[9.28, by 99ys.com]

Basic Issue: Back to the Museum of Art Itself---this is the theme of the 4th Guangzhou Triennial, starting from September 2011. The triennial composes of four parts: inauguration exhibition, four independent project exhibitions, theme exhibition as well as 16 forums in three sites.

The theme of the "theme exhibition" is "See the Unseen". Artworks presented exhibit things that are "seen "and "unseen", "known" and "unknown", centering on five key words: unseen objects, unseen things, unseen letters, unseen cities and unseen changes.  The theme exhibition was held in three separate venues with different aims: GDMOA serves as the main exhibition venue, Guangzhou Opera House venue for artistic performances, and Grandview Square venue aims to narrow the gap between art and local citizens.

A “Global” Exhibition

The “basic issue” originates from GDMOA’s expansion and rebuilding project, so “demolition” and “construction” turns into the focus of this triennial. Why should the museum be expanded and rebuilt? In the process of fast development of global politics and economy, what have got and what have we lost in urban culture?

Luo Yiping, curator of GDMOA, elaborated the highlights of this triennial in the pressconference dated September 17. Firstly, the exhibition structure is different (consisting of inauguration exhibition, four project exhibitions, a theme exhibition and 16 seminars.). He said that while “Inauguration” raises questions, “Project” deepens the questions through casestudies; “Theme” is a conclusion of the previous study.

Luo also reviewed the previous three triennials. Participants for the first two triennials were generally Chinese artists, focusing on domestic and the Pearl River Delta culture respectively.The third one was political, and the topic was “Farewell to Post-Colonization”, withparticipants from the third-world countries. This time, the general curator is a professor from Birmingham City University, and participants are mostly leading artists from Europe and America.

Commercial Space Encounters Art

In the press conference, Prof. Jiang Jiehong, general curator for the Theme Exhibition, talked about the cooperation with Grandview Square, a famous shopping mall in Guangzhou.Displaying artworks in a commercial public space is actually an attempt to explore the issue of making contemporary art approach the public.

In his talk, Prof. Jiang mentioned interesting words like “penetrate behind enemy lines”, “collision”, etc. He said that all the artworks presented in Grandview Square were specially tailored to suit the surroundings. Spectators are supposed to run into and get to know theartworks there unexpectedly, to which no labels will be attached, Jiang added.

To See the Unseen

Speaking of the name of this theme exhibition, Jiang disclosed that the English version “The Unseen” was ascertained as early as in late 2009. The Chinese version “见所未见” however was not decided until quite later on, which is absolutely not “China-like”. Methodologically, a new principle was adopted, that is, practice-first, visual effects-first. And the exhibition was organized as an exploration beyond cultural area, crossing time and space as well as cross-disciplinary.

In the conference, another curator, Jonathan Watkins, talked about “diversity”. He said, aside from philosophy and politics, the exhibition “the Unseen” can also be approached fromthe perspective of spiritual pursuit.

Mr. Xiao Yu, representative of artists, narrated his own feelings. He said, “trans-boundary”exhibition is not only a discussion on the boundary of art, but also a stimulus to contemporaryart.