Liu Dao Released Beauty by Galería Zielinsky

PASSATGE DE MERCADER, 10 |08008 |BARCELONA |+34 932 684 575 |WWW.ZIELINSKYART.COM 3

Released Beauty

Liu Dao crea obras de arte “Out of the box” donde la belleza cuatridimensional es liberada para el disfrute del espectador. Hace un delicado contrapunto entre la cultura contemporánea del fasteverything, las relaciones fútiles, y un pseudo lifestyle obligatorio, con la delicadeza de sus “poemas visuales”. Como si se tomara el noblesse oblige actual como una gran broma de los tiempos modernos. Como ya decía Confucio, “Cada cosa tiene su belleza, pero no todos pueden verla”. Liu Dao nos hace reflexionar sobre la visión de un mundo que parece lineal pero en verdad es poliédrico. Liu Dao crea obres d’art “Out of the box” on la bellesa quadridimensional és alliberada per al gaudir de l’espectador. Fa un delicat contrapunt entre la cultura contemporània del fasteverything, les relacions fútils, i un pseudolifestyle obligatori, amb la delicadesa dels seus “poemes visuals”. Com si es prengués el noblesse oblige actual com una gran broma dels temps moderns. Com ja deia Confuci, “Cada cosa té la seva bellesa, però no tots poden veure-la”. Liu Dao ens fa reflexionar sobre la visió d’un món que sembla lineal però en veritat és polièdric. Liu Dao creates artworks “Out of the box” where the fourdimensional beauty is released for the enjoyment of the viewer. It makes a delicate counterpoint between the contemporary fasteverything culture, the futile relationships, and a mandatory pseudo lifestyle, with the delicacy of they “visual poems.” As the present noblesse oblige would be taken as a great joke of modern times, as Confucius said, “Everything has its beauty, but not everyone can see it.” Liu Dao makes us reflect on the vision of a world that seems linear but in truth is polyhedral.

< Sex, Lies and LED 5

“The most precious resource in this world is, contrary to popular opinion, not money. No, in fact it is time. Down to every last jiffy. Of course some have argued that time is merely just a human conception created to measure our own decay, but the reality of the matter is that with our limited perceptive abilities there will always exist what we understand as past, present, and future. Which of the three are more instrumental to us has long been the subject of scientific, religious, and philosophical debate. A Buddhist might tell us to live only in the present, while a Christian sees his past as a source of regret and focuses intensely on the afterlife. Isaac Newton understood that time is a fundamental structure of the universe-- the fourth dimension-- in which events occur in sequence. Immanuel Kant, on the other had, held that time is just an intellectual structure rather than a container. Whatever any of us happen to believe, I think most of us can agree that it should not be squandered. A buck can always be made in a minute, but a minute can never be bought with a buck.” Jackson McHugh

1. It’s not your Foucault, 2016 Pantalla TFT, sensor IR, microcontrolador de 8 bits, reproductor multimedia, reloj antiguo, altavoces accionados Pantalla TFT, sensor IR, microcontrolador de 8 bits, reproductor multimèdia, rellotje antic, altaveus accionats TFT display, IR sensor, 8-bit microcontroller, media player, antique clock, powered speakers 34 x 80 x 14 cm 7

“Lin Hong is sitting in her young lady’s bedchamber, in a Shanghai longtang , where it is said that anything can happen, where even melancholy is noisy and glamorous. It is in the midst of these humble alleyways that Lin Hong has spent her most precious years as a girl, and then again her years as a woman with a certain past. Having passed the naiveté of a young girl, she now finds herself alone in this misty ambience, opening the letter that she was waiting for impatiently. Every morning she strolled down the alley to look after the mail, but nothing. No sign from her loved one, to this day. The day when the raging civil war has finally come to an end was the day when the message arrived. Lin Hongs shaking hands are holding the inked paper. Her tears flood over the accurate characters whilst they are vanishing into meaningless words. It is said that when it drizzles, raindrops write the word melancholy on the windows of the longtang. When the clouds open to reveal the rising sun, this place turns to smoke and mist, into eternity.” Melani Murkovic

2. From China, with love, 2013. Pantalla RGB LED, pintura acrílica, collage de papel, marco de madera de teca Pantalla RGB LED, pintura acrílica, collage de paper, marc de fusta de teca RGB LED display, acrylic painting, paper collage, teakwood frame 103,5 x 103,5 x 7.5 cm 9

