Arthub is happy to present an exclusive interview to Yang Fudong as part of his solo exhibition in Shanghai Zendai Museum of Modern Art in Shanghai. The filmed interview is part of 40+4, Art is not enough! Not Enough! or the Making of the Arts in Shanghai ‘80’s-2008, artists interviews by Lothar Spree, Zhu Xiaowen and Davide Quadrio.
Dawn Mist, Separation Faith, Yang Fudong’s solo exhibition will be launched at Shanghai Zendai Museum of Modern Art on 24 May, 2009. The exhibition, which will be his first most extensive solo exhibition in China, will feature a series of his recent pieces which were created in 2009.
As one of the three works on display, Dawn Mist, Separation Faith is the theme of Yang Fudong’s solo exhibition. By “Faith” Yang refers to two things: first, of course, is “belief”; and, second, which seems somewhat more suggestive, is “snake’s tongue”, something toxic and even deadly (in Chinese, “belief” and “snake’s tongue” have the same pronunciation). Moreover, the word “Mist” adds more uncertainties and possibilities to the work.
In addition to Dawn Mist, Separation Faith, the exhibition will also feature General’s Smile and Blue Kylin Part 2 . Dawn Mist, Separation Faith is a video installation consisting of nine 35mm black-and-white films. Together, they shed light on the artist’s reflections upon video installation and the boundaries of film. In each film, “good” and “bad”, “right” and “wrong” shots are all included and played repeatedly, by which the artist intends to escape from the true reality and present the complexity of time. General’s Smile is also a multi-screen video installation, involving several story-lines simultaneously. The artist uses different spaces as painting brushes, creating a space which is somewhere between dream and reality. Blue Kylin Part 2 is a sequel to Blue Kylin 1, which was previously displayed at the Guangzhou Triennial. Once again, it brings the artist back to the rough and coarse landscapes in the North of China, to face the ruthless and yet remarkable nature of life. Compared with Yang’s previous works, Dawn Mist, Separation Faith is a bit different: the artist invites the audience to enter a world of experimental film created by him. Within this extraordinary space, you are no longer a viewer, instead, you become a projectionist, who plays a part in the final presentation of the film. The variety of content reflects the variety and changes in Yang’s art practices. In this regard, the solo exhibition can be regarded as a new starting point to learn about Yang and his world of art.
Our aim in initiating this exhibition is to find a way to interpret such an artist and the codes and information—laden with meaning—we have obtained from the evolution of his work. Moreover, to hold a solo exhibition of Yang Fudong also represents a further step Zendai MoMA takes to promote and present the development of contemporary art in China.
Yang Fudong is one of the most talented and important figures in the Chinese Contemporary Art scene. He was a finalist for the Hugo Boss Award in 2004 and his appearances at documenta in 2001 and the Venice Biennale in 2007 helped make him a favourite amongst international curators.
