Onward! Onward! Onward! by Jiang Zhi (b.1971, Yuanjiang, China), a large-scale installation as part of the group exhibition There is no ‘I’ in Team, a unique opportunity to see the work of an extraordinary and vibrant new generation of Chinese artists (mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau), working in moving image, sound and installation art, arguably the most prolific and strongest type of work being created in China at the time.
Widely regarded as one of the most versatile Chinese artists of his generation, Jiang Zhi works with a wide range of media, including photography, painting, video and installation as well as publishing volumes of fiction and poetry. Consistently engaging with contemporary social and cultural issues, Jiang consciously positions himself at the intersection of poetics and sociology, whilst weaving everyday social and personal experience into his works. His practice explores the problematic conditions of modern consciousness, looking to complex computer imagery for stimulation. His manipulated images which combine reality with hi-tech digital imagery represent and revisit our perceived present and the mental conceptions we bring to it. His photograph of the Chongqing House, known colloquially as the ‘House of Nails’, is representative of Jiang’s work, where a neon light floods a house which the owners refuse to leave, despite the demolition of their neighbourhood.
The exhibition at The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, and across several off-site exhibition spaces, marked the first major group exhibition of Chinese contemporary art in the North East of England. The exhibition was conceptualized as a platform to introduce audiences to the burgeoning contemporary art scene of China. At a time when China’s global influence was ascending, the exhibition offered a rare glimpse into the diverse and complex narratives shaping Chinese society and its artistic expressions. The exhibition showcased the dynamism of Chinese contemporary art but also marked a significant moment in cultural exchange and artistic dialogue.
Visitors were invited to explore the interplay of art and space, contemplate the narratives and themes presented, and engage in a cultural dialogue that transcended geographical boundaries. Bringing Chinese contemporary art to the forefront, highlighting its growing importance to the global art scene to new audiences. The exhibition’s success led to a broader recognition and appreciation of Chinese artists, many of whom have since gained international acclaim. Bridging cultures and opening dialogues. It was not only a celebration of Chinese contemporary art but also a testament to the power of art in connecting worlds and expanding horizons. The exhibiting artists offered a speculative commentary on changes in China. Reflecting on the substantial differences in individualist and collectivist cultural orientations and explore complex regional contexts and conditions, history, tradition and modernity derived from their personal experiences while critically reflecting on and simultaneously traversing their world of China now. Capturing a distinct vision of contemporary China whilst also reflecting on how artists’ lives and practices have developed and been informed by they’re rapidly changing social and cultural surroundings.
Jiang Zhi was born in 1971 in Yuanjiang, China. He graduated from the China Academy of Art in 1995 and lives and works in Beijing. He has had major solo retrospectives at Chinese institutions such as OCAT Shenzhen and the Times Museum in Guangzhou in addition to Sifang Art Museum, White Cube Hong Kong and Magician Space Beijing and has exhibited at international institutions and biennials including the Guggenheim Museum, New York, M+ Museum Hong Kong, the 9th Shanghai Biennale, Shanghai Power Station of Art, the 4th Guangzhou Triennial, Guangdong Art Museum, ICP and Asia Society New York, the 50th Biennale di Venezia, the 4th Gwangju Biennale. Jiang Zhi was awarded the Chinese Contemporary Art Award, the Academic Award for Reshaping History, and the Credit Suisse Today Art Award.
There is No ‘I’ in Team was curated by Keith Whittle, Keri Elmsly (UK), Pauline Doutreluingne (Germany), Jian Jiang (China). It was generously supported by Culture 10, The British Council China and presented in partnership with ISIS Arts in cooperation with Newcastle City Council. Part of CHINA NOW, the largest festival of Chinese culture ever in the UK, and EAST’08, a world-class celebration of contemporary Asian culture in Newcastle-Gateshead. The exhibition subsequently toured the Victoria and Albert Museum, South Kensington, London and Program E.V. Berlin, Germany.
