Preface 
 

“Critical Moment - New Media and Installation Exhibition” will open on 14 June in Oriental Vista Gallery, Shanghai; featuring the latest works of Li Songhua, Shen Shaomin and Xu Tan.  The tremendous attention showered on Chinese contemporary art in the international scene also brought along increasing pressure on the artists, who are confounded and struggling with this phenomenon at the same time.  At this critical moment, the artists participating in this exhibition are, pursuing art in its purest from with an attitude of utmost determination, continuing to explore the frontiers of art and human consciousness.

Li Songhua recorded a simple act of picking up knives and forks with a pair of chopsticks from one plate to another. This act is displayed in two adjacent screens, aiming to interpret “scene shift”, the artist’s feelings towards this concept which is often menetioned by international critics (i.e. the feeling that the worldly routines are slowly shifting with the rising of China and the growing strength of the whole of Asia).  From another perspective, this can be traced back to the doctrine of Mao Zedong: “the past serving the present” and “foreign ideas serving China”. As the audience watch the delicate chopsticks picking up the metal knives and forks, sometimes in a quiver, the feelings which artist is saying or portraying, or the impact on the individual audience, are all embraced in this artwork, “Untitled”.

The installation artwork “Memorial Series - Cloud of Angles” by Jin Jiangbo expresses the heartbreaking sentiments towards the countless lives that were lost in the unexpected snowstorms early this year.  Grieving aside, the artist exposes the brutal battle between human beings and nature and inspires profound reflections on “who is in control” in the ultimate ending of this battle.  arising therefrom.

The artist collected the remains of birds died of cold or hunger during the snow storms to assemble the transistory “Fleeting clouds”, to recreate the fragility and helplessness of living things in face of nature in the exhibition space, the scene of involunatariness and submission to fate,  In this artwork, the artists views on respect for life and nature speaks for itself

The artwork of “Keywords” by Xu Tan opens up a new frontier in the thinking of the audience;  he rationally analyze the main keywords we often use in our daily life. The artist believe that words are both tools and a strategies. Words and phrases that sound simple are oftentimes meant to express the standpoint hidden behind those words and phrases. By using the superficial meanings of certain keywords, we can even experience the innuendos or even enlarge our subconsciousness, many of which also record and reflect the background of social environment and people’s lives at the time.  Meanwhile, the transparent yet concealed linguistic structure language displayed by the interactivity of New Media Art sheds new light on analyzing the complexity of Chinese society.

Once lived in Australia, Shen Shaomin conveys in his previous works his unique idea about genetic mutation of animal species and the fusion of different cultures. His artwork in this exhibition is a documentary film - “I am Chinese”, depicting in an objective manner the living conditions of the people in “Hongjiang” village, a remote village in the Sino-Russian border; the villagers having an over 200 year history of mixed marriages.  Although isolated, time and many foreign elements failed to alter their genetics.  To the contrary, their genetics were able to continue to thrive and mingle quietly in this secluded land.  However, this is not the only storyline. The artist, with incisive observation and profound reflections, using the peaceful reconciliation and accommodation between two different cultures to interact in the plane of genetic rivlalry. 

It is easy to tell that they have the indescribable facial features which do not belong to any race but have the imprints of the once dominating East Slavs, but they have been gradually assimilated by the Han race which was once deemed to be inferior.  The artist skillfuuly uses the objectivity of documnetary films to express his ideas by way of new media, allowing one to see the force of cultures and traditions.

In terms of the exhibited artworks, using conceptual art as the foundation of creativity to fuse science, technology and art, is the necessary direction for artistic development in this century and in the future.

With the constant progress of science and technology and ever-deepening of conscious thoughts, inevitably the artists would use new media to combine art with science and technology.  Artwork selected in this exhibition not only uses new media to give detail intepretion of humanity in microspoic view, the audience can experience the synthesis of 20th century technolgy and art, from which one can predict the future direction of art.