5 artists' works to check out this weekend at JINGART 2019

Photo: JINGART/WeChat

Modern and contemporary art fair JINGART returns this weekend on Saturday 1 and Sunday 2, this time at the historical Beijing Exhibition Centre in Qianmen. With over 40 participating domestic galleries and internationally renowned dealers from all around the world, JINGART 2019 looks set to be a great showcase of modern and contemporary art with a special focus on Chinese contemporary ink art.

Photo: JINGART/WeChat

What’s more, the historical Beijing Exhibition Centre (pictured above) is an attraction by itself. First established in 1954 as the first large-scale exhibition venue in the city, its architecture mirrors a Sino-Soviet style popular in 1950s China. If the stunning venue isn't reason enough to visit it this weekend, here’s our pick of five artists' works you'd want to catch at this year’s JINGART art fair.

Human Since 1982

Photo: Human Since 1982

Established in 2009, Human Since 1982 creates proactive sculptures and experiential installations driven by shared curiosities to make sense of the world. Gallery All will be bringing large-scale installation works by the group, whose practice includes the subversion and elevation of everyday objects like clocks, smartphones, and surveillance equipment. Centering upon the human experience, Human since 1982 uses technology as a mechanism to explore human motivations and anxieties.

Josef Albers

Photo: Deutsche Bundespost, scanned by NobbiP/Wikimedia Commons

Stop by the booth of returning exhibitor David Zwirner, who will feature a selection of blue-chip masterpieces by prolific American-German artist Josef Albers. Best known for his iconic colour square paintings (his iconic German stamp pictured above. May not be among exhibits), Albers' writing contributions on colour theory have remained as one of the most influential texts of contemporary arts education. His works will be exhibited alongside contemporary Belgian artist Francis Alÿs, expressionist American painter Alice Neel and conceptual artist Stan Douglas.

Wang Chuan

Photo: A Thousand Plateaus Art Space/WeChat

Ink paintings, an integral part of Chinese art for centuries, have only recently begun to see a shift in styles as contemporary artists start introducing new techniques and concepts. A Thousand Plateaus Art Space presents ink paintings by Wang Chuan, an active member of the ’85 New Wave movement. The ’85 New Wave movement was a critical art movement in reaction to the socialist realism art styles that populated 1950s China, inspiring the birth of other groups such as the Xiamen Dada group and the Northern Artists group in Harbin. The works of abstract artist Wang Chuan is a reflection of East and West, combining his training in Chinese ink painting and Western oil painting techniques.

Yayoi Kusama

Photo: Yayoi Kusama/Ota Fine Arts, Tokyo/Singapore/Shanghai

Yayoi Kusama's infamous polka-dotted pumpkins have travelled all over the world and made it onto countless Instagram feeds. In addition to exhibiting the works of this iconic contemporary artist, Whitestone gallery will also be presenting the works of modern and contemporary artists from Japan, including modern artist Kazuo Shiraga, best known for his performative painting practices, and Jiro Yoshihara.

Zhao Zhao

Photo: Fizen Yuen/Cobo

Zhao Zhao is a significant figure amongst a generation of post-80s Chinese artists. Born in Xinjiang in 1982, Zhao is adamant on producing art representative of the realities of China. Working for seven years under prominent Chinese artist Ai Wei Wei, Zhao was encouraged to set aside oil painting and instead, pursue conceptual documentary projects. Zhao’s art provides audiences with a poignancy and urgency to the realities of contemporary society. His art is represented by Taiwanese Lin & Lin Gallery.

JINGART 2019 takes place at the Beijing Exhibition Centre on June 1-2, 11am-5pm. Admission costs 100RMB (50RMB for students). For the full line-up of galleries, visit its website (www.jingart.com.cn).

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