sabato 10 dicembre 2011

YANG FUDONG - THE FIFTH NIGHT


YANG FUDONG
THE FIFTH NIGHT
curated by Li Zhenhua
Spring
3/F Remex Centre, 42 Wong Chuk Hang Road - Hong Kong
11/12/2011 - 9/1/2012

For the first time in Hong Kong, and as a pre-launch event to Spring’s autumn 2012 opening, Spring (Workshop) is proud to present The Fifth Night, by internationally-acclaimed artist Yang Fudong. The installation at Spring (3/F Remex Centre, 42 Wong Chuk Hang Road Hong Kong) is open to the public, free of charge, from Sunday, December 11, 2011 to Sunday, January 8, 2012. The Fifth Night is presented in partnership with Videotage and its One World Exposition.
The majestic video work, created in 2010, is a dramatic black-and-white film reverie of old Shanghai, projected on seven large synchronised screens, spanning 21 meters in length. The Fifth Night emerged from the artist’s reflection on film production, resulting in his use of a new multiple-camera method for creating a video installation that Yang Fudong calls "multiple-views file." Facing seven cameras, actors' expressions in each shot are uncontrolled. The randomness presents a subtle and unpredictable aesthetic; the piece is as much about the videos as the viewer’s experience of the space.

Yang Fudong (b. 1971, Beijing) is among the most successful and influential Chinese artists of his generation. His works are filled with psychological and existential questions. Stylistically, Yang’s videos, which are originally shot on 35mm film, recall both the black-and-white pre-war films of the 1930s and 1940s and post-war avant-garde film noir. Yet, any perceivable references to past film traditions seem to be largely subconscious on the part of the artist, and stem from his love of film. Yang has participated in prestigious international art events including the 52nd Venice Biennale (2007). He has had solo shows at acclaimed institutions and galleries such as the Stedelijk Museum (Amsterdam, 2005), Parasol Unit (London, 2006) and Marian Goodman Gallery (New York, 2009). Yang lives and works in Shanghai.