1 Table of contents Chinese Utopias Revisited -The Elephants................................................................................................................................ 3 1.Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………….3 2.Artists………………………………….……………………………………………………………..5 Xu Bing.......................................................................................................................................5 Song Dong......................................................................................................................................7 Liu Xiaodong………………………………………………………..,,,,………………………………8 Sun Yuan & Peng Yu……………………………………………………………………………………………………9 Yin Xiuzhen ......................................................................................................................10 Yang Fudong…………………………..…………………………………………………………………11 Wang Jiuliang………………………..……………………………………………………………………12 Cao Fei……………………………………………………………………………………………..13 3. Un bel été quand même …………….…………………………………………………………………………………………..14 4. Location: Center for Fine Arts – Coudenberg – BELvue Museum ……….……………………………………………………………………………………………….16 5. Visitor Information……………………………………..……………………………………………………21 6. Press contacts………………………………..………………………………………………….22 7. Partners............................................................................................................................23 2 Chinese Utopias Revisited – The Elephants 1. INTRODUCTION Never before some of the most acclaimed living Chinese artists have been invited to a major European capital in order to be welcomed by more than 20 artists from all continents. In a common exhibition the artists are in an open dialogue with one another. 9 rooms tell the story of the spectacular revival of Chinese contemporary art, but also illustrate that, at their best, those Chinese artists are contributing to a game that is truly universal, called art. Since a number of decades the old art world in the West has woken up on the fact that an amazing phenomenon has emerged far away in China, a phenomenon that is continually gaining force. Chinese artists have been recognized for making important contributions to the globalized art world. Among the first generation of Chinese artists who - after Deng’s reforms of 1980 - could freely develop their work, several obtained the status of superstar, not only in China but worldwide. XU BING, LIU XIAODONG, SONG DONG, YIN XIUZHEN… are a few examples of those who obtained a solid international recognition. However, every new generation of Chinese artists since has done the same. Among the new upcoming stars we mention SUN YUAN & PENG YU, WANG JIULIANG or CAO FEI who were the revelation of the latest Venice biennial. As an exhibition Chinese Utopias Revisited – The Elephants is neither about denial, neither about the appropriation of Chinese contemporary art. It is the fruit of a unique curatorial approach. For the first time an exclusive choice of Chinese artists is presented in a major European city in a fair and open dialogue with colleague artists from all over the world. The effect is most surprising: Chinese artists are no longer distinguished by their Chinese identity but become appreciated contributors into the universal debate of the visual arts. Decades ago in the jazz scene famous composers met in order to create records together. The idea behind this exhibition is similar. For the first time the splendid work of XU BING, that investigates the phenomenon of language, is confronted with the alphabet of FRÉDÉRIC BRULY BOUABRÉ. For the first time photographer WANG JIULIANG encounters ANDREAS GURSKY who deeply inspired his work, and SONG DONG made an in depth study of the Brussels flee market. Painter LIU XIAODONG especially came to Brussels in order to portray two famous local artists. The portraits of JOËLLE TUERLINCKX and JAN LAUWERS are now in the exhibition next to the photographs of DIRK BRAECKMAN who witnessed the painting sessions. Thus, Chinese Utopias Revisited – The Elephants is a story of building bridges between Brussels and Beijing. Sustainable bridges that hopefully will be used intensively in the future. 