Current Exhibition
Control Lost, Zhou Jun Photograph |
About |
20th March – 18th April, 2010
The last thirty years of the Chinese economic miracle has led to unprecedented changes, perhaps the most obvious being the metamorphosis of the numerous Chinese capital cities. At times marveled for their engineering endeavors and glamourous makeovers, these metropolises have equally been the focus of much debate as a result of the demolition of ancient architecture and heritage sites that stood in the way of this transformation. The result is a new modernity that bears testament to the contradictions and contrasts of the new China today.
As a photographer, Zhou Jun seeks to reveal through his unique brand of black and white photography the socio-historical narration of some of these sweeping changes. Like the works of Bernd and Hillar Becher who photographed the abandoned mineshafts and silos in post-war Germany, Zhou Jun is dedicated to immortalizing the icons of China’s architecture in their states of glory, construction and isolation. With a distinct palette of greys, deliberately devoid of strong blacks and whites, Zhou Jun is constantly exploring and redefining with heightened sensitivity this constantly evolving landscape. He constructs a brave new world almost devoid of human existence where imposing buildings dominate and engage with one another. While a Northern Song landscape painting in accordance with Taoist principles pays homage to Nature by reducing the presence of human existence to an insignificant proportion, Zhou Jun creates a contemporary universe where the human condition “kowtows” instead to a concrete jungle that has taken a life of its own.
The viewer is struck immediately by the red overlay that has become the artist’s trademark and by its multifaceted symbolism. The “rouge” that is an awe-inspiring political symbol continues to shape and leave an indelible mark on a society where the old confronts the new and conflicting ideologies co-exist in a delicate equilibrium. The rendition in red on historical landmarks such as in the work “The Bund, Shanghai” can also be interpreted as the creation of cultural bastions where these architectures struggle to find solace in the face of constant urban renewal. Just as the colour red is synonymous with the passion and patriotism that oxygenate the new construction, it is also associated with the destruction of historical neighbourhoods.
Beautifully constructed, Zhou Jun's architectural portraits can be seen as a celebration of China's urban makeover which takes on additional significance as Shanghai prepares to host the World Expo 2010. Standing at sixty three metres, the Chinese pavilion is more than three times the height of any other pavilion, stamping China’s status as the new global economic powerhouse. The prize-winning entry seeks to combine technological mastery with ancient Chinese architecture using a unique multi-inclined roof inspired by “dougong”, a structural element of interlocking brackets seen also in the Summer Palace and the Forbidden City. In the photograph “China Pavilion” the artist offers a new perspective by presenting the pavilion as a complex and contemporary open iron lattice that is purely sculptural - like an Oriental Eiffel Tower. Highlighted with digital bands in scarlet, the artist attempts to bridge the cultural divide between East and West and to attach new relevance to the contemporary constructions in an environment embedded with a profound sense of history.
Interlaced in his imagery, Zhou Jun’s work is a social commentary on the unrelenting pace of city development. In the seminal work "Somewhere Near San Yuan Bridge No.2", a new apartment block takes flight and projects from scaffolding draped entirely in crimson cloth. The textile，in tatters， takes centre stage echoing how the frenzied construction pace has taken a toll on its environment. Situated directly in front of the tower lies a demolition site where only temporary accommodation blocks remain. The atmosphere takes on an added surreal undertone when viewed up close revealing Lilliputian workers as they share a drink outdoors， seemingly oblivious to the sea of construction debris. The figures blend quietly into the backdrop as the striking drapery and surrounding buildings dominate the immediate cityscape. The imagery is a telling narrative where cultural preservation has been relegated down the priority list in the quest to scale the great heights of urban renewal. The artist seems to be lamenting how the higher order of maintaining a link to the past has once again too easily been sacrificed on the altar of modern development.
With this exhibition, Zhou Jun has also moved towards a new direction by entering the intimate realm of figurative photography. The artist has taken a portrait of his immediate family including his mother and his son seated on the front row holding a framed photograph of the artist’s deceased father. The work reveals a narrative that is poignant and bittersweet as it was taken where the artist’s ancestral home once stood. The house has since been demolished by the local authorities who acquired the land for government projects. The Zhou family posing “en plein air” amidst the rubble that was their living room appear content in the backdrop of a red virtual fence delineating the area of their familial compound. By introducing an autobiographic quality to his work, Zhou Jun has added a new element to his repertoire, one that reflects a personal will to reclaim the habitat that can be read as a symbolic gesture where the personages in his works re-emerge from the shadows and become an engaging presence in the foreground.
Yang Liyu
Beijing
March 2010