Liu Zhan / Illuminate
Mar. 19 – May. 5, 2022
Curated by Feng Xi
PIFO Gallery
B11, 798 Art Zone
Beijing, China
*photo credits:
Images courtesy of the artist and PIFO Gallery
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Light and fire bring brightness and warmth to the world, guiding our way and illuminating the whole of creations and ourselves. Light converges to become eyes through which we discover the world; in the process, fire is the burning body and bones. All of us have incarnated as fire and light of youth—on the journey of discovering ourselves— having become the subjects and objects, to illuminate and to be illuminated.
As an artist, Liu Zhan has been silent for a relatively long time. In the past ten years, Liu Zhan held two solo exhibitions: “The Mysteries of Animal Reproduction” held at Magician Space in 2017 and “Balcony” exhibited at DRC No. 12 in 2018. Through the two exhibitions with distinctive ways of expression, Liu Zhan had shaken off the belief in methodology as the sole guidance. Meanwhile, other than focusing on the critical perspective of consumerism, the artist directed his attention to the interaction and alienation between individuals and society, which enabled his creative work to be remarkably diversified. As Illuminate is the first major solo exhibition of Liu Zhan as an independent artist, we may ask, is it a presentation of his
sculptural works? Or is it a way of self-discovery and expression as a result of the artist’s ten years of “gaming”? Eventually, you will find answers to the questions at the exhibition.