Brilliant City/Undercurrents, a group exhibition featuring work Zhong Minjie (b. 1975, Guangzhou), a sound artist from Guangzhou, China.
An international collaborative research and exhibition involving Chinese and British artists that explore themes of urbanization and globalization. The exhibition of sound and video art from China and the UK, focuses on the changing nature of urban environments in both countries. It was produced during the preparations for the Beijing Olympics, a period marked by significant infrastructure projects emerging throughout China. The project examines three decades of development, globalization, and urbanization in the country. The relationship between the city and modernity was a central theme in early 20th-century art and architecture. Today, many of these ideas are experiencing a resurgence through large construction projects across China. These projects significantly impact both rural and urban populations, as they disrupt lives and communities in the ongoing pursuit of modernization.
This work aims to represent and critique the relationship between the past and present by exploring the city’s history and its neighborhoods. It highlights monumental ruins alongside meticulously constructed developments. Drawing inspiration from Walter Benjamin’s “Passagen,” the text creates a montage of reflections on fashion, the concept of a dream city, advertising, and theories of progress.
The primary concern is the commodification of both public and private spaces. China’s increasing shift towards a market-driven economy, along with the rapid growth of its service and industrial sectors, has led many rural residents to migrate to these new ‘metropolises’ in search of a better life. Unfortunately, many of them end up becoming part of an expanding urban underclass. In the scenes captured, highways are deserted, and streets are devoid of people. This modern landscape appears vacant, dominated solely by the buildings themselves, which overshadow any aspect of human scale.
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Emerging artists collaborating on the project include 8gg, Actop, B6, Michael Faulkner, Matthias Kispert, Ariane Geil, Haus M Commune, Lin Zhiying, Davide Quayola, Barney Steel, Axel Stockburger, Thom Chin, Wan G Geezer, Xu Cheng, Zhong Minjie, and Zip Design. They were invited to explore themes related to urban architecture, as well as social and economic change, reflecting on our relationship with the urban environment through the mediums of video and/or sound.
Contributing artist Zhong Minjie was invited to the UK to assist in the research and development of a project in Liverpool and London. Similarly, the Beijing-based artist group 8GG was invited to CineCity Brighton 2006 to present and discuss the themes explored in their work, alongside curator Keith Whittle and other contributing artists. After this, they participated in an International Artist in Residence program with Space/Social Space. The artistic network established during the research and development phase fostered robust collaboration among international contributing artists, supported by a comprehensive research methodology and outreach program connecting the UK and China.
The exhibition toured to Kinetica Art Fair, London, MIC Toi Rerehiko, Auckland, New Dis-Locate Festival, Tokyo + Yokohama, Japan, CineCity Festival Brighton, UK, MU Eindhoven, Netherlands, UK Arts Festival, Chongqing, China, Lovebytes Festival, Sheffield, UK and AV Festival, UK.
Brilliant City was co-curated and produced by Keith Whittle, Keri Elmsly, Michael Faulkner, and Matthias Kispert.
The project and exhibition were supported by Arts Council England, the British Council China, and Visiting Arts.
The exhibition toured various locations, including the Kinetica Art Fair in London, MIC Toi Rerehiko in Auckland, the New Dis-Locate Festival in Tokyo and Yokohama, the CineCity Festival in Brighton, UK, MU in Eindhoven, Netherlands, the UK Arts Festival in Chongqing, China, the Lovebytes Festival in Sheffield, UK, and the AV Festival in the UK.
Brilliant City/Undercurrent was co-curated and produced by Keith Whittle, Keri Elmsly, Michael Faulkner, and Matthias Kispert. The project and exhibition received support from Arts Council England, the British Council China, and Visiting Arts.