3 Curators: Xu Bing & Hans M. De Wolf Curator of the “The Brain” session: Wang Huangsheng Artists: Cao Fei, Liu Xiaodong, Song Dong, Sun Yuan & Peng Yu, Wang Jiuliang, Xu Bing, Yang Fudong, Yin Xiuzhen Hosting: Michelangelo Antonioni, Alighiero Boetti, Dirk Braeckman, Marcel Broodthaers, Frédéric Bruly Bouabré, Le Corbusier, Harun Farocki, Andreas Gursky, Jan Kempenaers, Bodys Isek Kingelez, Jan Lauwers, Jivya Soma Mashé, Guy Rombouts, Klaus Scherübel, Curt Siodmak,Robert Siodmak, Joëlle Tuerlinckx , Edgar G. Ulmer, Fred Zinnemann Production: VUB (Vrije Universiteit Brussel), Central Academy of Fine Arts, China - CAFA Support: Brussels-Capital Region, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Nationale Loterij/Loterie Nationale and Visit Brussels In collaboration with: Coudenberg, BELvue Museum 4 2. ARTISTS XU BING Xu Bing, born in 1955, has been rewarded with the 2014 American Department of State-Medal of Arts for his efforts to promote cultural understanding through his artworks. Much of Xu Bing’s work was generated by his deep fascination with the phenomenon of the written language. Between his “Book of the Heaven” based on freely invented characters, made during the late 1980s, and his recently produced monumental film “The Character of Characters” lies a lifelong investigation into the spirituality of written marks that charge themselves with all kinds of meanings. With the “Bookfrom the Ground” this perseverance would lead to the invention of a new and universal language based entirely on internet icons. For the first time, Xu Bing’s universe will be confronted with those of a handful of masters who, each in their own way, have developed very similar ideas and strategies during their careers. Xu Bing, The Character of Characters, 2012 5 Xu Bing, Book from the Ground, 2003 Frédéric Bruly Bouabré, “BHLE”, Alphabet Bété, 2004 Jivya Soma Mashe, Untitled, 1997 6 SONG DONG °1966, Beijing. Lives and works in Beijing. The impressive installation developed for this exhibition was considerably enriched by a variety of objects the artist purchased at a Brussels flea market (Place du Jeu de Balle / het Vossenplein). Disparate objects are left overs that were once part of something. The context however has disappeared and the memory of their initial coherence has vanished. By arranging the objects together Song Dong offers them a new identity and a new destination. He brings order in their materiality through a new activity called: art. Song Dong, They are all not mine, 2015, Bozar, Brussels 7 LIU XIAODONG Realistic Liaoning. painter Liu Xiaodong was born in 1963 in Jin Cheng, With great enthusiasm for painting, Liu Xiaodong’s art excels by refined psychological investigations into the subjects of his work. Refusing to use photographical footage, the artist prefers to be directly confronted with a specific situation, painting, on-thespot, an existing context including the people that are part of it. For the exhibition Liu Xiaodong was invited by the curator to produce two portraits of two important artists living and working in Brussels, in their personal habitat. The sessions were organized during May 2015 in the workshops of Joëlle Tuerlinckx and Jan Lauwers and were witnessed and photographed by Dirk Braeckman. Liu Xiaodong, Pink Phoenix, Oil on Canvas, 2011 Liu Xiaodong, Portraits of Joëlle Tuerlinckx (left) and Jan Lauwers (right), 2015 8 SUN YUAN & PENG YU Sun Yuan and Peng Yu were respectively born in 1972 and 1974, in Beijing and Hei Longjiang. They are featured figures of the “Post Sense Sensibility” movement. Within the contemporary Chinese art world the work of the artist couple Sun Yuan and Peng Yu stands apart. In a highly original ungraspable way they develop interesting artistic strategies. They are also unredeemable provocateurs. Installation Draft, 2015 9 YIN XIUZHEN °1963, Beijing The art of Yin Xiuzhen is largely based on the principle of recuperation. For the present exhibition Yin Xiuzhen selected three out of a series of several cityscapes she created for the cities where she previously exhibited. The scapes are created on open suitcases. One new suitcase was especially created for Brussels. In order to obtain a local touch, the artist decided to work with abandoned cloths she collected with the Brussels-based collaborators on the exhibition. Yin Xiuzhen, Portable Cities (Installation view) 10 YANG FUDONG Yang Fudong, born in Beijing 1971, gained reputation for his films and video installations. an international The works of Yang Fudong seem to rediscover the original Chinese DNA which had been washed away by several social movements. An individual who feels alienated and isolated in a chaotic society tries to search out his own identity. Yang Fudong, Backyard - Hey! Sun is rising (hou fang - hei, tian liang le), 2001 11 WANG JIULIANG Wang Jiuliang (° 1976) documentary filmmaker. is an independent photographer and Over several years Wang Jiuliang documented with extreme precision the reality of pollution as it can be found beyond the fifth ring road that marks the border of the Chinese capital Beijing. The results not only