Six Manchester venues will be showcasing over 30 exceptional Chinese contemporary artists from Mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong over the next two months
The Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art, ArtWork, The John Rylands Library, Manchester Cathedral, Museum of Science & Industry and National Football Museum will all be taking part in as Harmonious Society, the largest exhibition of Chinese contemporary art ever staged in the UK.
At the National Football museum, one of the exhibits has been created especially for the exhibition; ‘The Ideal Field for the Perfect Battle’ by Jin Feng features grass seeds collected from across the country to create the ideal football pitch. Will the seeds grow together or will conflict occur?
Another, Tactics by Chen Wenbo, mimics the length of a real football pitch, complete with line markings illustrating a game of strategy. Viewers will be able to walk 360 degrees around the installation that is folded like a Chinese screen.
The John Rylands Library is showcasing artwork from four inspirational artists, Samson Young, Wang Yuyang, Annie Wan and Zhao Yao.
Samson Young’s sound installation Chamber Music II: Silent Scores & Non-Events explores the cultural construction of deaf people as disabled, in both its current and historical dimensions.
This work draws extensively from the Henry Baker papers and the Deaf Education Collection at the Library, the largest collection of such materials in the UK. The work will feature a series of small, low volume, sound making objects, installed at various locations within the Library’s atrium area.
While the Museum of Science and Industry will have a number of artworks and installations by Taiwanese artists will be exhibited around the site including Realm of Reverberations, 4-channel video installation that charts the controversial redevelopment of Losheng Sanatorium from a leprosy hospital to a Mass Rapid Transit depot.
This action sparked protest from citizens throughout Taiwan, creating the longest running social movement in the country’s history.
Harmonious Society – September 27th until November 23rd 2014
Harmonious Society is a key strand of Asia Triennial Manchester 2014 (ATM14). It is the largest exhibition of Chinese Contemporary Art in the UK to date featuring all new commissions or UK premieres.
Harmonious Society is produced in collaboration with Taiwan Ministry of Culture, Manchester City Council, University of Salford, Tang Contemporary Art and T Museum. It has also been supported by Arts Council England, Hong Kong Arts Development Council, Birmingham City University, Capital Properties, Salford City Council, Stanley Chow, Taipei Arts Development Council and Teacup Kitchen. Harmonious Society is proud to be working with headline partners Cathay Pacific.
