Exhibition: 23.09.2017 – 07.10.2017
“Power of the Image” – group exhibition with Katrin Korfmann
LOCATION: YUNGANG ART MUSEUM, 339, Nanjiao Qu, Datong Shi, Shanxi Sheng/ China
Exhibition WEBSITE |Museum WEBSITE
Curated by Ineke Gudmundson
“Power of the Image” is a part of the series of activities of “The Wild of China”, which is the brand of “Public Relations of Image” created by China Public Relations Association (CPRA). In 2017, the theme of the photography culture exhibition is “Fusion across Transcendence, Beauty of Datong”, which responds to the “One Belt & One Road” initiative to promote world cultural exchanges and mutual learning and understanding. CEAC present over 100 works in the exhibition as the representative of the guest country – Netherlands.
The vast majority of the Dutch artists featured in this exhibition have been on CEAC’s residency program at some point in their career. The display showcases a variety of subject matters, styles and creative methods, and also features a small number of video works in conjunction with photography to give the viewers a taste of other possibilities of lens-based artistic practice by Dutch contemporary artists. Exhibiting artists are Aernout Mik, Emilie Hudig, Gerald van der Kaap, Guido van der Werve, Katrin Korfmann & Jens Pfeifer, Marike Schuurman, Marjan Laaper, Marjan Teeuwen, Peer Veneman, Persijn Broersen & Margit Lukacs, Sarah mei Herman, Scarlett Hooft Graafland, Sigurdur Gudmundsson, Sylvie Zijlmans & Hewald Jongenelis, Tara Fallaux, Ton Zwerver.
The power of a photographic image, therefore, lies in its ability to not only record the physical world or represent an objective reality but also reflect our inner worlds, serving as a testament to our subjective realities. Cultural exchange can also be considered an art of perspectives. In the long history of intercultural relations, preconceptions and old narratives were tested, revised and adjusted through both dialogues and conflicts. In the best scenarios, we learn from one another and seek commonality despite differences, leading to deeper mutual understanding and greater mutual respect. It is hoped that with this grand debut of Dutch contemporary art in Datong – one of China’s ancient cultural cities and the start point of the Silk Road in China’s North Wei Dynasty (386-534 AD), visitors can be inspired to contemplate and appreciate with expanded perspectives the connections between the past and the present, and between different parts of the world, in this increasingly interconnected and interdependent world we co-inhabit.