“We appear at night when the dreams come true, you can paint us pink, blue or yellow. The metamorphosis isn’t complete until you see us shine. And then we go, and you will never see us again, yet we’ve always been and will always be around. Call us whatever you want, rangers, strangers, ghosts. We know all about you. You’ve lived all your life with your eyes closed, but we can’t tell you what to do next. But don’t wake up, don’t make it kitsch. We draw something on your wall with light, the ever greater distance we travel just for a day. We live for a day, girl, while you stay in bed, it’s time for you to dream for us now. Draw for us, dance for us once, and we will sit and watch, listen to you sing. We are not your soul and we don’t feed on it. But be the flower we fly around. Come play with us Butterfly Babe.” Andras Gal

3. Butterfly Babe, 2016 Pantalla RGB LED, pintura acrílica, collage de papel, marco de madera de teca Pantalla RGB LED, pintura acrílica, collage de paper, marc de fusta de teca RGB LED display, acrylic painting, paper collage, teakwood frame 47 x 67 x 5 cm 11

“I got colors in my head, man, a lucid dream of dream addicts chasing the life of others. At the place where we are, there is no space to stretch and the time is too short to live. Isn’t that what you want? Just go, it’s mating time, I’ll wait. This time, the cage we live in seems infinite. I can’t get out. It’s autumn, your monochrome eyes are getting less and less bright, but wait, is what you are chasing not the one you could never live? I’ve got all the things you left behind, the great plan, the fallen heroes, and I’ve got her, somewhere here, where you’ve never searched. Keep moving, because we are reborn each and every minute. You have never been and you will never be, yet you seem the same to me. I got idea I want to tell you, but I never know if I’m left behind or I’ve already outrun the ones that forgot how to wake.“ Andras Gal

4. When the Flamingo Dreams, 2016 Pantalla RGB LED, arena y resina, marco de madera de teca Pantalla RGB LED, pintura acrílica, collage de paper, marc de fusta de teca RGB LED display, sand & resin coating, paper collage, teakwood frame 60 x 47 x 5.5 cm 13

“I take exclusively the back roads to avoid driving past people I know. This avoids any sort of stuffy obligation to stop and greet them or even worse, having the coincidence precipitate some sort of rendezvous with bad wine and endless chatter. No no, I’ll be going it alone as I usually do. Zipping quickly as if I’m not particularly enjoying the ride, which I’m no longer positive I am. Sometimes though, some seasons, I remember how it felt to be a young person bloated with inexplicable excitement. The zest foreign giddiness and inspiration. I remember the thrill of making a plan to do something, to meet someone, to be somewhere… I find solace in my mundane journeys to nowhere these days, pumping the pedals and praying for rain, for no good reason. The staleness of the highways, the square-ness of the mega structures… I’ll leave it to the suits and dresses. Meanwhile, you can find me going fast, testing the hairpin turns on roads with disputed names, waiting for another season, one that just might wake me up enough to smile wide again.” Ryan Nimmo

5. Sometimes, Some Seasons, 2015 Pantalla RGB LED, pintura acrílica, collage de papel, marco de madera de teca Pantalla RGB LED, pintura acrílica, collage de paper, marc de fusta de teca RGB LED display, acrylic painting, paper collage, teakwood frame 67 x 48 x 5 cm 15

“You visit here, and you wander there, Down dusty highways, a yonder tale, where You meet some people, make some friends, When it’s said and done, who’s left in the end? Pull off the road on the gravel here, for Liquor and souvenirs, my dear. How’ll you remember? How’ll you cheer? With Liquor and souvenirs. Shoshone Village is where you’ve come Chas. Brown Co. Market, there’s only one So if not here, then my friend, I fear, You’re left to face the desert frontier. Pull off the road on the gravel here, for Liquor and souvenirs, my dear. How’ll you remember? How’ll you cheer? With Liquor and souvenirs.” Mychaelangelo Norkus

6. Population 31, 2016 Pantalla RGB LED, pintura acrílica sobre metacrilato, collage de papel, marco de madera de teca Pantalla RGB LED, pintura acrílica sobre metacrilat, collage de paper, marc de fusta de teca RGB LED display, acrylic painting on plexiglass, paper collage, teakwood frame 52 x 52 x 5.5 cm 17

