GUAN WEI | THE DIVINE COMEDY

GUAN WEI THE DIVINE COMEDY

GUAN WEI

THE DIVINE COMEDY 17 October - 10 November 2019

MARTIN BROWNE CONTEMPORARY 15 HAMPDEN STREET PADDINGTON NSW 2021 TEL: 02 9331 7997 FAX: 02 9331 7050 info@martinbrownecontemporary.com www.martinbrownecontemporary.com GALLERY HOURS: TUESDAY - SUNDAY 10:30AM - 6PM

LIST OF WORKS Divine Comedy 1, 2019, acrylic on linen, 130 x 50 cm Divine Comedy 2, 2019, acrylic on linen, 130 x 50 cm Divine Comedy 3, 2019, acrylic on linen, 130 x 50 cm Divine Comedy 4, 2019, acrylic on linen, 130 x 50 cm Divine Comedy 5, 2019, acrylic on linen, 130 x 106 cm (diptych) Divine Comedy 6, 2019, acrylic on linen, 130 x 106 cm (diptych) Divine Comedy 7, 2019, acrylic on linen, 130 x 106 cm (diptych) Divine Comedy 8, 2019, acrylic on linen, 130 x 106 cm (diptych) Divine Comedy 9, 2019, acrylic on linen, 130 x 162 cm (triptych) Divine Comedy 10, 2019, acrylic on linen, 130 x 162 cm (triptych) Divine Comedy 11, 2019, acrylic on linen, 130 x 162 cm (triptych) Divine Comedy 12, 2019, acrylic on linen, 130 x 218 cm (quadriptych) Biology 1, 2019, acrylic on linen, 80 x 65 cm Biology 2, 2019, acrylic on linen, 80 x 65 cm Biology 3, 2019, acrylic on linen, 80 x 65 cm Biology 4, 2019, acrylic on linen, 80 x 65 cm Biology 5, 2019, acrylic on linen, 80 x 65 cm Biology 6, 2019, acrylic on linen, 80 x 65 cm Biology 7, 2019, acrylic on linen, 80 x 65 cm © Martin Browne Contemporary © All images copyright Guan Wei This catalogue is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission.

COMPILER: Ally Russell-Floyd PHOTOGRAPHER: Yang Chao COLOUR SEPARATIONS: Spitting Image, Sydney Cover Image: Divine Comedy 11, 2019, acrylic on linen, 130 x 162 cm (triptych)

Biology 8, 2019, acrylic on linen, 80 x 65 cm Biology 9, 2019, acrylic on linen, 80 x 65 cm Biology 10, 2019, acrylic on linen, 80 x 65 cm Remarkable World 2, 2019, acrylic on board, four panel screen,170 x 220 x 4.3 cm Remarkable World 3, 2019, acrylic on board, four panel screen,170 x 220 x 4.3 cm Remarkable World 4, 2019, acrylic on board, four panel screen,170 x 220 x 4.3 cm

THE DIVINE COMEDY This exhibition has been inspired by both the past and the future.

Many cultures had their maps of the world. Of course until the last two hundred and fifty years or so, no one knew what the world was like. So when they knew nothing about Australia and America, the mapmakers did not mention them but instead drew monsters and other imaginary wonders.

As a result of geographical discoveries from the 15th and 16th Century onwards, Europeans began to explore and conquer new lands, collecting as they went information on climate, plants, animals, language, culture, history and other data that enabled them to control these new territories. By the 20th Century they had completed the exploration and understanding of the Earth - and thus were filled in the blank spaces on maps.

On July 20th, 1969, the Apollo 11 spacecraft carried American astronauts to the surface of the Moon, starting human exploration and conquest of the Universe, and the filling in of the map of outer space.

My Divine Comedy Series shows both the lunar landing and this exploration of the Universe beyond.

These Divine Comedy artworks are based on various strange constellations in ancient mythology that also find parallels in contemporary science and technology. I’ve expressed these in the artworks through the use of geometric symbols - the interstellar tracings of lines, circles, spirals, and arcs. Rectangles symbolize black holes and dark matter, while diamond and quadrilateral shapes reference information and communication. Together with astronauts, spaceships, and constellations of various magical creatures, it is like one grand symphony that illustrates the Divine Comedy of humanity stepping out into the Universe and exploring outer space. Although I hope that I have created rich visual experiences, I would also like the artworks to inspire people to think in a new historical context.

