Lin Jingjing - Promise Again for the First Time

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“Promise again for the first time” is the first solo exhibition of Lin Jingjing in Hong Kong. As an artist Lin Jingjing uses her practice to reflect on social conditions and the paradoxical realities of daily life – urgently questioning the apparent “benefits” of China’s economic escalation. Lin Jingjing’s oeuvre is exemplified by her mixed media works; embroidered colorful cotton threads that impose geometric patterns over reproduced monochromatic photographs of life in China. Careful stitches conceal segments of the composition, such as the face or shadow of a human figure, seeking to address issues of homogenization and the individual morphing into a component of the economic machine. Featuring a continuum of works from the “My Promise for Your Happiness” series that Lin Jingjing conceived in 2011, the exhibition will include paintings, mixed media, video and installations.

The impetus for the artworks shown in this exhibition came from a serendipitous moment in late 2013, as Lin Jingjing disembarked from an airplane. Without provocation Lin Jingjing felt compelled to turn around as she stepped onto an aircraft access ladder only to watch the airplane roll away – leaving her on a set of stairs that lead to nowhere. This happening stood as a metaphor for upward social mobility and China’s new found prosperity to the artist, leading Lin Jinging to question the apparent fortuity of the country’s unprecedented economic growth.

Lin Jingjing became increasingly affected by this experience, and used her artwork to interrogate her nation’s economic dominance. Exploring the theme of migrant workers, she could not disregard the extreme happening that occurs during the Lunar New Year. The commonly documented “great migration” of Spring indicates the beginning and the end of the cycle of life for these displaced workers – traversing millions of collective miles for this one important occasion. The spectacle represents a mental desire for a sense of belonging, and the allusion that going home geographically will fulfill this, yet often when they arrive they realize a sense of disconnection from their original habitat, the way home is already lost and broken. The family reunion happens quickly in confusion. After the festivities, people leave their so-called hometowns and thus the loop repeats year after year. This theatric exercise has produced generations of mental orphans, who are trapped in lacunas of belief and cultures. Lin Jingjing’s artworks survey the phenomenon, of individuals lost in a sea of economic development on a country wide scale.

As China undergoes a period of increasing affluence, up rises the collective realization that this ritual is a futile exercise of self-deception. The resulting consensus is a quiet buzzing ridicule of reality, helpless resignation, with the bottom line equating to the basic principles of survival. In an era of ruthless high-speed operation, each of us has become a small part in the global factory of production. Lin Jingjing implores the audience to question their silence, question the possibilities and limits and recognize the dissipation of spirit.

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中國當代藝術家林菁菁首個香港個人展覽：<完美的諾言>。林菁菁將會透過她的藝術，反思中國當前面對的社會狀況與 現實矛盾，從而探討中國經濟發展所帶來的所謂「社會利益」是否真實存在。林菁菁的作品系列以混合媒體為主軸，利用 了色彩繽紛的棉線在展現中國生活面貌的複製黑白照上刺繡出幾何圖形。細密的針部把部分構圖隱去，例如人的樣貌或 影子，隱喻人的同化，以及個人淪為經濟發展巨輪中微不足道的配件。是次展覽是林菁菁的2011年作品“My Promise for Your Happiness”的延伸，包括繪畫、混合媒體、錄像和裝置。展覽將於本年4月4日到5月3日舉行。 林菁菁的創作靈感來自她去年外遊期間離開機艙時的一次奇遇。當時，她踏上離開機艙的樓梯，心中突然有種強烈的感 召，讓她回頭看來路，卻驀然發現飛機正緩緩離去，剩她一人站在懸空的樓梯上。林菁菁把這個景象看成社會向上流動 性和中國新獲得財富的比喻，從中得到靈感，是次展覽的藝術創作可視為她對國家空前的經濟發展的反思。 這件偶發事件也逐漸影響了林菁菁的創作，她開始利用藝術來反思自己國家的經濟霸權。在探討中國民工議題時，農曆 新年的春運––作為民工生命週期的開始與完結的象徵––變成不能或缺的題材。這個社會奇觀反映了這些流離失所的民 工渴望歸屬感的心態。他們誤以為歸家可以滿足這個渴望，但最後卻發現自己已經跟原來所屬的地方脫節了。在這個層 面上， 「家」也算是失落了。家庭團聚在一片混亂中開始，又在一片混亂中結束。節慶之後，人們再一次離開他們所謂的家 鄉，整個循環沒完沒了的重複下去。這個戲劇性的循環衍生了一代又一代心靈沒有依歸的孤兒，在不同的價值和文化中糾 結不前。林菁菁的藝術品審視個人在全國經濟發展浪潮下逐漸迷失的現象。 當中國日漸富強的同時，越 來越多人意識到這不過是自我欺瞞的行為。結果，越 來越多人選擇沉默，他們不是在犬儒地 嘲諷現實，就是選擇逃避，把生活標準降至最基本的生存層面。在這個高速運行的時代中，我們每一個人都變成了世界 工廠的一部分。林菁菁希望觀眾可透過是次展覽反省自己的沉默，並在認清自己的精神靈魂已被一步步蠶食的現實的同 時，也思考一下我們可以為自己或社會帶來什麼改變。

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ART WORKS

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My Promise for Your Happiness 2014 Mixed media 38 x 46 cm x 40 pieces 15 x 18 1/8 inches x 40 pieces

