Arcu cursus euismod quis viverra nibh cras pulvinar mattis nunc. Sed nisi lacus sed viverra tellus. Feugiat nisl pretium fusce id. Tempor commodo ullamcorper a lacus. Metus vulputate eu scelerisque felis imperdiet proin fermentum. Chinese Contemporary Art Exhibit Coming to Buffalo

nitroethane synthesis

Albright-Knox Art Gallery and University at Buffalo Art Galleries Partner with Chinese Art Museum in Landmark Collaboration

By Kristin E. M. Riemer
Release Date: August 29, 2005

Buffalo, N.Y. — This fall, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery and the University at Buffalo Art Galleries will present the most extensive exhibition of contemporary Chinese art to journey beyond China’s borders. The exhibition, titled “The Wall: Reshaping Contemporary Chinese Art,” marks a historic collaboration between U.S. art museums and a major Chinese art institution, following its debut at the Millennium Art Museum in Beijing earlier this summer.

The exhibition, opening to the public on October 21 and running until January 29, 2006, will be showcased at three venues: the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, the UB Art Gallery in the Center for the Arts on UB’s North Campus in Amherst, and the UB Anderson Gallery on Martha Jackson Place in Buffalo.

Gao Minglu, an authority on 20th- and 21st-century Chinese art and associate professor of East Asian modern and contemporary art at the University of Pittsburgh, organized “The Wall” during his tenure as an assistant professor in the Department of Art History at the UB College of Arts and Sciences. This exhibition is the first of its kind, focusing on contemporary Chinese art and reflecting on various interpretations of walls in Chinese culture.

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The exhibition will explore how the concept of “The Wall” is manifested in Chinese modernization projects, cultural boundaries, and as physical or architectural forms like the Great Wall. Works such as Zheng Lianjie’s “Binding the Lost Souls: Big Explosion ’93 Series” document a performance on the Great Wall, showcasing a creative reconstruction using salvaged bricks wrapped in red ribbon.

“The Wall” will also survey how current art-making practices, rooted in Chinese civilization, reflect the rapidly changing cultural landscape of China. With approximately 83 works by 47 artists, many of whom are emerging talents discovered during on-site research in different regions of China, the exhibition provides a comprehensive view. This event is a significant cultural endeavor, featuring a 450-page bilingual catalog, film screenings, educational programs, and art performances.

In conjunction with the exhibition, a multidisciplinary international research conference, “The Roles and Representations of Walls in the Reshaping of Chinese Modernity,” is planned for October 20-23 in Buffalo. Organized by UB, the conference will explore physical, social, and other kinds of walls in the process of rethinking the nature of modernity, particularly in twentieth-century China.

The collaboration between UB, the Millennium Art Museum in Beijing, and the Albright-Knox Art Gallery emphasizes cross-cultural study and dialogue, providing unique opportunities for academic excellence. “The Wall” is a significant milestone in cultural and educational exchanges between East and West.

The exhibition has been generously supported by UB, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, the Millennium Art Museum, the Asian Cultural Council, the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, the UB Interdisciplinary Research and Creative Activities Fund, the National Endowment for the Arts, The Shelley and Donald Rubin Foundation, the W.L.S. Spencer Foundation, and the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.

Tickets and Hours:

  • UB Art Gallery, Center for the Arts: Tues.-Sat. 11 a.m.-5 p.m., except Thurs. 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
  • UB Anderson Gallery, Martha Jackson Place: Wed.-Sat. 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. 1-5 p.m.
  • Albright-Knox Art Gallery: Wed.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., except Friday 10 a.m.-10 p.m.

Admission is free at both UB venues and $12 at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery. A passport guide to the exhibition, on sale at all three locations for $12, includes a free admission pass to the Albright-Knox and is valid for the duration of the exhibition.