The Biology Series looks back in history, hundreds of years ago, to the expedition ship painters.

A large number of them created maps that dealt specifically with the locations of animals, plants, and humans. In the Biology Series I have tried to combine the painting methods of Chinese classical literati painting - the soft and smooth decorative lines - with the long and short dashes and dots of today’s video games. I have painted the backgrounds in an ancient yellow colour to give the impression of great age, so that these images will leave the viewer with a sense of ancient beauty but with a crossover of history, past and recent.

神曲 Maps often have much more meaning than people think, illustrating myths, religion, aesthetics, and beliefs – but often a subjective view of the world. The three Remarkable World screens present the joy, tension, unease, and hesitation that comes with the discovery and exploration of a new land.

Each artwork is part of a map (or, in a way, a landscape painting) revealing an unknown world and, maybe, historical truths.

这个展览是从过去与未来两个层面展开的。许多文化都有自己的世界地图。当然，过去并没有人真正知道全世界是什 么样子。如对澳洲美洲一无所知，当碰到不熟悉的地区，地图上不是一笔未提，而是画出想象的怪物和奇景。 随着人类从15,16世纪，地理大发现，欧洲人开始了探索，征服新大陆的历程。来填补空白和未知的地图。为了控制和 掌握这些新的领地，收集所有相关的资料。诸如气候、植物、动物、语言、文化、历史等等庞大的数据，到了20世纪 基本完成了对地球的探索和了解。

Folding screens have a very important role in traditional homes. They are not only used for decor but also to divide space, block wind and hide undesirable views. In this exhibition I’ve used the Remarkable World screens to divide the gallery so as to create a half separated yet half connected exhibition space. Because of the partition created by the screens, I hope that viewers can sense the magic of coming from outer space, and crossing back through time to hundreds of years ago, the great era of navigation. The back of each screen features the handwriting of the Tang dynasty monk Huai Su, who is claimed to be the first Chinese cursive calligrapher. It is an ancient poem, “cursive writing screen”, the text of which runs:

1969年7月20日，阿波罗11号宇宙飞船，载着美国宇航员，踏上了月球的表面，开启了人类探索和征服宇宙，填补外 太空天图的梦想。Divine Comedy 系列作品，除了表现人类蹬月的壮举外，也表现了对宇宙纵深的探索。作品多以古 代神话中各种奇异的星座典故为线索来源。并与当代科技互为参照。特别是几何符号在作品中的应用。如星际线走出 的圆形，螺旋形，弧型。黑洞，暗物质的长方形。宇宙中信息传递，排列成的菱形，四边型等等。加之宇航员，宇宙 飞船，与各种神奇动物的星座，编织在一起。象一首首宏伟的交响乐，它奏起了人类迈进宇宙，探索外太空的”神曲” Divine Comedy 。作品试图在新的历史语境中引发人们思考，在规模与细节上共同构成令人惊艳的视觉体验。 回望历史，几百年前，随远征科考船中的画家。专门绘制了大量的地图，动物，植物和人类。”生物学”

Here is a screen, showing the trace of Huai Su. Although much dust and colour cover over it, I still can see the thick ink mark.

Autumn stream running through shaped stones, cold vines hanging on ancient pines.

If you reach the riverside, words might become dragons.

Biology 系列，就是在此基础上创作的作品。这里使用了，具有中国古典文人画气质的晕染水渍的画法，柔美流畅的装 饰线和今天电子游戏中长短直线和圆点，形成了刚柔相济的嬗变，背景泛黄做旧的效果。使这些形象有一种穿越历史 的沧桑美感。 屏风，Remarkable World, 呈现了，发现新大陆，并在踏上新大陆之后的，欢乐，紧张，不安与彷徨。作品是以地图

Guan Wei June 2019

的方式，（也可看成是某种意义上的风景画）。屏风与地图的结合，使作品充满了趣味，神奇和戏剧性效果。也夹杂 着揭示未知世界及历史真相的动机。正因如此，地图的内涵较之人们的想象要丰富得多。诸如神话，宗教，美学， 信仰和自我中心的世界观，等等。屏风有很强的东方情调，它除了具有观赏性外，还有分隔空间，挡风，遮蔽等实用 性。本展览由于屏风的分隔，营造出一种，似隔非隔，似断非断的效果。此外展览空间由于屏风的分隔，使人们从感 受到外太空的神奇，一下又穿越到几百年前，波澜壮阔的大航海时代。屏风的背面书写了，有号称中国草书第一人的 唐朝怀素和尚的手迹。有古诗”草书屏风”诗一首为证: 何处一屏风，分明怀素踪。 虽多尘色染，犹见墨痕浓。 怪石奔秋涧，寒藤挂古松。 若教临水畔，字字恐成龙。

