French artist Thibault Juvenielle and Chinese artist Li Zhongyang are exhibiting their latest artworks at the “Be Lighted, Be Lighting — International Young Artists Communication Series Exhibition” at Zhi Art Museum in Bao’an District.
“We hope that this series of exhibitions can promote the exchange and development of young artists between China and different countries and regions, and explore the future art direction and value,” the exhibition planners Jiang Yiyi and Zhang Qiuyi wrote in a profile. “In these current times of isolation, fear, loneliness and imbalance, we have to rethink what art can do for humans and how to do it. We seem to need artistic consolement more than ever, and yearn for light more than ever.”
“Be Lighted, Be Lighting” is based on the resident projects co-chaired by Zhi Art Museum and Hezhi Art. Juvenielle and Li are presenting their creations that have been produced in Shenzhen over the past month. “When they wore masks and goggles, wandering in lanes in Shajing, Songgang and the Quanzhi Technology & Innovation Park where their workshops are based to explore creative ideas, they seemed to be more sentimental, keen and more eager to talk and listen. Whether the creation was easier or not than before, this particular spring is destined to be remembered for them. ‘Light,’ in addition to the physical meaning, has a deeper definition as the main theme of their creations,” the exhibition profile reads.
Juvenielle’s creation has always been a poetic echo between “reality” and “space.” “My work is a production of the natural conversation between subjective perception and the conditions that determine ‘reality’ in a space-time sense. It is not to try to represent some kind of universal truth, but an attempt to reach and share the individual experience of what our senses, emotions and psychology told us what to think. This is, for me, a way to create the world as it is, as it will become. This is the bright future I wish for. A complex but vibrant world made by billions of lights, billions of minds building one masterpiece of art to show to the rest of the universe,” said Juvenielle.
Works by Juvenielle. Photos from Zhi Art Museum WeChat account.
Compared with Juvenielle’s intuitive style, Li’s residential creative practice is more extroversive and intense. Often trivial things in life, such as rotten kapoks and cockroaches, can inspire his inspiration. He built an alternative paradise for the small, short-lived and meaningless things in the empty and lonely universe.
“Cockroaches have lived on the earth for 300 million years, while humans have only 400,000 years. Compared with cockroaches, humans who think they are the souls of all things are actually very fragile. They are easy to be lost in time and space. Rotten kapok on the roadside will be removed and garbage will be dumped. These things are disappearing every second and I transform them into gorgeous lighting artworks. Now they are beautiful but vacant, like we are the same.” Li described his “Beautiful Vacant” lighting installation. In the light, those small, abandoned and neglected “beings” find a new destination.
Works by Li.
During their resident period, the two artists both took inspiration from the mass media during the epidemic and formed new works of art. Juvenielle feels different ways of controlling the epidemic in China and abroad. Li senses that vigorous social media during isolation was a source of happiness for the public and the hippie spirit produced by anxiety and boredom is the light of hope for survival.
Dates: Until June 18
Hours: 10:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m., closed Mondays
Booking: Contact Ms. Fu through WeChat account “case0755”
Venue: Zhi Art Museum, Shajing, Bao’an District (宝安区沙井至美术馆)
Metro: Line 11 to Houting Station (后亭站), Exit A and then take a taxi