GROUP EXHIBITION

Beyond the Grid participates in the dialogue through the lens of six solid artists who have paved extraordinary journeys, acknowledging their traditional roots and the socio-political conditions that surround them whilst propelling their visual expressivity towards internationalisation, away from the overtly subversive and satirical vocabularies present in the more defining styles of Political Pop and Cynical Realism – two commonly held impressions and expectations of contemporary Chinese aesthetic today.

Featuring distinct works on paper by Hong Zhu An, Lin Tianmiao, Qiu Zhijie, Zhu Wei and conceptualist duo Wu Shanzhuan & Inga Svala Thorsdottir, the exhibition looks at the ways in which these individuals challenge assumptions regarding authentic ‘Chineseness’ in art—in their creative oeuvre and explorations at STPI.

Known for exercising individualism outside the aesthetic grid or system, these artists demonstrate the end of a monolithic creative model in China with works at STPI illustrating unique artistic sensibilities and bold experimentations in paper and print methodologies. Enabled by the technical possibilities presented at STPI and spurred by the potentials of the medium, these artists achieve new directions, furthering nuanced tastes and expression beyond our expectations.