“We didn’t have much. A beat up 1996 Nissan Sentra. A suitcase full of dirty clothes. Every time we opened the car door, an overflow of fast-food wrappers and cups. Bottles and cans clanking noisily as if punctuating our lifestyle. We’d cruise from this motel to that. From that restaurant to this. At least we had each other. An emotional roller coaster, and we’d ridden the length of it as one. I looked at my companion, and brushed her gently with the back of my fingers. We had just arrived. I reached down to lift her top up. I booted her up. Launched the scripts. Every keystroke like a brush on a canvas—It was beautiful the way we worked together. We perused every available connection sniffing for credit card numbers, personal identification, and anything we could use to make a buck. No matter how little or how much we found, we had each other. Great rooms, best rates, I’m not interested. Wifi, that’s the ticket.” Mychaelangelo Norkus

7. 21st Century Romance, 2016 Pantalla RGB LED, pintura acrílica sobre metacrilato, collage de papel, marco de madera de teca Pantalla RGB LED, pintura acrílica sobre metacrilat, collage de paper, marc de fusta de teca RGB LED display, acrylic painting on plexiglass, paper collage, teakwood frame 52 x 52 x 5.5 cm 19

“When you are on the road, nothing matters. Turn on the radio, roll down the windows and close your eyes. You are in the desert, the sun burns your eyes, the air burns your throat. Are you running away from something or heading somewhere? You know that the road will end at some point or you’ll have to stop as soon as you run out of gas anyway. Nobody is prepared for what’s going to happen next. Open your eyes, you are still alive. Stop at the Cuban Café, you might meet Bobby, but Margie is long gone. Don’t ask, just get a steak. She is running from where you are going, while Bobby is running the house. Not many dare to go down this road and even less can find the end of it. Have a coffee, get back in your car, take a deep breath and start the engine. Follow the uncertain or follow her, it’s up to you. You can always stop by the Cuban Café where time has stopped, but at least it will never rain.“ Andras Gal

8. Stop By, 2016 Pantalla RGB LED, pintura acrílica sobre metacrilato, collage de papel, marco de madera de teca Pantalla RGB LED, pintura acrílica sobre metacrilat, collage de paper, marc de fusta de teca RGB LED display, acrylic painting on plexiglass, paper collage, teakwood frame 52 x 52 x 5.5 cm 21

“The moment I walked in I could smell my third favorite smell in all of creation, at least out of everything I’d gathered through my nose so far, wafting all around her, the prettiest girl in the whole entire town, which was pretty small, only three fast-food Chinese restaurants here, all of which happened to have a Jenny Ngyuen, but China Star’s Jenny had something special, I thought to myself, or was it written on my face, she gave me a look, handed me my food, the same smell, the same plastic bag, “Thank You :)” , and I paid the bill, drifted out the door so I could keep on, keep left, next stop the Korean market, hoping to score one of those Japanese sodas, sometimes only one left, that old little corner refrigerator, satiate my thirst, on the way again, meet my buddy who’d flown in last night, all the fuckin’ way from Florence, blasting his rental car radio, weird Italian opera metal music, my little town, a makeshift picnic, eat at the park, eat up the scenery, local museum, French art gallery, feet excited, new footprints, good times, old friend, great smells, Italian leather, sweat, sweet and sour chicken.” Mychaelangelo Norkus

9. Walkin’in my third favorite Smell in all of Creation, 2016 Pantalla RGB LED, pintura acrílica sobre metacrilato, collage de papel, marco de madera de teca Pantalla RGB LED, pintura acrílica sobre metacrilat, collage de paper, marc de fusta de teca RGB LED display, acrylic painting on plexiglass, paper collage, teakwood frame 52 x 52 x 5,5 cm 23

“When darkness comes, these places become bestial, carnal paradises. Creatures that are otherwise hidden from the warm embrace of the sun slither out from under which they hid, pale skin shining under the moonlight. They congregate in the shadows, meet in the corners and lust after the dim, dark spots. It is here in which they make their devious plans and their nightly confessions. But all must go through him, their guardian. He waits in the depths until they stir his murky waters, only then conjuring his interest. He ascends from his silt-laden home ready to reign over what is left of the night, to freely roam the mountainsides. Nearby villagers have reported near sightings of him slithering past in the dark, only leaving a moist trail shimmering under the moonlight. He never harms, never steals nor plunders, he merely watches and never stays for long. Once dawn arrives he slinks back into his dark aquatic den, perpetually waiting for the darkness to lure him out again.” Margaret Johnson

10. Panlong’s Ascent, 2013 Pantalla RGB LED, collage de papel, estructura de acero inoxidable Pantalla RGB LED, collage de paper, estructura d’acer inoxidable RGB LED display, paper collage, stainless steel structure 21 x 128 x 21 cm 25

