Big names, small town
The tourist attraction of Wuzhen is pulling in the stars of the contemporary art world
AS A POPULAR tourist attraction in East China’s Zhejiang province, Wuzhen is often in the headlines – either for the World Internet Conference or for its theatre festival.
But now the coastal town is embracing art, holding its first international contemporary art exhibition beginning on March 27.
On display will be works by 40 artists from 15 countries, including famous names like Damien Hirst, Bill Viola, Araki Nobuyoshi, Marina Abramovic (“the grandmother of performance art”) and Florentijn Hofman (“the father of the Rubber Duck”).
The works cover installations, sculptures, videos, performance art, photos, painting and sound art. It will run through June 26.
“The event will be either a biennial or triennial one,” says curator Feng Boyi. “It’s the first time for a small town in China to hold such a large-scale exhibition with so many star artists from across the globe.”
Many of the artists are creating works especially for this show, and they will blend with the town’s ancient architecture. For instance, Ann Hamilton will create an installation to be placed on a stage that’s hundreds of years old.
Half of the 40 artists are Chinese, including Xu Bing, Ai Weiwei and Liu Jianhua.
Sui Jianguo, a top sculptor, visited Wuzhen in October to think about his work for the show. It will be displayed in an abandoned silk factory in the north of the town.
“The silk factory is an old memory for the town,” says Sui, who grew up in a factory area and now owns a studio in 798, the biggest art district in Beijing, which has been created using old factories.
The exhibition will be in two districts: the factory area and the tourist area known for its ancient houses along the river, which have East China’s traditional garden-style architecture.
About 21 artists have already visited Wuzhen to draw inspiration. Oliver Hirring stayed for more than a month. He plans to present performance art, part of his global effort focusing on impromptu actions and reactions.
“I find it very interesting to apply my art to Wuzhen,” says the German-American multimedia artist.
