2023.1.10-2023.2.25

Xinjiang Art Museum, Urumqi

Chief curator: Zhang Zikang

Foreword

Zhang Zikang

With the theme of “Harmonious Symbiosis”, the 3rd Xinjiang International Arts Biennale 2022 sets out from Xinjiang’s geographic and cultural uniqueness and its potential in future development, and decides on “openness”, “diversity”, “integration” and “ecology” as its keywords. Through high-level artistic exchange, the Biennale will explore, experiment on and look into the future cultural and artistic ecology of Xinjiang, and expand the possibilities of future cultural development and exchange in and outside Xinjiang.

The Biennale has three parts: Civilization and Integration, Symbiosis and Dialogue, Ecology and Homeland. Apart from the main exhibitions, there are also the special exhibition “Sketches of Xinjiang: Research Exhibition of Xinjiang in Artworks from the 20th Century” and the invitation exhibition “Between Heaven and Earth: The Tradition and Reproduction of Contemporary Chinese Ink Art”. These exhibitions will display the rich cultural and artistic resources of Xinjiang.

The “Civilization and Integration” international unit develops in both the temporal and spatial contexts. On the one hand, the unit focuses on the nature and urban environment, involving depictions of the desert and the sea, representations of urban landscape, and exploration of the space. On the other hand, it digs deep into the human spirit, discussing people’s collective memory, affections and desires.

The “Symbiosis and Dialogue” Central Asia unit explores the themes “Symbiosis of Objects”, “Co-existence of Human” and “Dialogue among Civilizations”, and displays thinking and expressions of customs, the human society and spirits. The “Symbiosis of Objects” part weaves together a variety of painting language, materials and media, which form a symbiotic relationship that reflects the development of modern civilizations. The “Co-existence of Human” part centers around people’s existence, spiritual status and human relations in different contexts. The “Dialogue among Civilizations” part focuses on the relationship between historical civilizations, social spirits and the development of technology, and forms a heterogeneous thinking and a universal solution.

The “Ecology and Homeland” ecology unit sets out from the relationship between human and nature, and constructs the foundation for a new homeland where diverse species remain symbiotic. Through representing the existing life forms and objects of our homeland, works in this unit reveal a new understanding of diversity, responds to the ecological issues that the mankind faces today, and constructs a sustainable and off-grid link of existence from an on-site perspective.

The “Sketches of Xinjiang” special exhibition explores the history of sketching tours in Xinjiang, which was popular among Chinese artists in the 20th century. Exploration of artworks on Xinjiang is important to the study of Chinese art, and the promotion of the Silk Road culture. The “Between Heaven and Earth” exhibition displays the outstanding ink artists since the 1980s, as a mirror that reflects the current situation of Chinese contemporary ink art, and the future development of ink art.

The Biennale traverses the history and the present with its diverse art forms and cultural landscapes. It forms an outline of today’s art practice from the perspective of civilizations’ development and dialogue, displays a cultural entry point into region-based observation and study, and enables conversation and dialogue on a symbiotic level. Through the intertextual connection among artworks, more issues are discussed in the symbiosis of commonality and diversity.

Read more about the exhibition

CAFA ART INFO | Based in the west, how does the Xinjiang International Art Biennale, which is starting again, dialogue with the world?

Harmonious Symbiosis – The 3rd Xinjiang International Arts Biennale

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