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Krannert Art Museum presents Rising Dragon. Contemporary Chinese Photography

Krannert Art Museum presents Rising Dragon. Contemporary Chinese Photography, an exhibition on view from October 12 through December 30, 2012.


Zhang Xiao Three Gorges No. 1, from the series Three Gorges, 2008 Digital chromogenic print © Zhang Xiao

The exhibition Rising Dragon showcases the work of 36 artists using photographic techniques to highlight contradictions between the carefully controlled public image of China and discreet personal gestures informed by Western influence. Organized by the Katonah Museum of Art, Katonah, New York, and curated by Miles Barth, the exhibition includes images that explore such themes as identity, cultural memory, globalization, and the urbanization and degradation of nature. These images depict a gripping portrait of a country filled with contradictions and cast an ironic and critical look at China’s rising power as a political and economic contender for global leadership. The artists represented in this exhibition capture moments of hardship, uncertainty, disorder, and pleasure in the everyday experiences of contemporary China.

Among the photographers represented in the exhibition are Cao Fei, Weng Fen, Yu Haibo, Zhang Huan, Sun Ji, Wang Jin, Liyu + Liubo, Wang Qingsong, Rong Rong, Li Wei, Huang Yan, and Qui Zhijie. – www.kam.illinois.edu