Arts Roundup: Closing in August

By Sarah Hammer, Aug 11th, 2009 | In Art

Your window for a life-altering confrontation with some important art is closing fast. Here's some art exhibitions that are ending in August. Slot them into your schedule if considering the ineffable is your thing. And then below that is some openings and stuff we're looking forward too.

Closing in August

Art Labor > "Everywhere is Here" -- Ren Zhitian Solo Show

Closing: Aug 15

Art Labor has had a slew of interesting stuff on these past few months. Their current exhibition is the second solo show of Beijing-based artist Ren Zhitian. "Everywhere is Here" features ink wash paintings adopting a global viewpoint: "His works emanate from a love of the entire world and the issues that are shared within it, global warming, geo-political hotspots, nature, and the cosmos."

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Origin > Fleeting Moment

Closing: Aug 15

The Origin restaurant in Taikang Lu hosts a solo show by Shanghai-based French photographer Tim Franco. In this small exhibition, Franco concerns himself with the manipulation of light and time in classic photography utilizing a hand-made wooden pinhole camera. Here is a link with information on the camera Tim used for this exhibition. Pretty neat.

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Shanghart Gallery (H Space) > "Emerald Tablet" -- Xiaoyun Chen Solo Show

Closing: August 18

"Emerald Tablet" is the first Shanghai solo show for Hubei artst Xiaoyun Chen in 2009, coming of solo shows in New York and LA in 2008. Inspiration for this series of installations is coming from the "Emerald Tablet", an ancient text that supposedly reveals the secret of the "primordial substance." Attributed to an ancient Egyptian sage, the Emerald Tablet is also associated with the Egyptian god Thoth and the Greek god Heremes. It's received in western conscious as a bedrock hermetic text, supposedly containing the secrets of achieving higher consciousness and the recipe for alchemical gold.

This Emerald Tablet is pretty arcane stuff. It consists of about 14 variously translated axioms. Here's a bit from Isaac Newton's translation: "9) By this means ye shall have the glory of the whole world thereby all obscurity shall fly from you." (Source: Wikipedia)

So, ancient and swirling themes for this solo show, as a contemporary installation artist wrestles with and re-interprets ancient wisdom.

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Shanghai Art Museum > Salvador Dali in Shanghai

Closing: August 14

The Dali sculpture, illustrations, and watercolor exhibition is on at Shanghai Art Museum until August 14. Then it fragments, come under sale, and shows at Uwantart Gallery. Click here for a review.

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Mark Your Calendars: Upcoming in September

800 Show Creative Center > Rebirth

Opening: September 9

The "800 Show Creative Center" at 800 Changde Lu is an old steel factory which was converted this past summer into a creative space. "Rebirth", then, (put together by independent curator Zoe Zhang Bing with Dirk Holtkamp Endemann), is an exhibition symbolic of this re-orientation away from industry into the arts.

A massive, multi-disciplinary affair, "Rebirth" showcases artists working in a wide array of mediums: installations, video, animation, handwritten sketches, film, music, and photography. Showing is video installation by Chen Hangfeng (anointed the "godfather of contemporary Chinese design"), filmmaker Ning Hao, animation and original handmade drawings from Bu Hua, the digital photography of Yang Yongliang (pictured), and more, more, more.

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Eastlink > "Spiritual" -- Yu Fan Solo Show: 1999 - 2009

Opening: Sept 6

Coming of an appearance at the Shanghai Biennale last year, "Spiritual" is the first solo exhibition of the sculptures of Yu Fan. It's a ten year retrospective of his best works. Yu Fan's sculptures convey an emphasis on interpreting and constructing the form of his subjects to capture and transmit their spirit. Looks really good. Subtle, honest, and powerful.

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Shanghai Gallery of Art > "Art for Arts Sake" Brunch

Brunch: August 15, 12pm; Exhibition runs until August 30

This Saturday, the Shanghai Gallery of Art will host a curator's talk and brunch in their atrium. The talk will be given by curator Mathieu Borysevicz and will explore the themes and ideas behind their current exhibition, "Allegorical Aftermath," a group show with artists using the figurative devises of allegory and symbolism to convey personal myths.

Catered by Jean Georges, the brunch is this Saturday at 12pm and cost per guest is 260rmb and we have 20 seats available for the event. RSVPs can be directed to Jean Georges Reception at 6321 7733.

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Lead image with this article is from the "Emerald Tablet" exhibition at H Space.

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