Jiehong Jiang: <\/strong>\u201cHarmonious Society\u201d comes from the ideals of Hu Jintao, the former Communist Party leader of China. It became an automatic theme to respond to the ATM14\u2019s theme of \u201cConflict and Compassion\u201d. When we had the title in English\u2014\u201dHarmonious Society\u201d\u2014we thought about how to translate it into Chinese. On one hand, it was for the Chinese audiences, on the other, for the artists to have something to interpret and respond to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n RM: <\/strong>When set in the context of the ATM14\u2019s thematic of \u201cConflict and Compassion\u201d<\/strong>, do you not feel that audiences will automatically think of the censorship and societal control that China is often pre-defined by?<\/p>\n\n\n\n JJ: <\/strong>Yes, this is a very obvious title; it is very political and critical in a way, yet it has very little to do with visual creativity. I think \u201cHarmonious Society\u201d has to fit into that framework; but we are also trying to be slightly different and stand aside from direct political criticism. The idea of \u201cHarmonious Society\u201d, although it comes from a political statement or proposition is, in a way, very neutral and philosophical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Harmonious Society Conference 29 September 2014 at MediaCity Salford \u2013 Rachel Marsden<\/p>\n\n\n\n Li Wei \u2018A Decorative Thing\u2019 (2014) at Manchester Cathedral \u2013 Tristan Poyser<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pak Sheung Chuen \u2018Resenting Hong Kong Series\u2019 (2014) \u2013 Tristan Poyser<\/p>\n\n\n\n Annie Lai Kuen Wan \u2018Lost in Biliterate and Trilingual\u2019 (2014) at John Rylands Library \u2013 Tristan Poyser<\/p>\n\n\n\n RM: <\/strong>What was the curatorial strategy behind the use of multiple curators and venues?<\/p>\n\n\n\n JJ: <\/strong>There were six venues. Originally, we only had one \u2014<\/strong>the CFCCA\u2014<\/strong>then I asked for more. The curatorial workshops we ran during the lead up to the exhibition discussed the artists and introduced the venues and the historical, cultural and physical connotations of the spaces; then, the artists sent in proposals. Eventually, it was the proposals that chose the venues, not the venues choosing the artists. What the audience doesn\u2019t see is that many artists were rejected from the exhibition. Originally, it was suggested that the Taiwanese artists be shown within one venue, like a pavilion, to raise the visibility of Taiwanese art. In the end, Taiwanese artists were included across different venues, which is a demonstration of the \u201charmony\u201d of the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The artists were challenged to make work in response to three things\u2014<\/strong>the theme itself of \u201cHarmonious Society\u201d and of the ATM14, \u201cConflict and Compassion\u201d<\/strong>; second was to respond spatially and architecturally to the venues as some are gothic and very decorative, making it a challenge to display visually, or to make art \u201cwork\u201d within those spaces; the third is to respond to the historical, cultural and religious contexts of the space. It was these three things altogether.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A core interest in this curatorial strategy concerns difference, rather than identity; the show connects different regions and encourages the artists to create conflicts and challenges through their responses to the idea of \u201cHarmonious Society\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n RM: <\/strong>Was it to be more of a survey exhibition, a commentary on the state of contemporary Chinese art today, or a more critical examination?<\/p>\n\n\n\n JJ: <\/strong>It is not a survey exhibition. There are too many kinds of these exhibitions in the West. Survey exhibitions were very important around twenty years ago, but not now. The West saw very little contemporary Chinese art, so the \u201csurvey\u201d show gave an informative introduction. Today, I feel the Western audience is much better equipped to deal with artistic responses from China. This exhibition is a collection of responses and reflections on specific issues in contemporary China. It is a project to attract artists to develop new work and to discuss certain, rather than for \u201cgood\u201d artists to show Chinese art to the West.<\/p>\n\n\n\n RM: <\/strong>Do you feel there are Chinese artists who have contributed to the marginalization of contemporary Chinese art outside China?