Summoning Memories: Art Beyond Chinese Traditions highlights works by over 30 contemporary artists of Chinese descent who reinterpret traditions in dynamic and innovative ways. Across painting, sculpture, and photography, these works were created by both established and emerging artists of different generations who use experimentation to draw on both Eastern and Western art-making practices and materials. They push boundaries that manipulate traditional materials and develop unique fabrication processes.
The artworks focus on experimental ink painting, calligraphy, deconstructed language, landscapes (real and imaginary), cityscapes, and celestial patterns. Landscapes borrow from time-honored imagery, but the artists in this exhibition subvert their visual language and meaning. They respond to our present-day concerns about urbanization, the fragmentation of landscapes created by the degradation of the environment, and the rapid pace of China’s modernization, among other urgent issues. Ultimately, these artists summon memories of the past to move beyond its specter, forging new artistic ground on which to build.