Tabula Rasa Gallery is pleased to present London Allotments, a solo exhibition by artist Li Tao, opening on 17th March, 2023, 6–8 pm. This exhibition, featuring a site-specific installation and several sculptures, constitutes the outcome of Li Tao's artist residency spanning two months in London, during which he undertook a thorough exploration of the city's allotment system. Through this sustained engagement, he harnessed the unique potential of these spaces as a distinct agency for establishing and framing his observations of London.
The London allotment system has a rich history that dates back centuries and is rooted in the socialist ideal of providing every individual, even the poor, with a piece of land. Despite changing ownership between local authorities, landowners, and private individuals over the years, these allotments have now become an integral part of the community, surrounded by monotonous residential buildings. They serve as the local council's way of promoting communal spirit, improving public space utilisation, and preserving the city's biological diversity. Amid contemporary upheavals, such as the pandemic lockdown, economic uncertainty, and social unrest, the recent surge in demand for allotments seems to reflect London residents' desire for a utopian escape and a physical and spiritual retreat from the world. The London allotment, with its unique presence in the cityscape, has become a physical manifestation of the collective mentality of Londoners.
The artist, fascinated by the paradoxical nature of allotments as planned, identical spaces that encourage individual freedom, has used research materials like site visits and photography documentation to create a site-specific installation in the gallery space. The installation's overall composition highlights the allotments' identical structures, while the use of various materials mirrors the greenery diversity and individual creativity in each section of an allotment site. In this way, the installation becomes a metaphor for the contested individual freedom in a simulated reality, a panopticon, an all-seeing society.
Li Tao (b. 1971, China) is a Beijing-based artist known for his use of diverse industrial materials as agents of intervention. His repurposing of materials challenges viewers to consider new perspectives and provides a critical lens through which to explore contemporary social, economic, and political systems. Through site-specific installations and sculptures, Li reflects the cultural and political context of the local area, prompting viewers to rethink their assumptions about the world around them.
Tabula Rasa Gallery is a leading contemporary art gallery founded in Beijing's 798 art district in 2015. In April 2021, Tabula Rasa Gallery opened its second space in Hoxton, London, providing a wider platform for artistic exchange globally.
