As Thoreau notably wrote, "In wildness is the preservation of the world." When art ventures beyond the confines of the white cube space, it becomes rooted in the soil. When artists and villagers collaborate in art projects, and cities and villages engage in each other's culture, the countryside becomes a utopian experimental site. The answer to a new order can emerge from the intersection of wilderness and the village.
In late 2022, BY ART MATTERS RESIDENCY and the Institute of Social Aesthetics and Education in Pingnan County, Fujian Province, jointly launched the Local Charm in Qianfenxi project. Five artists from Hangzhou embarked on a month-long exchange residency in a small village called Qianfenxi, where they collaborated with local villagers to create artworks that depicted the charm of the village. The artists then returned to Hangzhou, where they shared their experiences and the artwork they created, fostering a deeper understanding between the city and the countryside.
Cui Yi
Works and lives in Hangzhou.
Cui Yi's recent art practice centres around exploring the everyday material media that exist within consumer society and urban renewal. Through her work, she seeks to navigate the punctuated experiences that arise from these environments and cultivate a garden-like perceptual transformation. By focusing on these themes, Cui Yi aims to bring attention to the unnoticed aspects of our surroundings and encourage viewers to see the world around them in a new light.
Li Jiaojiao
Works and lives in Shanghai.
Li Jiaojiao's art is centred around the abandoned tiles in ancient towns, as she strives to establish a language of communication with them. By searching for loose tiles on eaves and freeing them from fences, Li Jiaojiao aims to continue the traces of growth of the tiles themselves. Through carving, painting, and fungus farming, she revitalises the tiles and imbues them with new life. Cement is often regarded as a lifeless object, but when it falls from the roof, it begins to take on a new identity. Li Jiaojiao picks up on the signal of each tile and continues its intuitive re-creation. Her work allows viewers to re-engage with the abandoned tiles and see them in a new light, highlighting the beauty that can be found in overlooked objects and the power of artistic transformation.
Liang Zi
Works and lives in Hangzhou.
Over the last decade, Liang Zi has traveled to more than fifty countries, collecting a vast array of cultural field materials. His work straddles the realms of socially engaged art and design, as he seeks to explore and articulate the experiences of people, organisations, and cities in their daily life contexts. As a professional outsider, Liang Zi offers a fresh perspective on the world around him, utilising his extensive knowledge and diverse cultural experiences to inform his work. Through his art and design, he aims to engage with society and encourage a deeper understanding of the world and the people in it.
Xu Shuangshuang
Works and lives in Hangzhou.
Xu Shuangshuang is a ceramic artist who utilises clay as her medium to express her perceptions of life, personal experiences, and dialogues with the world. She approaches her art in a sensual manner, using the malleable nature of clay to capture her emotions and create a tactile experience for the viewer. She embraces the sense of randomness and uncontrollability in the creative process, likening it to tidying up her house. Her work is based on personal life experiences and explores the interrelationships between time, individuals, resources, and the environment. Through her art, Xu Shuangshuang seeks to create a dialogue between herself and the world, inviting viewers to reflect on their own experiences and connections with the world around them.
Yao Yuhe
Works and lives in Suzhou.
Yao Yuhe began exploring the boundaries of emotion and the human body before 2018, focusing on the body as a means of expression. In more recent years, she has turned her attention to the interaction between individuals and society, as well as how we connect with our surroundings. For a long time, Yao Yuhe has studied the relationship between artists, their works, and audiences. Through various media, including video, installation, and sound, she creates virtual interactions between the author and the viewer. Her work involves the viewer in the thought process, stripping away layers of constructed images and focusing on the nature of events. Yao Yuhe's art aims to provoke thought and encourage viewers to explore their own relationship with the world around them.
photo by Tang Yunyan