surprise by their paradoxical beauty (marking a new chapter in Chinese contemporary photography) but also had a wake-up call effect which led to a new legislation. Wang Jiuliang, The Waste,Photography,2008-2011 12 CAO FEI Cao Fei (°1978, Guangzhou) is based in Beijing. A six month residency at the industrial plant of Osram in Shenshen would become a turning point in the career of Cao Fei. With this experience she obtained an in depth scan of the conditions in which Chinese workers are deployed. It resulted in the short film “Whose Utopias” . With a remarkable sharp gaze she catches the reality in the factory. All by remaining a delightful artwork, the film skillfully succeeds in disturbing preconceptions and clichés in regard to the Chinese worker that are widespread in Western countries. Cao Fei, Whose Utopias, 2006 13 3. UN BEL ÉTÉ QUAND MÊME From our Belgian fashion designers to the installations by Pascale Marthine Tayou and Mekhitar Garabedian, BOZAR is preparing itself for ‘a great summer programme full of fashion and contemporary art! On 5 June the Summer of Fashion began with, as its central exhibition, The Belgians. An Unexpected Fashion Story, about the rise and success of Belgian fashion designers. The exhibition takes an in-depth look at the DNA of Belgian fashion and sheds light on the work of around 100 designers, from the first pioneers to the new generation. The exhibition is a coproduction with MAD Brussels. In addition to The Belgians, BOZAR is bringing together a number of fashion-related exhibitions: the evolution of Italian fashion from the 1950s and 60s with Bellissima. The Story of 5 Dresses, naked photos of Vivienne Westwood by Juergen Teller, a video installation by the author Jean-Philippe Toussaint and the first solo exhibition by the architectural firm V+, designers of MAD Brussels’ new offices spaces and workplaces. More information about the complete Un bel été quand même is the fashion programme are available on title of one of the works from www.summeroffashion.be. the Mekhitar Garabedian exhibition. In a newspaper, This summer contemporary art is given Garabedian links images from an a key role in the programme. The old tourist guide to Lebanon and Belgian-Cameroon artist Pascale Syria to the handwritten texts Marthine Tayou wins over the Centre from the anti-war film Les for Fine Arts with his major solo Carabiniers (1963) by the French exhibition full of colourful director Jean-Luc Godard. The installations. He playfully reflects title beautifully encapsulates on themes such as the environment, the summer at the Centre for Fine post-colonialism, the multicultural Arts where you identity and our consumer society. can admire iconic designs by Alongside this BOZAR is putting on Belgian designers, Italian three more exhibitions which bring dresses, a sensual video and a the (art) world to Belgium. The provocative series of photographs biennial Young Belgian Art Prize alongside the social art of brings together work by 10 promising Garabedian and our artist-inyoung Belgian artists. Chinese residence Pascale Utopias Revisited – The Elephants Marthine Tayou. His work provides us with a cross-section of Africonda, a mythical monster leading art in China, with works by 9 made from entwined pieces of contemporary artists. Finally, the colourful textile, JSV/Saison Syrian-born Belgian-Armenian artist d’amour and Fashion Street have set up home at the crossroads 14 between fashion and art. Mekhitar Garabedian is putting on a solo exhibition. His work is currently on display in the Armenian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale; the pavilion serves as an exhibition space for artists from the Armenian diaspora and this year won the Golden Lion for the best national pavilion. Paul Dujardin, CEO of the BOZAR Centre for Fine Arts: “Today art functions within a globalised context. We are witnessing the rise of a new type of artist with an intercultural and nomadic way of looking at things; Pascale Marthine Tayou and Mekhitar Garabedian are good examples of this. They take their stratified identity as a starting point for art which doesn’t shy away from confronting the big issues of the day. In the fashion industry we are seeing more and more initiatives which stem from an increased awareness of ecology, overconsumption and decent working conditions. With his label honest by Belgian designer Bruno Pieters is offering us complete transparency about the production process. Art and fashion might not be able to save the world on their own but by interacting with the political and economic domain they can certainly make a difference.” In order to capitalize