Immersive Art Gallery shows work from collection of David Chau

Ti Gong

The Immersive Art Gallery (IAG) is presenting "Crossing the river by feeling the collectors" an exhibition of work from the collection of entrepreneur and avid collector David Chau, curated by artist Xu Zhen and with with accompanying text by philosopher Lu Xinghua, at C-PARK Haisu.

The exhibition unfolds a kaleidoscopic panorama of the contemporary art world. Within the confines of the cutting-edge exhibition space, the showcase unveils an assembly of almost 100 pieces drawn from Chau's curated collection, all spotlighting the nuanced tapestry of 21st-century Chinese contemporary art.

This exhibition serves as a nexus where 90 artists hailing from 24 countries and regions worldwide converge. Spanning a spectrum of mediums, including painting, photography, video, sculpture, and installations, the exhibition becomes a vibrant tableau that transcends geographical boundaries. These seminal works collectively serve as a visual symphony, engaging the audience in a profound dialogue that spans the realms of history, contemporary realities, and the yet-to-be-unfolded future.

"People think of me as an art collector, an art promoter, or even an investor in art," Chau said. "I am David Chau and, most of all, I am passionate about art."

The exhibition becomes a mirror reflecting Chau's motivation to amass a treasury of artistic expression, representing his global perspective on contemporary art. Rooted in the city of Shanghai, he has meticulously constructed a constellation-like collection, each piece a testament to his foresight regarding the future trajectory of contemporary art in China.

Founder of ART021 in Shanghai, the Cc Foundation, and the IAG, Chau is engaged in an array of art projects, collaborating with both galleries and artists. Simultaneously, he is strongly positioned within the local and global art industry, assuming a pivotal role and infusing vitality into a range of art fields.

The display of artworks unfolds gracefully, spanning and adorning the expansive canvas of five floors. Each level of this immersive exhibition space becomes a carefully curated stage, a realm where the artistry comes to life in a symphony of colors, forms, textures, and narratives.

Ti Gong

The mixed-media work "16.06.1997-31.10.2001" is artist Gu Dexin's notable art piece. Arranged in rows, it is constructed of 36 plastic containers that resemble refrigerated lunch boxes. Inside, there seems to be expired food, but upon closer inspection, it is difficult to identify the exact contents.

Since the mid-1990s, Gu has been experimenting with meat. From 1997 to 2001, he purchased pork intermittently, cutting each piece into 36 segments – each corresponding to a frame on a roll of film. Gu squeezed the meat at home every day until it dried up before moving on to the next piece. This routine persisted for four years.

He began using diverse media in the late 1980s, melting discarded plastic onto organic structures. His material choices, including rotting apples and raw meat, became more radical over time. Gu avoids elaborate explanations, preferring his work to speak for itself. His large, site-specific installations engage viewers instantly, fostering dialogue without imposing ideas or exercising power.

Ti Gong

"Cambrian Explosion 6" featuring a fish aquarium, salt water, volcanic rock, and dark grey sand, and created by Pierre Huyghe, is sculptural theater around a live ecosystem composed of aquatic plants and organisms, as well as a large-scale volcanic boulder. The title of the work refers to the sudden appearance of most major animal species during the Cambrian explosion 540 million years ago.

Huyghe's works, conceived as speculative fiction, explore the continuity between diverse life forms, including biological, technological, and inert matter. Permeable and contingent, they often reflect indifference to observers. Central to his art is the natural environment, capturing the impermanence of the living world and an original porosity between elements.

Tan Weiyun

He Xiangyu's "Coca-Cola Project" (Cola residue), which he initiated in 2008, diverges from the iconic logo of Coca-Cola that represents consumption. Focusing on the drinkable brown sweet liquid, he spent a week planning, more than a month conducting experiments, and a year and a half consuming 127 tons of Coke – equivalent to his small town's annual consumption.

The project successfully transforms the symbolic into the tangible, attracting significant attention for its dissolution of objects through repeated bodily and temporal consumption.

These artists diverge in their techniques yet converge in pushing the boundaries of artistic norms. The exhibition provides a nuanced glimpse into the evolving landscape of Chinese contemporary art, inviting audiences to engage with the unexpected and the thought-provoking.

Date: through February 29, 2024

Venue: C-PARK Haisu

Address: Building D, C-PARK, 638 Zhaohua Rd