Divine Comedy 1, 2019, acrylic on linen, 130 x 50 cm

Divine Comedy 2, 2019, acrylic on linen, 130 x 50 cm

Divine Comedy 3, 2019, acrylic on linen, 130 x 50 cm

Divine Comedy 4, 2019, acrylic on linen, 130 x 50 cm

Divine Comedy 5, 2019, acrylic on linen, 130 x 106 cm (diptych)

Divine Comedy 6, 2019, acrylic on linen, 130 x 106 cm (diptych)

Divine Comedy 7, 2019, acrylic on linen, 130 x 106 cm (diptych)

Divine Comedy 8, 2019, acrylic on linen, 130 x 106 cm (diptych)

Divine Comedy 9, 2019, acrylic on linen, 130 x 162 cm (triptych)

Divine Comedy 10, 2019, acrylic on linen, 130 x 162 cm (triptych)

Divine Comedy 11, 2019, acrylic on linen, 130 x 162 cm (triptych) Following Page: Divine Comedy 12, 2019, acrylic on linen, 130 x 218 cm (quadriptych)

Biology 1, 2019, acrylic on linen, 80 x 65 cm

Biology 3, 2019, acrylic on linen, 80 x 65 cm

Biology 2, 2019, acrylic on linen, 80 x 65 cm

Biology 4, 2019, acrylic on linen, 80 x 65 cm

Biology 5, 2019, acrylic on linen, 80 x 65 cm

Biology 7, 2019, acrylic on linen, 80 x 65 cm

Biology 6, 2019, acrylic on linen, 80 x 65 cm

Biology 8, 2019, acrylic on linen, 80 x 65 cm

Biology 9, 2019, acrylic on linen, 80 x 65 cm Biology 10, 2019, acrylic on linen, 80 x 65 cm

Remarkable World 2, 2019, acrylic on board, four panel screen,170 x 220 x 4.3 cm

Remarkable World 3, 2019, acrylic on board, four panel screen,170 x 220 x 4.3 cm

Remarkable World 4, 2019, acrylic on board, four panel screen,170 x 220 x 4.3 cm

GUAN WEI SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2019 Retrospective, Turner Galleries, Perth 2019 Guan Wei: MCA Collection, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney 2019 The Divine Comedy, Martin Browne Contemporary, Sydney 2018 Chivalry, ARC ONE Gallery, Melbourne.

2018 Unexpected Histories, The University of Chicago Center, Beijing 2017 Cosmotheoria, White Box Art Center, 798 Art District, Beijing 2017 Reflection, Martin Browne Contemporary, Sydney 2016 Guan Wei - Perspective, Scene Sense Art Gallery, Beijing 2016 Bird, Map, Shadow, Heiser Gallery, Brisbane 2016 Salvation, Arc One Gallery, Melbourne 2016 From Stars To Soul, Martin Browne Contemporary, Sydney 2015 The Great Southern World, Nancy Sever Gallery, Canberra 2015 Guan Wei and Wayne Warren - Crossing Lines, ACME Project Space, London 2015 Panorama, Art of Guan Wei, Jia Pingwa Cultural Museum of Art, Xi’an, China

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2019 Homeland, Chinese videowork, Kunst Halle Museum Germany 2019 In one drop of water, Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney 2019 Wei Fang international art Biennale, China 2019 The Giant Leap, Casula Powerhouse Art Centre, Sydney 2019 Between the Moon and the Stars, Museum and Art Gallery Northern Territory, Australia 2018 Infinite Conversations: Asian-Australian artistic exchange, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra 2018 Painting with Thread: Samples and Tapestries from the Australian Tapestry Workshop, Australian Design Centre, Sydney 2018 Illuminating Invitational Exhibition of Contemporary Video Art, Yuiyang Beijing Art Center Guizhou, China 2018 The Imperfect World, Qiyufang Contemporary Art Center Taizhou, Zhijiang, China 2018 Art Wonderland – Mutual Prosperity, Enjoy Art Museum 798, Beijing 2018 On Paper. Supreme., 541 Art Space, Sydney 2018 The Exhibition of Annual of Contemporary Art of China, Beijing Minsheng Art Museum, Beijing 2018 Between Arts, 541 Art Space, Sydney 2018 What Exists Among Human and Water, Zhu Jiajiao Humanity Gallery, Shanghai 2017 Archibald Prize, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney 2017 Closing the Distance, Bundoora Homestead Art Centre, Bundoora, Victoria.

