In conjunction with the current exhibit, Urbanization and the Rise of the Modern City, the gallery manager will be leading a tour of the exhibit on July 15th at 1pm. She will give a brief overview of contemporary Chinese art and then will lead a walkthrough of the exhibit.
ABOUT THE EXHIBIT
Urbanization and the Rise of the Modern City is a group exhibition featuring five contemporary Chinese artists who address rapid urbanization in China. The exhibit features recent works by Jin Ke, Xu Ze, Luo Jie, Wang Jun, and Xu Yong Kang.
In 1990, only twenty-six percent of the population in China lived in cities, now that number has jumped to fifty-six percent in 2015. Urbanization has lifted thousands out of poverty and helped China’s economy, but at the same it has destroyed historical sites, created pollution, and led to feelings of emptiness, loneliness, and anxiety in citydwellers. Many of the artists associate urbanization and the accompanying economic growth with changing societal values, such as a greater interest in material wealth and power. The artists in this exhibit address urbanization’s effects on the Chinese landscape and on individuals living in the city. They are often concerned with urbanization’s impact on tradition, including traditional landscapes, landmarks, and culture.
http://themarengogallery.com/urbanization-exhibit/