Goddesses then and now at Hangzhou exhibition
Power, body, desiring, fashion, self, identity — some of the keywords used at an exhibition that opened recently at Hangzhou Arts and Crafts Museum.
Entitled “Goddess in the Shell,” the exhibition features work from 21 contemporary artists and 120 pieces of antiquities from 12 museums and individual collectors. At the same time, parallel exhibitions are being held at three other art galleries throughout the city.
The exhibits are not presented in chronological order, as is common in other museums. Instead they are categorized into several exhibition areas highlighted by those keywords.
“I personally think that ‘goddess’ is someone you look up to. The exhibition hopes to discuss some of the women’s issues facing us today, to discuss the conditions of our culture today, and the possibility of its future,” said Xu Xiaoxiao, one of the show’s curators.
An imitated ancient lady’s boudoir includes a traditional wood-carved bed and a piece of modern furniture. The chair is part of an installation by artist Ying Xinxun..
On the museum’s second floor, icons of goddesses from different ages, professions and cultural backgrounds are piled up on the three walls facing the entrance. A spotlight is turned randomly on a certain face from time to time.
They cover a broad category of female celebrities that we know from history or the media — the only empress in China’s history Wu Zetian, Princess Diana, popular female Chinese writer Eileen Chang, Japanese singer and actress Momoe Yamaguchi …
Also these faces reflect the changes in what defines a desirable goddess in public opinion over the years.
While Yamaguchi could be the “dream girl” of many in the early 1980s for being gentle and submissive, the kind of straightforward and domineering girl portrayed in the South Korean blockbuster movie “My Sassy Girl” wins acclaim in later years.
“The Chinese word nushen (goddess) actually derives from the Japanese otaku (geeky anime obsessives) culture, but is now being overused in the media and becomes a symbol for consumerism,” Jiang Jun, an art critic told Shanghai Daily. “People buy different concepts of ‘goddesses’ to get a perception of the world while ‘goddesses’ armor themselves in consumer goods to meet the expectations of the public.”
In artist Tong Yao’s installation “The fortune list of General Georgy Zhukov,” he prints selfies of certain instant online celebrities taken in restaurants and shops, and gives out on a receipt the price of each product they wear or bring with them.
A large part of the exhibition focuses on the outfits and accessories of ancient and modern women since the museum has a large collection of women’s fashion items.
A pair of tiny woman’s shoes for bound feet is juxtaposed with a pair of modern high heels, with early 20th-century cheongsams in the background. — Shi Jia
Tiny 19th-century women’s shoes for bound feet are juxtaposed with a pair of Jimmy Choo’s pink high heels; images of women on early 20th century commercial posters contrast with those of model women workers in the 1950s and 1960s reprinted by the artist on IKEA carpets; and Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) fans and ink-wash paintings are hidden amidst interactive sound and visual installations.
“Since the 1960s and 1970s people in the West began to discuss how to activate cultural relics and attract more young people to the museums,” said Jiang.
“The traditional way of interpreting a piece of ancient art is too academic and too far away from everyday life. What I think interesting in this exhibition is that they put these antiquities in the discourse of contemporary art.”
The curators’ efforts are also present in the gallery texts and background music.
Along with a collection of early 20th century cheongsams, the curators put up a classic paragraph from writer Eileen Chang depicting women’s fashion in wearing cheongsam at that time. While the background music selected from Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai’s “In the Mood for Love” creates an ambience that is just right for appreciating the dress.
In an imitated ancient lady’s boudoir, the curators try to reconstruct women’s private space. A Western-style furnished chair is placed in the middle, surrounded by a traditional Chinese wood-carved bed and showcases of ancient women’s earrings and jade ornaments that the owner may use daily.
The chair is part of an installation made by artist Ying Xinxun. It stands on a variegated fur carpet with its wooden legs tied up to four glass feet. Two unplugged lamps are put on the padded seat. The whole setting indicates the fragility of comfort or the illusion of stability.
Feng Lin, another contemporary artist, records her life as a housewife after she was married, gave birth to a baby and partially gave up her art career.
A visitor looks at the installation “The fortune list of General Georgy Zhukov” by artist Tong Yao.
The group work includes her monthly billing statements, a photo collage of lunches she made every day, felted woollen dolls made when watching television, and also a pseudo erotic poster of the artist with a posture reproduced from a picture she found on her husband’s phone.
“I think we live in a pluralistic society that can embrace all kinds of ideas. We did not take a feminist approach for the exhibition and we hope to offer an opportunity for more open discussions, to be an archery target,” concluded Xu.
Goddess in the Shell: Discourse Beyond Antiquity and Art
Date: Through November 18 (closed on Mondays)
Address: 334 Xiaohe Rd
Admission: Free
Wrath of Goddess
Date: Through October 28
Address: Rm 201, Unit 4, Block 10, Anno Domini Park, intersection of Chongyi Rd and Wenyi Rd W.
Admission: Free
Offline Goddess
Date: Through October 6
Address: Yinyan Space, Bldg 20, 77 Zhongshan Rd N.
Admission: Free
