Get ready to explore themes of spirituality and contemplation, power and prestige, compassion, auspicious symbols, belief and obsession, mythology and the importance of the natural environment when China: The Past is Present opens at the NGV on October 15.
Juxtaposing ancient Chinese masterpieces alongside moving works of contemporary art and design, the exhibition highlights the influence of traditional artistic practices in modern Chinese culture, while also revealing some surprising synergies between early artisans and present-day artists that bridge millennia, subject matter and form.
Featuring more than 120 works that span an array of art forms – including painting, calligraphy, ceramics, textiles, furniture, photography, mixed media and metal works – this exclusive showcase is the culmination of several years of strategically collecting innovative and critical contemporary work that facilitates dialogue with major historical works already in the NGV collection.
Must-see artworks include a photographic sequence by Xiao Lu (who is widely considered to be China’s first feminist performance artist and one of the best-known artists from China’s Avant Garde art movement of the 1980s), as well as an enormous six-metre-long brush and ink landscape painting by Yuan Yao. Also on display are works by members of the first wave of contemporary artists in China, who were granted asylum in Australia at the 1989 Tiananmen protests.
China: The Past is Present runs from October 15 to February 20, 2023. Head to the website for more information.
