China Dream brings best in Chinese culture to Liverpool
Liverpool’s China Dream festival celebrating the best in Chinese contemporary culture and art is now open – coinciding with the unveiling of the Terracotta Warriors at World Museum.
PRESENCE: A Window into Chinese Contemporary Art is being staged in the vaults at St George’s Hall, close to the William Brown Street museum, and features works from 19 of the most exciting emerging and established Chinese artists from mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and beyond.
The free show, curated by Liverpudlian Lindsay Taylor from the University of Salford, will encompass paintings, photographs, sculpture, video and installations.
All works belong to the University of Salford Art Collection and this is first time the New Collection of Chinese Contemporary Art has been displayed in full.
Those under the spotlight include conceptual artist Luke Ching, who took part in Liverpool’s LOOK/17 Festival, Guangzhou-born multimedia artist Cao Fei, and Taiwanese artist Wu Chi-Tsung.
Lindsay Taylor says: "This is fantastic for us, and we're seeing the works in a completely new light.
"It makes a counterpoint to the World Museum exhibition. This is about looking forward. I hope people will come and experience it.
Assistant Mayor and cabinet member for culture, tourism and events, Councillor Wendy Simon, says: “We’re incredibly lucky to be able to showcase two juxtaposing exhibitions – on one hand you have some of the world’s most iconic and oldest pieces of Chinese art and on the other we are shining a light on the incredible creative talent which is thriving today.
Lu Xinjian, City DNA Salford and Manchester, 2016. Photography courtesy of Art Labor Gallery, Shanghai
“It offers visitors a real 360-degree experience of art from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan at its very best, and the fact that World Museum is just a stone’s throw away from St George’s Hall really makes it a must-visit attraction for those heading to the city.”
China Dream is an eight-month long season of events, performances and exhibitions highlighting contemporary Chinese art.
World-famous cellist Jian Wang appears with the RLPO this week, while FACT’s NOW exhibition, a presentation of Moving Image by Chinese Contemporary female artists, takes place on March 7 and 21.
PRESENCE: A Window into Chinese Contemporary Art is at St George’s Hall from February 9.