The “Keep Singing: Jonas Mekas and His Friends” exhibition showcases artworks by Jonas Mekas, Boris Lehman, Gao Wei, Jean-Jacques Lebel, Agnes B, Ben Vautier, Pip Chodorov, Julius Ziz, Emilija Skarnulyte, Marie Losier, George Maciunas, Yoko Ono, Lionel Foxx Magal and Rosa Barba.
Mekas (1922-2019) is a Lithuanian American filmmaker, poet and artist who has often been called “the godfather of American avant-garde cinema.” His work has been exhibited in museums and at festivals worldwide.
“Jonas Mekas was a great friend, and he valued friendship more than anything. He made films for and about his friends, and his gallery exhibitions were often dedicated to his friends. One could say that his work was defined by his friendships, from his prolific filmmaking to his writing and programming, to the founding of the Filmmakers Cooperative, or the Anthology Film Archives,” said the exhibition curator Chodorov.
The commemorative exhibition was launched in February in Paris, one month after Mekas’ passing. “It was a homage, a tribute. It was a show to remember Jonas, by his friends and for his friends. ... This is the first exhibition of Jonas’ works in China. Jonas felt China was important and he hoped to visit. His son spent several years in Beijing and Shanghai and speaks the language. Now that the Archive and Research Center of Moving Image has been founded and that Daken Art Center has invited this exhibition to China, we hope more shows can be organized and more Chinese may get to know Jonas’ works,” said Chodorov.
"Jonas at Palais de Chaillot" by Boris Lehman.
"My last letter to Jonas" by Jean-Jacques Lebel.
According to the curator, “keep singing” and “keep going” were expressions Mekas often used. “Jonas’ art was in the continuity of his work. He recorded everything, every day. He kept a film diary from 1950 to 2018. If you were a friend of Jonas, you were in his film. ‘Keep Singing’ was the title of a concert he made with his friends in London in December 2012 on the occasion of his 90th birthday. ‘Keep Singing’ seemed like a good title for this show, as a message Jonas leaves with us, to carry on,” said Chodorov.
Dates: Until June 30 (closed Mondays)
Venue: Daken Art Space, Block A4, North Area, OCT-LOFT, Nanshan District (南山区华侨城创意园北区A4栋大乾艺术空间)
Metro: Line 2 to Qiaocheng North Station (侨城北站), Exit B