Works that aesthetically translate the covid-19 pandemic, the inequalities of globalization, the fragility of matter, environmental problems, human hypocrisy and the narrow and desolate territory of prejudice are gathered in the exhibition. Behind the Great Wall – New Chinese and Brazilian Art. The exhibition, which brings together works by Chinese and Brazilian artists, is open to the public until May 22 at the Museu de Arte de Brasília (MAB).
“Chinese artists excel in creating works full of freshness, with reflections on the world we live in, but at the same time, they value local and traditional techniques and themes. From an immersion in their own culture, they produce innovative works. That’s what makes this production something unique and vibrant in the international art arena”, said the curator from Minas Gerais and based in Brasília, Clay D’Paula.
Chinese works are exhibited for the first time in Brazil Valter Campanato/Agência Brasil
To gather the works exhibited in Brazil, he made several trips to China and some works were created especially for the exhibition. “The public from Brasilia will have the opportunity to get to know the project first hand before it travels around the country and internationally”, said the curator.
The manager of the Museu de Arte de Brasília, Marcelo Jorge, believes that, in a moment of confrontation between West and East, culture can create a bridge of understanding between the two sides. “The exhibition is a privileged occasion for us to get to know China better and vice versa. Furthermore, it is the first time in the history of MAB that the institution has received works by artists from that country”.
cultural convergence
For the exhibition’s curator, a highlight of the exhibition is the relationship that some Brazilian artists establish with Chinese culture. “It is so strong that when the visitor arrives at the exhibition halls, it will be practically impossible for him to determine whether the work was created by a Chinese or Brazilian artist. There is an immense aesthetic convergence between the two groups. It is precisely this cultural confluence that stimulated me to produce the exhibition, which took four years to organize”, said D´Paula.
Also according to the curator, some exhibitions by Chinese artists have already been held in Brazil, but not in such an imbricated way with Brazilian culture and vice versa. “In this project, there is no separation between the two groups of artists. The works relate to each other, communicate, flow together, like water from the same river. And, at the same time, by creating new connections, they provoke reflections on the global society in which we live. It’s an art of the here and now,” he explained.
In the works, the artists use traditional elements of their own culture, such as calligraphy, Chinese ink and traces of socialist realist painting, to create creative and impactful works, focused on current and global issues. The public will find works in different media and languages, such as painting (acrylic, oil and Chinese ink); sculpture; photography; tile; in situ art; animation; and paper cut (icon of Chinese tradition).
Exhibition, which brings together works by Chinese and Brazilian artists – Valter Campanato/Agência Brasil
Dulce Schunck
The exhibition welcomes innovative and provocative works by other artists from Brasília, such as the Rio Grande do Sul-based artist Dulce Schunck. “[As obras] connect with Chinese narratives, but have a global vision, not provincial at all. With this, they offer new perspectives and stimulating readings for the observer”, says D´Paula.
To celebrate her journey, Dulce will gain an exclusive section of the exhibition to showcase her most celebrated and dynamic series, Flora do Cerrado (2012-2021), fully imbued with Chinese vocabulary. “My works establish connections with the ancient Chinese cosmovision: an organic perception of nature, based on the awareness of unity and the interaction of its phenomena”, describes the artist.
