Contemporary Chinese art in London

"Art of Change - New Directions from China" at the Hayward Gallery, London



One of the things I missed in France was the ability to get to major art exhibitions - it was of course possible to schlep up to Angoulême and get the train to Paris, but it involved a three or four hour journey door to door, and you land up pretty whacked if you try to do that in a day.  Hastings' transport connections with London are not great - certainly not good enough for a daily commute - but it's possible to get a train that lands you in Charing Cross after an hour and a half or so, which makes a day up in the smoke a viable proposition.  Having managed to get to Bronze at the Royal Academy and the Pre-Raphaelites at the Tate, I was determined to see the Hayward exhibition devoted to contemporary Chinese art, and - thanks to an appointment with an osteopath in Shepherds Bush - was able to do so last Friday.

There are many occasions when I lament not having enough time: and the mere mention of China is enough to make me want to go there, read up about it, learn more and know more about this vast and very different country.  The experience of this exhibition gave me the same feeling: it is even less than a toe in the water of Chinese contemporary art, but served at least to introduce some artists other than the astonishing Ai Weiwei, known to Londoners after his installation of eight million handmade porcelain sunflower seeds at Tate Modern (see the Youtube clip of it by clicking here).  Art in China is, it seems, almost invariably political, which makes it a little more difficult, since we have a rather basic knowledge of Chinese politics, let alone day-to-day life in modern China.  But it was good to have the experience of some very powerful installations.

It's as much a breath of fresh air going up to London from little Hastings as it used to be to go to Bordeaux or Paris from little old Ribérac: when you live in the sticks you need to get out now and again!  and when there's some good art at the end of the line I find I come back full of renewed energy.  Thanks to the Chinese this time.

Antony Mair