Chinascape: From Rural to Urban

Bringing to Italy the work of 16 contemporary Chinese photographers, IGAV – Istituto Garuzzo per le Arti Visive and CAEG – China Arts and Entertainment Group present the exhibition “Chinascape: From Rural to Urban” in the spaces of Spazioborgogno, Milan.

With 40 works on view, the exhibition shows the cultural, economic, and political transformation of China.
The Chinese curator, Wang Chunchen, Head of the Department of Curatorial Research at the Museum of the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) states: “Looking at the works on show, you can perceive the landscape of an evolving China, a country that is changing and being transformed, but also an imaginary China, enriched by the capacity and potential of photography as an artistic medium. ‘China-scape’ is the result of the transformations of time and space on the contemporary Chinese scene; it is the story of China, how it presents itself to our eyes today, and what it may become”. The IGAV’s curator, Alessandro Demma, states: “’Chinascape: from Rural to Urban’ is a project dedicated to showcasing current Chinese art, to the changes being undergone by a social and cultural system that in the new millennium has set out on a path leading it from a ‘local’ condition towards a wider perspective concerned with ‘global’ development. The exhibition aims to showcase, through the photographic work of sixteen artists, the journey – both physical and mental – from the countryside to the megalopolis, encapsulating, in the process, the new visions that the artists have of a contemporary national and international system subject to constant evolution and metamorphosis”.

As IGAV president Rosalba Garuzzo explains: “Right from the early days of our commitment, back in 2006, we have looked upon China as a priority partner, gradually constructing a relationship of respect and trust with artists, curators, agencies, authorities, museums, universities, foundations, associations and media outlets. That relationship has translated into numerous joint initiatives: 17 exhibitions in China, 7 in Italy. Today, the result is a long-term agreement with the CAEG, which has enabled and will continue to enable exhibitions and cultural exchanges that will benefit artists in both countries. In just two years, 2015 and 2016, before this exhibition in Milan, we had already worked with the CAEG at highly prestigious venues in Capri, Saluzzo, Weihai and Dunhuang”.