The Ullens Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing presents “Curated by MadeIn Company” GUEST: Standing on the Shoulders of Little Clowns, an exhibitionon view 15 April–27 May 2012.
“GUEST: Standing on the Shoulders of Little Clowns” comprises five of China’s most convincing young talents: Li Ming, Lin Ke, Lu Pingyuan, Xu Qu, and Zhao Yao. Curated by Shanghai-based artist collective MadeIn Company, GUEST presents itself in the form of a circus. Through an assemblage of installation, painting, and performance, the exhibition attempts to capture the the absurd, poke fun at the self, and entreat the audience to “stop being so serious.” The works draw influence from the theatrics and fantastic disorder of a carnival, encouraging “an exit from reality, then a willingness to laugh at oneself, and finally a realistic acceptance of chaos,” in the artists’ words. Clowns relay humorous tidbits to visitors, acrobats maintain precision and symmetry, and a piece of meat has been tamed. The works are meant to evoke at once blank faces and raucous laughter, self-deprecating punnery and serious introspection. Created by Shanghai-based artist Xu Zhen in 2009, MadeIn Company is an artistic collective that acts as a platform for clever, collaborative expression. The Curated By… series of exhibitions is supported by Bloomberg.
Ullens Center for Contemporary Art
798 Art District, No. 4 Jiuxianqiao Lu
Beijing, China
T +86 10 5780 0200 / 5780 0201
www.ucca.org.cn