<\/p>\n\n\n\n JJ: <\/strong>It is interesting that you point out the marginalization of Chinese art in the international arena. In \u201cHarmonious Society\u201d, you can see some established artists and some emerging artists. You can\u2019t possibly see any \u201cChineseness\u201d within their work. This is because they have become more confident through having worked in global biennials and triennials and as part of this universal artistic power, rather than flagging up any Chinese element or images to attract Western curiosity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n RM: <\/strong>Some works, such as those in the John Rylands Library and Manchester Cathedral, can be seen as decorative, and thus exterior to the curatorial strategy for \u201cHarmonious Society\u201d. Was this intentional?<\/p>\n\n\n\n JJ: <\/strong>I wouldn\u2019t say this was either decorative or critical. We don\u2019t have a choice. It is about how the audience views them through the spaces. Art and space are one single unity: inseparable. If the artworks specifically developed for the cathedral are shown elsewhere, they lose their significance straight awayin terms of site-specificity. This is the marriage between art and space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chen Chieh-jen \u2018Realm of Reverberations\u2019 (2014) \u2013 Joel Chester Fildes<\/p>\n\n\n\n He An \u2018It is Forever Not\u2019 (2014) (L) and Zhang Peili \u2018Elegant Semicircles\u2019 (2014) (R) at ArtWork \u2013 Tristan Poyser<\/p>\n\n\n\n Liu Jianhua\u2019s \u2018Boxing Time\u2019 (2002) and TOF Group\u2019s \u2018An Ideal Field for the Perfect Battle\u2019 (2014) at National Football Museum \u2013 Tristan Poyser<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wang Yin \u2018Bouyei Dances ii\u2019 (2013) and \u2018Tibetan Dances ii\u2019 (2013) \u2013 Tristan Poyser<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wang Yuyang \u2018Breathing Books\u2019 (2014) at John Rylands Library \u2013 Tristan Poyser<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yang Zhenzhong \u2018Long Live the Great Union\u2019 (2013) \u2013 Tristan Poyser<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yang Zhenzhong \u2018Long Live the Great Union\u2019 (2013) 2 \u2013 Tristan Poyser<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Rachel Marsdentranslated by Peng Zuqi … Continue reading ![\"Harmonious](\"http:\/\/www.randian-online.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/Harmonious-Society-Conference-29-September-2014-at-MediaCity-Salford-Rachel-Marsden.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Li](\"http:\/\/www.randian-online.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/Li-Wei-A-Decorative-Thing-2014-at-Manchester-Cathedral-Tristan-Poyser.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Pak](\"http:\/\/www.randian-online.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/Pak-Sheung-Chuen-Resenting-Hong-Kong-Series-2014-Tristan-Poyser.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Annie](\"http:\/\/www.randian-online.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/Annie-Lai-Kuen-Wan-Lost-in-Biliterate-and-Trilingual-2014-at-John-Rylands-Library-Tristan-Poyser.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Chen](\"http:\/\/www.randian-online.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/Chen-Chieh-jen-Realm-of-Reverberations-2014-Joel-Chester-Fildes-.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"He](\"http:\/\/www.randian-online.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/He-An-It-is-Forever-Not-2014-L-and-Zhang-Peili-Elegant-Semicircles-2014-R-at-ArtWork-Tristan-Poyser.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Liu](\"http:\/\/www.randian-online.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/Liu-Jianhua-Boxing-Time-2002-and-TOF-Group-An-Ideal-Field-for-the-Perfect-Battle-2014-at-National-Football-Museum-Tristan-Poyser.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Wang](\"http:\/\/www.randian-online.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/Wang-Yin-Bouyei-Dances-ii-2013-and-Tibetan-Dances-ii-2013-Tristan-Poyser.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Wang](\"http:\/\/www.randian-online.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/Wang-Yuyang-Breathing-Books-2014-at-John-Rylands-Library-Tristan-Poyser.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Yang](\"http:\/\/www.randian-online.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/Yang-Zhenzhong-Long-Live-the-Great-Union-2013-Tristan-Poyser.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Yang](\"http:\/\/www.randian-online.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/Yang-Zhenzhong-Long-Live-the-Great-Union-2013-2-Tristan-Poyser.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n\n\n