UCCA

2021/3/6-2021/5/23

If in the context of Western contemporary art, the relationship between Buddhist thought and art has been limited to the expression of "Zen", then this exhibition is intended to use the works of four artists who have different levels of connection with Buddhism in their creations. As a case study, tring to explore the broader connection and possibilities between Buddhism and contemporary art and visual culture. The four participating artists each took a section of Tang and Song Zen literature as the starting point for creation and thinking, and in the process of transforming it, revealed the local artists' cognition of related ideas.

The exhibition space was designed by the participating artist Liao Fei, which was inspired by the traditional gardens and ancient temples of East Asia. The artist creates undulating changes on the original wall structure of the exhibition hall, and reminds certain visual elements in the garden landscape in a minimalist way. In addition, Liao Fei also presented two sets of installations made of natural materials in the exhibition. These works made of stone, wood, and metal do not use any auxiliary fixation methods, but rely entirely on their own gravity to highlight The laws and laws inherent in the material world.

The abstract paintings hanging on the wall of the exhibition hall are Chen Lizhu's "Meditation Space" series of works. The multi-layered color superimposed picture generates a deep sense of space in the plane and points to a certain spiritual perception. For a long time, Chen Lizhu's exploration of space has been deeply influenced by the concept of "living and touring" advocated by Chinese gardens. The presentation of her works this time and the exhibition hall designed by Liao Fei have formed a kind of mutual interest.

Shao Yi's three groups of exhibited works involve the exploration of spiritual belief symbols. The installation "Wu Xiang" made of steel plates is presented in an abstract form. After the artist's clever reconstruction, these media from the leftovers of the creation arouse a series of seemingly nonexistent associations among the viewers. And "Wood Model Series" and "Cult Objects: Contradictions in the Rotation", through the abstract simulation of the sacred objects, suggest the connection between the inner spirit and the outer matter, as well as the thinking about the boundary between the sacred objects and ordinary things.

Chu Bingchao always pays continuous attention to practical issues in an intervening way in his creation. The work "Zao Xiang" in this exhibition is composed of plaster models and recorded single-frequency images. Like archaeological research, the digital plaster model is a partial simulation of the true size of the Buddha statue by the artist based on existing data and digital technology. The content of the image is the artist’s full record of the modern Buddha statue’s manufacturing process in the factory. Rethinking the standard of Buddha statue and its relationship with the statue maker.