- A solo exhibition by Xie Caomin

 

The term "afterlife" is borrowed from the Buddhism concept.  The Buddhist’s view of the universe is called "Great-Thousand-World".  Every ‘thing’ is in a circulating process - it arises, develops, flourishes, declines, and dissipates. Nothing is permanent.  Everything changes.  It is reincarnation, a spiral movement which develops everything back to its fundamental state.

 

"Afterlife" is Xie Caomin’s response of the tendency of today's visual art world.  In his view, today's artists more & more tend to focus on the specific socio-political issue as the inspirational bases for the art creativity.  After the fall of those art movements (driven by the ideologies) during the 80's, the function of the art becomes merely a list of complain.  Instead of having an interest in the socially engaged art activities, Xie Caomin’s view of the art is based on the imagination toward the macro view of the world - the activities to imagine within the unimaginable world (a world with the inflation of images).  The imagination, to the artist, is afterlife.  This new group of the paintings records his process of feeling about the afterlife imagination toward the unpredictable world.

 

Exhibition dates:  1 – 20 Nov., 2008

Opening Reception:  Saturday, 1 Nov., 2008, 14:00 – 17:00