Brisbane is host to an exciting series of exhibitions celebrating contemporary Chinese art

　　In March, the Queensland Art Gallery (QAG} will launch a timely triumvirate of exhibitions showcasing the work of some of he most prominent Chinese artists to emerge in the past 30 years. Spread across both the Gallery’s main building and the neighbouring Gallery of Modem Art, the three exhibitions - collectively dubbed The China Project - mark a major milestone for QAG, furthering the institution's sound reputation for championing Asian art (the Gallery is responsible for the Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, which was instigated in 1993).

　　Over the past 20 years, QAG has amassed an impressive collection of work made in the wake of the Cultural Revolution, representing Chinese practice from the avant-garde movement of the 1980s to more recent works coming out of "new China" According to QAG's Curatorial Manager, Suhanya Raffel, these works were the starting block for The China Project, and form an integral part of the exhibition,

　　"It's important for us to show the depth of [our] collection," she says,"It's very much a story of Australia and our relationship with China through the Asia-Pacific Triennial and other projects. And it also reflects how a number of Chinese artists came to Australia after the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989."

　　Constituting the main body of the project, Three Decades, the Contemporary Chinese Collection brings together the work of 48 artists, with pieces from QAG’s collection, including Xu Bing's A book from the sky(1987-91), which Raffel describes as "a touchstone work in the New Wave in China" [when the piece was shown in china in 1989, it was removed after ten days because its nonsensical calligraphic characters were seen as offensive]. Broken into key thematic groups, this exhibition aims to demonstrate the changing focus of Chinese art in recent years, highlighting the cultural events that have infused many of these artists' work There Decades will feature new sculptures by Ah Xian (known for his ceramic busts) as well as a specially commissioned piece by Wang Ojngsong, a Beijing artist who touches on issues surrounding China's consumer culture.

　　The second show, Zhang Xiaogang: Shadows in the Soul, is the first major retrospective exhibition of this significant painter's work to be seen in Australia. Best known for his idiosyncratic portraits - which sit somewhere between symbolism, surrealism and caricature in style - Xiaogang responds to events from his life - specifically his experiences of growing up amid the Cultural Revolution. Developed with the assistance of Leng Lin (founder of Beijing Commune, one of China's leading contemporary art galleries), this exhibition features works spanning Xiaogang's career -including many from the artist's own collection as well as never-before-seen early works

　　Rounding off the trio is William Yang: Life Lines, a purpose-built installation by the well-known Australia-Chinese artist. A natural choice for inclusion in The China Project, Yang - who grew up in Queensland - has famously documented his family history and personal experience as a gay man of Chinese origin living in Australia. For this exhibition Yang will present a series of self-portraits in the form of collected objects, photographs and family memorabilia. Yang will also reprise his celebrated performance work, China - an evocative monologue accompanied by a slideshow.

　　Accordhig to Suhanya Raffel, The China Project aims to provide visitors with the opportunity to see Chinese art in a fresh context, conversely breathing new life into the Gallery's collection. She says: "There is such great diversity in the material. And I suppose it's the beginning of something for us - it's the first time we've brought out the collection in this way. It's tremendously exciting."

　　The China Project

　　Three Decades: The Contemporary Chinese Collection: Zhang Xiaogang: Shadows in the Soul;

　　William Yang Life lines, Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane 28 Mar – 28 Jun

　　出处：《ART WORLD》,FEB / MAY 2009,P30.