on the various exhibitions which are on during the summer BOZAR is organising a series of meetings and screenings in combination with an open summer bar! More information about the summer activities will soon be available on www.bozar.be and on the facebook page /BOZARbrussels. Overview exhibitions summer 2015 The Belgians. An Unexpected Fashion Story 05.06 13.09.2015 Bellissima. The Story of Five Dresses 05.06 06.09.2015 Juergen Teller. Vivienne Westwood 05.06 13.09.2015 Jean-Philippe Toussaint. The Seasons & The Honey Dress 05.06 – 13.09.2015 V+ 2014-2015 18.06 - 20.09.2015 Pascale Marthine Tayou. BOOMERANG 24.06 – 20.09.2015 Young Belgian Art Prize 2015 24.06 – 13.09.2015 Mekhitar Garabedian. Un bel été quand même 24.06 29.09.2015 Chinese Utopias Revisited – The Elephants 17.07 30.08.2015 15 16 4. LOCATION OF THE EXHIBITION: Center for Fine Arts - Coudenberg BELvue Museum The exhibition Chinese Utopias Revisited – The Elephants is taking place in three exceptional locations: The Centre for Fine Arts, the archaeological site of the Coudenberg Palace and the Borgendael salon of the BELvue Museum. 17 Breakthrough to the Coudenberg In the Center of Fine Arts, close to the ‘red stairs’ between the Foyers and the level of the Rue royale /Koningstraat a temporary connection has been made to the archaeological site of the Coudenberg. If you pass through this door, you will end up in the former Rue Isabella. It was laid under the reign of the archduke s Albrecht and Isabella (1598-1633) as a link between the royal palace on the Coudenberg and the collegiate church of St. Michiel and St. Goedele, now a cathedral. The impressive palace was destroyed by a fire in 1731. Part of the street along the remains of the court chapel and the Aula Magna was vaulted when the Place Royale was constructed. It served as a basement for the Hôtel de Grimbergen, now BIP.Brussels – House of the Capital Region. On old photos of the excavation of the Centre for Fine Arts you don’t just see the remains of the thirteenth century city walls; you can also see the eighteenth century vaulted entrance to Rue Isabella. Victor Horta preserved these remains and built against them. The vestiges of the building were then hidden behind a uniform layer of cement. In 2009 a fragment of the thirteenth century city wall was integrated in the interior of the new CINEMATEK. That same year the Archaeology unit of the Heritage Sites and Monuments Directorate of the Brussels-Capital Region carried out excavations in the light well between the Centre for Fine Arts and the archaeological site. The underground beginning of the former access arches in the dividing wall was thus identified. The archaeologists exposed remains of the court chapel wall. All the later additions were demolished. The passageway to the archaeological site consists of three arched vaults which were bricked up in 1928. The architectural firm Barbara Van der Wee Architects has suggested placing a large metal frame with glass panels in front of the three arched vaults. This would mean that the archaeological site would once again be exposed to broad daylight and this would greatly increase its readability. It might look like an underground crypt, but it's actually an open-air medieval street. 18 A new glass door and a small metallic footbridge will be placed where the temporary entrance door is currently located. In the actual light well we want to pave the floor with the same cobblestones as the ones in Rue Isabella. In the final phase we will renovate all the façades and windows in the light well. The Centre for Fine Arts has also launched a dossier in order to expose the final part of the thirteenth century city wall, level with the foyers. This part of the city walls conceals a perfectly preserved small watchtower. Coudenberg? The Coudenberg is a whole district, established on one of Brussels’ hills and a place of power since the Middle Ages. The largest and most significant building in this architectural ensemble, which developed from the 12th century, is its palace, the Palace of the Dukes of Brabant. This palace came into being at a time when Brussels had preponderant political importance, to the extent that it became one of the most beautiful palaces in Europe – and its proximity, the place of residence of all the influential people; after it was destroyed by a fire in 1731, its ruins were razed to the ground and levelled with a view to the construction of the current royal district as of 1774. The vestiges which remained from this district, became subterranean and were either filled in (Aula Magna, at the top of rue Isabelle), or used as cellars for the