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My Promise for Your Happiness 2-6 2014 Mixed media 135 x 162 cm 53 1/8 x 63 3/4 inches

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My Promise for Your Happiness 2-7 2014 Mixed media 135 x 162 cm 53 1/8 x 63 3/4 inches

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My Promise for Your Happiness 2-8 2014 Mixed media 135 x 162 cm 53 1/8 x 63 3/4 inches

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My Promise for Your Happiness 2-9 2014 Mixed media 135 x 162 cm 53 1/8 x 63 3/4 inches

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My Promise for Your Happiness 2-10 2014 Mixed media 135 x 162 cm 53 1/8 x 63 3/4 inches

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I Am Your Superman 2014 Mixed media 38 x 46 cm 15 x 18 1/8 inches

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Never Ever 2014 Oil on canvas 150 x 180 cm 59 1/16 x 70 7/8 inches

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All I Need Is Sunshine Sunshine Sunshine 1 2014 Mixed media 135 x 162 cm 53 1/8 x 63 3/4 inches

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All I Need Is Sunshine Sunshine Sunshine 2 2014 Mixed media 80 x 120 cm 31 1/2 x 47 1/4 inches

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All I Need Is Sunshine Sunshine Sunshine 3 2014 Mixed media 80 x 120 cm 31 1/2 x 47 1/4 inches

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All I Need Is Sunshine Sunshine Sunshine 5 2014 Mixed media 80 x 120 cm 31 1/2 x 47 1/4 inches

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All I Need Is Sunshine Sunshine Sunshine 6 2014 Mixed media 120 x 80 cm 47 1/4 x 31 1/2 inches

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Nobody Knows I Was There Nobody Knows I Was Not There 2014 Editin of 10 Video 6 minutes 23 seconds

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My Promise for Your Happiness 2014 Sugar cube 23 x 45 x 10 cm 9 x 17 3/4 x 4 inches

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Never Ever No.2 2014 Silk worm cocoons and thread Size variable

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BI OGR A PH Y

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Education Graduated from the Fine Arts Department of Fujian University, China Completed Advanced studies at The Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing, China

Solo Exhibitions 2014 “Promise Again For The First Time” , de Sarthe Gallery , Hong Kong 2012 “Possible of Impossible” Neues Kunstforum , Cologue , Germany 2012 “My Promise for Your Happiness” Alexander Ochs Gallery , Beijing, China 2011 “The Method Of Paradox” Chile National Art museum plaza Vespucio, Santiago, Chile 2011 ”Rose Rose” Chile National Art museum plaza Trebol ,Concepcion,Chile 2011 “Public Privacy” White Box Art Center , Beijing, China 2009 “I want to be with you forever” Song zhuang Art Museum,Beijing,China 2008 “Flying alone” Magee Art Gallery, Madrid, Spain

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Group Exhibitions 2014 Art Basel Hong Kong, de Sarthe Gallery, Hong Kong 2013 Art Basel Hong Kong, de Sarthe Gallery, Hong Kong 2012 ”First Biennale Italy-China”, Villa Reale Di Monza, Italy 2012 Phoenix Symphony: Female Contemporary Arts, Tree Art Museum, Song Zhuang, Beijing, China 2011 “Half the sky: women in the new of China” Leonard Pearlstein Gallery, Philadelphia, USA 2011 “Memory & Identity’, MK2 Art Center, Beijing, China 2010 “Mind In Turmoil, Hand Better Busy’, Long De Xuan Art center, Beijing, China 2010 “The Possibility of Uncertainty “Song zhuang Art Museum, Beijing, China 2010 “Cruzando El Horizonte “ Chinese contemporary Art, Chile National Art museum, Santiago, Chile 2009 Gemeinsam in Bewegung-Deutschland und Chinacontemporary art, Wu han museum, China 2008 55 Days in Valencia, Chinese art meeting, Ivam museum, Valencia, Spain 2008 Time-Lag: The New Force of Chinese Contemporary Art, Magee Art Gallery, Madrid, Spain 2007 “Journey to the west” Kunstraum, Vienna, Austria 2006 Potential Dialogue - The party of Sino-Austria young artists, RCM ART Museum, China 2005 “Archaeology of The Future” The Second Triennial Of Chinese Art, Nanjing Museum, China 2004 EAST OF EAST, Ljubljana Castle, Ljubljana, Slovenja 2004 “One to one: visions - recent photographs from China” at Chambers Gallery, New York ,USA 2003 “The Different Same - contemporary Art exchange Exhibition, Du Land Modern Art Museum, Shanghai, China 2003 “The First China Art Tri-annual Exhibition”, Guangzhou Art Museum, China 2002 “Cultural Forum -- New Millennium Chinese Art works”, Tikanoja Art Museum, Vaasa, Finland 45

Published on the occasion of de Sarthe Gallery exhibition: LIN JINGJING - PROMISE AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME April 4 – May 3, 2014

香港中環雪廠街16 號西洋會所大廈 8樓 8/F Club Lusitano 16 Ice House Street Central Hong Kong T. 852 21678896 F. 852 21678893 E. hongkong@desarthe.com www.desarthe.com Catalog: © 2014 de Sarthe Gallery © Lin Jingjing Design: Franky Yuen, de Sarthe Gallery