With the antique buildings that existed in the original work covered by new architecture, the work creates a completely redesigned urban space. Several critics have interpreted this "destructive" redesign of ancient architecture as a critique of rampant urbanization and a reminder that ancient structures in cities should be protected in order to preserve the memory of traditional culture.
Also related to history, Li Zhanyang's group of sculptures Rent Collection Yard, which depicts a landlord collecting rent, vividly captures the misery of farmers and the ruthlessness of landlords in a radical and ironic way.
However, this art work goes beyond a simple recollection of rent collection in ancient days. The use of many familiar faces in Chinese and Western contemporary art reminds viewers of the impact foreign colonialism had on Chinese art history and the borrowed nature of Chinese contemporary art.
Italian artist Pistoletto's Fracta is an installation work that focuses on a personal memory. An artist renowned for using mirrors and reflections in his work, Pistoletto has taken a small mirror, painted a thick border of red lipstick around the edges and then mounted said mirror on a wall. In the center of the mirror, the artist has written a long string of numbers, which inevitably capture the curiosity of viewers as they pass by. As people stand in front of the mirror and attempt to figure out the meaning of the numbers, viewers unwittingly become part of the artwork as their images are reflected back at them in the mirror.
Alessandro Zannier's Chimera 5 - The Utopy of the Perpetual Increase concerns itself with the fate of the whole human race by depicting a frowning angel with one white and one black wing. As a conceptual artist, Zannier intends to express the idea of a utopia that humans are always pursuing but never reach.
Conversing about art
Italian curator Sandro Orlandi has arranged the works by Chinese and Italian artists in the 798 Art Factory in such a way that they appear to have been thrown into a dialogue about contemporary art. In this manner, as visitors walk around appreciating these works, they can also compare and contrast how the society and culture an artist lives in affects the creative process.
Although realizing that generalizing comes with its own set of problems, some artists do see a tentative pattern between the artworks from the two cultures. "Comparatively speaking, Chinese artists focus more on collective memories while their Italian counterparts focus more on private memories. The former is broader while the latter gets more specific," poet and art critic Chen Jiaping told the Global Times.
Zhu's concern about ancient structures, Li's reflection on the history of contemporary art and Ma Han's circle made of discarded bricks from construction sites in Beijing all reflect the collective memories for a group of or all Chinese people.
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