buildings erected on the surface (Palatine Chapel, at the bottom of Rue Isabelle). That’s how the former palace disappeared, admittedly only from the external surface, but remained nonetheless very present in people's memories and in the basements (Hôtel de Grimbergen 10 place Royale, Hôtel de Bellevue 9 place Royale). The traces, be they material or otherwise, left behind by the Coudenberg Palace’s six centuries of influence, led to the re-emergence of renewed interest, as was demonstrated by the reconstruction of the district at the time of the Brussels International Exhibition in 1935. First and foremost it's thanks to the work of historians (including Guillaume Des Marez) that the Coudenberg district (and its palace) has remained in people's memories.The work of archaeologists means that the Coudenberg is resurfacing in order to be finally given back to the Brussels, Belgian and international public who see in these archaeological vestiges a remarkable place of remembrance which constitutes the roots of our Brussels, Belgian and European society. The archaeological site and the museum of the Coudenberg Ultra) Short history of the archaeological digs and excavation (extension of the spaces visited): (Plus works 1986: The Federal State and the City of Brussels agreed upon the reinstatement of the foundations of the Palatine Chapel and part of the former Rue Isabelle, both of which are located under the former 19 Lloyds Bank building, which is now the BIP and situated at 10 Place Royale (Hôtel de Grimbergen). At this same time initial investigations were being undertaken with a view to enhancing the remains of the former Hoogstraten House, located in the foundations of the former Court of Auditors at n°5 Rue Villa Hermosa. As of the end of the 1980s the authorities, who were the owners of the premises, came up with the idea of not just carrying out the necessary excavation works for the extrication of the archaeological remains but of opening those remains up to the public as well. In order to achieve this security needed to be improved and educational materials provided so that the visitor would be able to understand the spaces visited, from both a spatial perspective (where is it in relation to the former palace and in relation to the current Place Royale?) and a historical and archaeological point of view. 1994: Just as the works under the former Lloyds building were coming to an end, the City of Brussels decided to carry out excavation work in the spot where the Aula Magna was located (the grand ceremonial hall of the former Palace), under the Place Royale. The works to develop the Place Royale, within the context of the Royal Way, were turned to good account as larger scale excavations began at the site of the Aula Magna and the section of the former Rue Isabelle where it runs alongside the Musical Instruments Museum. 1998: The City of Brussels requested additional archaeological digs under Rue Royale which would notably make it possible to free up part of the foundations of the main building of the ducal palace, spaces which had been used as a cellar in the Hôtel de Bellevue and which had been filled in in 1908. 1998 – 2000: The Federal State, the Brussels-Capital Region, the City of Brussels and the King Baudouin Foundation joined forces to finance works to cover the vestiges of the Place Royale (with a concrete slab) and to complete the connection between Hôtel Bellevue and the site. These works meant that from this point on both individual visitors and groups would be able access the site via the BELvue Museum which shares its entrance with the Coudenberg. 2004: Within the context of the renovation works to be carried out on all the buildings in the Royal Complex (B.I.P.), the Housing Management Department of the Brussels-Capital Region converted and restored the former Hoogstraten House. A provisional design for the museum was inaugurated in March 2004. 2006: The non-profit organisation ‘Palais de Charles Quint’ launched, on equity capital, a public tender for the design of the Coudenberg Museum and the scenographic layout of the archaeological site. These works would be carried out thanks to Beliris. 2007: The Heritage Unit of the City of Brussels began works to secure the Aula Magna, including the creation of an emergency exit 20 which ends at the feet of the equestrian statue of Godefroid de Bouillon located right in the middle of the Place Royale, and the installation of risers with the goal of opening it up to the public. 