in the artworks symbolize violence, oppression, and pervasive social inequalities. By examining the visual elements of this aggressive and aggression-dependent sport, the artist scrutinizes the power dynamics and questions the distribution, practice, and execution of social roles and identities within social structures and interpersonal interactions. As Foucault pointed out, power is ubiquitous, deeply permeating all forms of human relationships. Power is not an independent choice or consequence of individual subjects, but an inherent feature of a vast, anonymous set of strategies.
Stella Sizhe Huang's work Drop Houses explores the design of physical architecture based on virtual reality. In this era where live streaming is pervasive, the artist's design of domestic spaces reflects the need for people to live stream anytime and anywhere, exploring the fusion, intertwining, exposure, and sovereignty of digital and physical spaces. The different feature spaces in Drop Houses, integrated with technological products, present infinite possibilities and flexibility, outlining a blueprint for a virtual future for creative and self-defining individuals. This project delves into new hybrid social spaces, challenging our perceptions of domestic rituals, residential architecture, privacy and intimacy, personal identity formation, and social norms. This deep contemplation leads us to examine the complex interactions between individuals and society, and between virtual and real in the digital age. Drop Houses, with its avant-garde creativity and brave exploration of the future, provides us with a new perspective, allowing us to glimpse the future connection between digital technology and living spaces, showcasing the perfect fusion of cutting-edge technology and humanity.
Drop Houses
As a tattoo designer, Lu Xin integrates striking and iconic tattoo patterns into her painting practice. Her works often blend totemic symbols with bright, pop-style colors, imbued with the charm and elegance of Eastern aesthetics. These include elements such as dragons, tigers, mythical and historical figures, Chinese symbols, and characters, showcasing a profound respect for cultural heritage. These unique artistic expressions transport viewers into a world rich with vibrant and diverse cultural imagery, sparking deep reflections on tradition, symbols, and aesthetics. In her tattoo practice in the United States, she undoubtedly carries a deep sense of nostalgia, planting seeds of cultural uniqueness in her designs that bloom on the skin.
Amid the tides of great change, the interactions between geography, culture, race, society, groups, and individuals are becoming increasingly complex. In this exhibition, five Chinese diaspora artists base their work on contemporary cultural phenomena, showcasing their diverse and innovative styles as well as rich thematic depth. Their works vividly reflect the living conditions of the Chinese diaspora community and provide deep insights into social phenomena. 4C Gallery is honored to support and promote contemporary Chinese art and culture, providing a space and fertile ground for emerging Chinese artists to showcase their work and grow, while presenting their latest artistic contributions on the international stage.
Our Art Panel
