Photographic Geomancy: Images, Fieldwork, and the Poetics of Geography
12 Jul → 7 Oct 2024
Participating Artists
Chen Xiaoyi Feng Fangyu Guo Jiaxi Han Qian He Zike Li Yong Lin Shu Lau Wai Xin Liu Liu Yujia Lyu Geer Ren Zeyuan Taca Sui Xiaoxiao Xu Zeng Han Zhang Beichen Zhang Wenxin Leah Zhang Zheng Andong Zhu Yinghao
Artists for Special Screening
Curator
Venue
Guangdong Times Museum
The “Photographic Geomancy” exhibition examines the connections between Chinese contemporary art practices, local geographical knowledge, global ecological discourse, and artists’ embodied experiences in the field. This research-based exhibition features the works of 22 artists who use photography and video as primary mediums to reconstruct visual narratives with geography. Using “geomancy” as a metaphor, the exhibition demonstrates how artists respond to complex issues related to aesthetics, culture, ecology, and geopolitics associated with Chinese geography through the method of fieldwork.
The exhibition is organized into four interconnected sections, which are based on the substance and issues explored by the artists in their work. “Retracing Ancient Terrain” is an exploration of the convergence between traditional Chinese cultural aesthetics and geography, carried out through the medium of photography by Guo Jiaxi, Lin Shu, Taca Sui, Zeng Han，and Xiaoxiao Xu. These bodies of works showcase the inherent beauty of Ling Mountain, the enigmatic Buddhist pagodas, the spatial significance of caverns, the essence of historic landscape paintings, and the complex nature of the Great Wall. It highlights the documentary and introspective worth of photography. The works of Chen Xiaoyi, He Zike, Li Yong, Zhang Wenxin, and Zhang Zixuan in “Geological Perception” explore the interconnectedness of geology and ecology in various locations such as the Hengduan Mountains, Guizhou Plain, Fushun Mining Area, underground caves, and iron mines. These works reveal the deep connection between humans and the earth and demonstrate how contemporary art reflects on the relationship between nature and humanity.
“Infrastructure Archaeology” explores the development of infrastructure in areas such as water conservancy, communication, industry, mining, and urban spaces. The works by Lyu Geer, Zhang Beichen, Feng Fangyu, Han Qian, and Lau Wai shed light on the intricate connection between modernity and geopolitics. The concluding portion, titled “Poems of Phantom Lands,” delves into the artistic creations of Zhu Yinghao, Zheng Andong, Liu Yujia, Xin Liu, and Ren Zeyuan. This section transports the audience to a fictitious rural realm that surpasses the constraints of time and space. It consistently investigates the intricate connections between mankind and the natural world, as well as the interplay between technology and ecology.
The exhibition design translates the narratives into four distinct spaces: “Mountain Walking” “Exploring the Territory,” “Entering the City,” and “Returning Home.” It invites the audience to explore the mountains, rivers, and historical aspects of China, following the artists’ journey. The exhibition aims to reinterpret the expansive Chinese landscape by combining visual art, geography, and history. The show will feature a range of activities such as artist screenings, academic roundtables, artist workshops, and public education programs.
相地堪舆：图像、田野与地理的诗学
2024年7月12日 → 10月7日
参展艺术家
陈萧伊 冯方宇 郭珈汐 韩倩 贺子珂 李勇 林舒 刘卫 刘昕 刘雨佳 吕格尔 任泽远 塔可 徐晓晓 曾翰 张北辰 张文心 张紫璇 郑安东 朱英豪
特别展映艺术家
策展人
主办方
“相地堪舆”展览考察了中国当下艺术实践与本土地理知识、全球生态话语，以及艺术家个体经验之间的联系。这一研究型展览呈现了22位艺术家利用摄影和影像作为主要创作媒介，重新构建与地理相关的视觉叙事。展览以“堪舆学”作为隐喻，展现出艺术家通过校察地理的方法，回应与华夏大地相关的美学、文化、生态与地缘等复杂议题。
展览基于艺术家实践的内容和主题，共分为四个相互缠绕的板块。在“坤舆寻址”中，郭珈汐、 林舒、塔可、曾翰与徐晓晓借助摄影探索中国传统文化和美学与地理的交汇处，呈现灵山的 自然与人文、佛塔的神秘、洞天的时空意涵，古代山水画精神以及长城的多面性，揭示摄影 的记录与反思价值。在“地质感知”中，陈萧伊、贺子珂、李勇、张文心与张紫璇的作品连接 起横断山脉、贵州平原、抚顺矿区、地下洞穴和铁矿的地质与生态话语，揭示了人类与大地 的深刻联系，展现了当代艺术对自然与人类关系的反思。
在“基建考古”中，吕格尔、张北辰、 冯方宇、韩倩和刘卫的作品在水利、通信、工业、矿业和城市空间等基础设施建设中穿行， 揭示了现代性与地缘政治的复杂关系。在此之上，最后一个章节“幻乡诗章”透过朱英豪、郑安东、刘雨佳、刘昕，以及任泽远的作品，带领观众进入一个跨越时空的幻乡，持续探索人类与自然、科技与生态之间的复杂关系。
“相地堪舆”的展览设计按照四个章节的线索塑造出“行山”、“探境”、“入城”与“归乡”的动线，邀请观众“穿梭”于华夏大地的山川、河流与人文历史之间，跟随艺术家的旅程，在视觉艺术、地理与历史的交叉之处重新认识广袤的华夏地理。展览期间将举办包括艺术家展映、学术圆桌、艺术家工作坊，以及相关的公共教育活动。
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