2009: The inauguration of the museum which henceforth completes the visit of the Coudenberg archaeological site which has been accessible since 2000 via the BELvue Museum. The Coudenberg is spread out over a surface area of more than 3500m2. Two types of areas which make up the visit require special treatment: - The archaeological site of the Coudenberg (enhancement of the site itself) where the lighting of the archaeological site highlights the old parts notably by setting off the significant architectural elements through the use of chiaroscuro. - The Coudenberg Palace which showcases the most remarkable archaeological objects discovered in the different archaeological excavations or provides a space for temporary exhibitions. Palais de Charles Quint asbl Since 1998, the Coudenberg - the site of the former Coudenberg Palace (which was one of Charles V’s main residences, and is located beneath the Place Royale district) – has been managed by the nonprofit organisation “Palais de Charles Quint”. The association was set up under the aegis of the City of Brussels and the BrusselsCapital Region in order to give back to Coudenberg, its rightful place at the heart of the historical and architectural heritage of Brussels, Belgium and Europe. The main lines of its policy are the preservation, protection, restoration, presentation and promotion of the site by welcoming the public and promoting a variety of cultural encounters and events (visits, exhibitions, conferences etc.). The goal of the developments and projects carried out up until now are: the quantitative, qualitative and spatial extension of the range of contents and the diversification of the target audiences coupled with the modification of the contents on offer to them (spatial extension of the site, opening to the public and improvement in the quality of the visit through the creation of an appropriate infrastructure). PLUS ULTRA (further beyond) was Charles V’s motto. Since January 2008, the non-profit organisation has taken over the porting of the Classes du Patrimoine (heritage classes) in the Brussels Region, a project initiated and backed by the BrusselsCapital Region. Since 2006 the Classes du Patrimoine team has been organising activities to raise awareness about Brussels heritage amongst 10 to 18 year olds within an educational environment. Stéphane Demeter President Frédérique Honoré Director 21 Tel.: 02-204 24 18 sdemeter@sprb.irisnet.be Tel.: 02-563.61.78 f.honore@coudenberg.com . BELvue Museum Have you ever wondered how much you really know about the history of Belgium ? Would you like to get to know it in a splendid building, next to the Royal Palace, where it all began? Then you must certainly visit the BELvue museum: the only museum that reveals the particularly fascinating history of Belgium. Remarkable film fragments, striking pictures and numerous period documents will guide you through more than one and a half century of stirring Belgian history. A visit to the BELvue museum offers you the opportunity to get all of Belgium's secrets unlocked! 22 5. VISITOR INFORMATION 17 July - 30 August 2015 BOZAR Center for Fine Arts, rue Ravensteinstraat 23, 1000 Brussels Open: Tuesday > Sunday: 10 a.m. > 6 p.m. (Thursday 20/8, 27/8: 10 a.m. > 9 p.m.) Closed: Mondays, 21.07: Coudenberg and BELvue Museum are closed Prices: € 10/8 (BOZARfriends), -18y free entrance Tickets are also available at the BELvue Museum, Place des Palais Paleizenplein 7, 1000 Brussels Included: exhibition Vesalius, physician to Charles V BOZAR INFO& TICKETS www.bozar.be – info@bozar.be – 0032 2 507 82 00 Welcome to our summer bar! Thursdays, 2 pm > 9 pm This summer, for our Thursday evening events (25/06 > 16/07 and 20.08 > 17/09/2015), we will be organising drinks, encounters and activities alongside the exhibitions. For a detailed schedule, please visit www.bozar.be and www.summeroffashion.be. 23 6. PRESS CONTACTS VUB – Wintergarten Research Group Sanne Sinnige T+32 (0)489755839 sfsinnige@gmail.com Sicco Wittermans T +32 (0)2-629 21 37 +32 (0)473-96 41 37 sicco.wittermans@vub.ac.be BOZAR Leen Daems Press Officer BOZAR EXPO T. +32 (0)2 507 83 89 T. +32 (0)479 98 66 07 leen.daems@bozar.be Hélène Tenreira Senior Press Officer BOZAR THEATRE, DANCE, CINEMA, CORPORATE T. +32 (0)2 507 83 91 T. +32 (0)476 96 02 01 helene.tenreira@bozar.be Barbara Porteman Press Officer FESTIVAL, WORLD MUSIC, ARCHITECTURE T. +32 (0)2 507 84 48 T. +32 (0)479 98 66 04 barbara.porteman@bozar.be Marie Mourlon Press Officer BOZAR MUSIC, LITERATURE T. +32 (0)2 507 84 27 T. +32 (0)471 86 22 31 marie.mourlon@bozar.be COUDENBERG Frédérique Honoré Director T. +32 (0)2-563.61.78 f.honore@coudenberg.com Stéphane Demeter President T. +32 (0)2 204 24 18 sdemeter@sprb.irisnet.be 7. PARTNERS 24 Organization: Partners: Support: 25