Arthub Favorite: Week 87

Spiral Stairs

Opening：2018 January 20, 16:00-19:00
Duration：2018 January 20 – February 28
Venue: AIKE DELLARCO, Building 6, No. 2555 Longteng Avenue, Xuhui District, Shanghai, China 200232

Artists: Hu Yun, Lee Kit, Li Shurui, Lui Chun Kwong, Shi Zheng, Su Chang, Wan Yang, Wang Xiaoqu, Wang Yi, Yang Yuanyuan, Nathan Zhou

“Where do we go from here?”

– John Cage

AIKE DELLARCO will present Spiral Stairs, a group project with video, sculpture, installation, photography and painting featuring a selection of the artists the gallery works with.

Spiral stairs are an extraordinary form of architectural unit which original function is a defensive structure appeared in the Roman castle. It was even depicted in the Bible, where there are two spiral staircases were part of Solomon’s temple. Yet, it gradually becomes a pure aesthetic form crafted with finest stone or the other material by the most outstanding hands in each generation. Even Steven Jobs could not avoid tempting to build up such structure in Apple store after he opened it up. The spiral stairs are purely decorative in the current age, conveying the idea of endless movement and highly intellectual sensuality towards its aesthetics.

The works included in this show, in different forms and with unique stances, address the notion of how ideas and gestures could evolve, across history, carrying on the traces of the past, in a way that evokes the sinuous motion of spiral staircases, where ideas move forward, recur and move back, but never return to the same point.

Meanwhile, the exhibition attempts to offer an unique approach to express the uncertainty and fluidity of this age. The intentions of the contemporary life seemingly become much more sophisticated than ever before. As the quote from John Cage pointed out, the steps are moving forward rapidly before every mindset could entirely fit the tides of this time. Each artist featured in the show implies a sort of personal touch from their memories, emotions and inspirations while each narrative line is coming across as a reflection or projection of the past.