Chippendale’s four-floor temple of 21st century Chinese art is back at it with another intriguing exhibition of fascinating contemporary works. In I Am the People, White Rabbit Gallery invites you to listen to 28 artists and hear their individual voices that echo amongst a crowd as they seek to answer the question: “Within a community, how can we build a society of the self?”
The exhibition itself is an enquiry into the future of class in China. At a time when the nation is rapidly transforming into a global economic and political powerhouse, issues of class stratification and social mobility become increasingly urgent.
The artists in this exhibition offer their nuanced perspectives, highlighting both the struggles and the aspirations of different groups within Chinese society. Whether we are viewing the world from the perspective of a factory worker in Guangzhou or a wealthy entrepreneur in Beijing, cutting across all boundaries is the need for harmony and belonging. Uniting the divide – between the poverty stricken and the politicians, labourers and ethnic minorities, clubbers and cowboys – is the rallying cry, I am the people.
The exhibition is open now until November 12, 2023, and it’s free to visit. The gallery is open Wednesday to Sunday from 10am-5pm. And, as always, a trip to White Rabbit isn’t complete without pots of freshly brewed tea and plates of steaming dumplings in the café downstairs.
