This exhibition, curated by Feng Boyi, a Beijing based independent curator, includes young Chinese painters who have all responded to China’s modernization and the affect on its youth—socially, emotionally and sexually. Inevitably, environmental and cultural transformations within China have forced social renegotiations of desire, power and self-identification. This exhibition examines the unpredictable attitudes and emotions of Song Kun, Ren Xiaolin, Zhao Jihua, Jiang Hai, Lai Shenyu and Yang Xiaogang.
Though aesthetically different, these emerging painters address common themes: androgynous personas, ambiguous emotions and changing relationships with nature. Song Kun creates dark landscapes that are distant and dream-like. Views are obstructed and blurred by objects in the foreground, fog, bubbles and metal bars. What lies beyond is mysterious and unknown, creating a sense of longing. Ren Xiaolin uses watercolor to depict relationships between love and nature. Though he references traditional Chinese landscape painting, Ren Xiaolin evokes universal desires for intimacy as well as complexities of human nature.
Androgyny and ambiguity are most evident in the work of Zhao Jihua. She portrays herself in men’s clothes, suggesting a need for neutrality that balances a strong and forceful character with apathetic expressions. Jiang Hai’s paintings show mutations of bodies with insects; they expose changing dreams and struggles for personal survival.
Finally, Lai Shenyu and Yang Xiaogang represent Chinese youth who are driven by mass media and television. Similar to the other painters, sexual desire is constantly emphasized in their work despite the uncertain state of the world in which they live. All of these artists see parallels between the complexity of contemporary society and the intricacy of human nature.
Body-Boundary reveals much about the mental state of Chinese youth today who have to maneuver between different worlds. With so much over stimulation, younger generations are challenged to find both a way to live their lives and to make their works of art meaningful. Concepts of self and sexuality take on new meanings. This exhibition hopes to capture these personas if only for a brief moment, before their identities and ideologies shift yet again.
*Catalogue Available.
前波画廊2006年夏季联展将于8月3日至9月2日举行。此次展览《此身 界外》以油画为主，由着名独立策展人冯博一策划。参加展览的年轻艺术家们 （宋昆、任小林、江海、赖胜予＋杨晓刚、赵际华）通过自己的画布反映出中国迅速现代化发展对年轻一代在意识形态，感情及性别取向上的影响。毫无疑问，环境 和文化的变迁迫使他们必需不断对渴望，权力和自身等多种问题进行重新思考和妥协。
虽然参展艺 术家作品的风格迥异，他们关心的主题却有许多交汇处，比如中性的外表面具，似是而非的感情，以及自身与自然界不断变化的关系等。宋昆笔下的山水如烟似梦， 被雾水，泡沫和金属物体遮挡。藏在后面的是未知，神秘和渴望。任小林用水彩来表现爱与自然的关系。他的作品一方面受到传统中国山水画的影响，另一方面同时 也唤起人们对亲密关系的向往，反射出人性的复杂性。
赵际华的作品最能代表对中性和不确定性的表现。她将自己画成身着男装的青年，毫无表情的脸孔暗示着对平衡中立的需求。江海的作品以身体与昆虫的变异为主题， 表现出艺术家不断变化的梦想和为个人生存所做的努力。赖胜予＋杨晓刚代表了被电视和传媒所左右的新一代。与其他参展艺术家相似，性爱是他们作品中经常出现 的主题，在那里社会的复杂性与人性的微妙性有着许多的相似之处。
《此身 界外》反映了中国当代社会中年轻一代游徊于不同世界的现状，他们必需在寻找合适的生活方式的同时，创造出有意义的作品。因此，自我和性爱都有了新的意义。这次展希望能在他们的意识形态和自我身份再一次改变之前，捕捉到一个短暂的瞬息。
*前波画廊为此展览出版了展览图录。