2017 Collective Vision 130 Years, Bendigo Art Gallery, Victoria 2017 The Unknown Future – Hebei International Visual Art Experimental Exhibition, Shijiazhuang, China 2017 Charming Confusion, Vermilion Gallery, Sydney 2017 On Paper Supreme 2017, Tianheng Art Museum, Shanghai 2017 Kunst Nacht Kempten Ausstellungen Ateliers Performances, Masik-Acts Kinderkunst fest. Germany 2017 Keep Going, Red Gate Gallery, Beijing

GUAN WEI BIOGRAPHY

Born 1957, Beijing, China. In 1989, three years after graduating from the Department of Fine Arts at Beijing Capital University, Guan Wei came to Australia to take up an artist-in-residence position at the Tasmanian School of Art. He was invited to undertake two further residencies: one at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney (1992), the other at the Canberra School of Art, Australian National University (1993). In 1993 he immigrated to Australia under the Distinguished Talent Migration scheme.

Since then he has been awarded many grants and residencies, including the Australia Council’s Greene St Studio in New York in 2003 and the Cite International des Art, Paris studio in 2007.

In 2008 Guan Wei set up a studio in Beijing with an Australia Council Fellowship Grant. He has held various artist-in-residence positions including at The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, USA in 2010, the He Xiang Ning Art Museum, OCT Contemporary Art Terminal, Shenzhen, China in 2011, the Ah Ming studio in the Jing De Zhen Ceramic City in 2012, and at ACME London and Henriot Quimper, France, in 2015. In 2017 he was Visiting Artist at the LongLi Multimedia Art Project in Guizhou Province, China.

Guan Wei’s work has a profoundly felt, if implicitly ironic, moral dimension. In their complex symbolic forms, his subjects potently embody current social and environmental dilemmas. They are equally the product of his rich cultural repertory of symbols and his informed socio-political awareness and arthistorical knowledge.

Guan Wei has held around 70 solo exhibitions world-wide. He has also been included in numerous important international contemporary exhibitions, including Infinite Conversations: Asian – Australian Artistic Exchange, National Gallery of Australia, 2018; The Unknown Future – Hebei International Visual Art Experimental Exhibition, Shijiazhuang, China, 2017; Essence – an exhibition of contemporary art, Mongolian National Art Gallery, Ulan Bator, 2016; Original Home: A Chinese Contemporary Art Exhibition at EXPO 2015, Milan, Italy; Myth/History, Yuz Collection of Contemporary Art, Shanghai, 2014; Collaborative Witness: Artists responding to the plight of the refugee, The University of Queensland Art Museum, 2011; Shanghai Biennial, 2010; 10th Havana Biennial, Cuba, 2009: Handle with Care, 2008 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art, Art Gallery of South Australia; Face Up: Contemporary Art from Australia, Hamburger Bahnhof Museum, Berlin , 2003; Osaka Triennial of Contemporary Art, Osaka, 2001: Man and Space, Kwangju Biennale, 2000 and the 3rd Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, 1999.

In 2006 Craftsman House published a monograph on Guan Wei. He has won several awards, including the 2002 Sir John Sulman Prize, Art Gallery of New South Wales. He has also completed several commissions in Australia including a mural for the foyer of the Folkestone Leighton Joint Venture at 700 Collins Street Melbourne in 2004 and a mural for the foyer of the Museum of Contemporary Arts’ Mordant Building in Sydney, 2013. In 2018 he designed a dragon lantern for Sydney’s Lunar Lanterns Festival while in 2019 he designed a mural for Birkenhead Point Outlets Mall, Drummoyne, Sydney. He will be the subject of an exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney from 11 October 2019 to 9 February 2020.

Guan Wei’s works are held in major public collections and numerous University, corporate and private collections throughout Australia and internationally.

Guan Wei lives and works in both Beijing and Sydney.