“I know these streets down to the crumbling sidewalk cracks and the paint drip stains. I’m finely attuned to the tone of my time. I have scoured, searched and explored at every pace possible. I have a search history. Each place reveals an endless cornucopia of universes and opportunities, but none are enough to make me stop. I’ll continue rolling down life’s hill until the cosmos flattens out for me. I will look high and low, and levels in between, until she’s mine for good. I will vaporize the foes, blockades and boundaries in my path that seek to stop me. I will redefine ‘ruthless’ until my face is what you think of when you hear the word.” Ryan Nimmo

11. Search History, 2016 Pantalla RGB LED, cristal unidireccional, marco de madera de teca Pantalla RGB LED, vidre unidireccional, marc de fusta de teca RGB LED display, one-way glass, teakwood frame 41 x 41 x 5 cm 27

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Evolution and progression, having been stuck on hold for so long, decided to just go backwards. No one appeared to notice at first but each person knew- it was right in front of their faces. People suddenly became shorter and grew more hair everywhere; on their once bald heads and smooth faces and waxy chests. Their skulls expanded but brains shrunk and brows thickened. Technology in all forms became obsolete as not a soul could be summoned to operate the buttons. It happened again and again in waves until man found himself at the helm of nothing, fighting off natural selection just the same as the monkeys and the bees and the snails. They tried again and again to regain their place at the top but were simply too feeble and dumb. It was then, of course, that the dogs took control and reined supreme as rulers of the world, occupying our old empty buildings and houses and offices to build an empire of their own.â&#x20AC;? Ryan Nimmo

12. Then we Went Backwards, 2015 Pantalla RGB LED, cristal unidireccional, marco de madera de teca Pantalla RGB LED, vidre unidireccional, marc de fusta de teca RGB LED display, one-way glass, teakwood frame 42 x 42 x 7,5 cm 29

“Cecilia passes by his shop every day, at exactly 1:15pm. He knows her name, and how she prefers to carry her groceries in her left hand, and how utterly and completely dissatisfied she is by the life she has chosen. Her husband accompanies her to the market every Sunday, to keep up the appearance of faithfulness. On those days, he notices that Cecilia carries her groceries in her right hand, to avoid touching the man she sleeps beside each night. On this Tuesday, at 1:15pm, she turns her head ever so slightly, and sees him watching her from behind the shop’s counter. He detects the slightest of flashes in her green eyes, but dismisses it as a reflection of the shattered blink of the “open” sign he turns on each morning. He moves forward through the minutes until he’ll see her pass by again by dusting the shelves, organizing receipts, doing anything to keep from allowing the thought of her white knuckles on the bag strap from his entering his mind. 1:37pm. She opens the door. He opens her mouth. They open everything they were always supposed to keep closed.” Kathleen McCampbell

13. Sex, Lies and LED, 2014 Pantalla RGB LED, cristal unidireccional, marco de madera de teca Pantalla RGB LED, vidre unidireccional, marc de fusta de teca RGB LED display, one-way glass, teakwood frame 42 x 42 x 7,5 cm 31

“Fame goes to everyone’s head. You can tell yourself the whole way up that you’ll “stay true to yourself” but the reality is you start to change without ever even noticing it. So on one hand, you weren’t actually lying about staying true to yourself, but on the other you became an entirely different person. You can choose what to make of that (but we both know you don’t give a shit because you’re famous). Now here is where things get interesting. There will come a point when either you take a step back and choose to be grateful for the people that believed in you from the get-go – back when you were making prints for jazz record sleeves – or you can commit figurative murder-suicide by killing off the old you entirely, including those Johns and Janes who’s faces you don’t don’t quite remember but you know said things like “I’ll stay with you to the end.” Once again, you can choose, but know this: every time you hear Thelonious Monk or Count Basie will bring up memories of those early years.” Jackson McHugh

14. Record Sleeves, 2016 Pantalla RGB LED, cristal unidireccional, marco de madera de teca Pantalla RGB LED, vidre unidireccional, marc de fusta de teca RGB LED display, one-way glass, teakwood frame 41 x 41 x 5 cm 33

“The air smelled of stale peanuts and body odor and my palms were sweating like a whore in church. This was my last chance to get it right or else my boss was going to kick me to the curb in the middle of no-where Arkansas. I had been on the street for 2 months when he found me, liquored up with no-where to go but down. He always holds this over my head and thinks that just because he scooped me up out of that dump, the sun must come up just to hear him crow. So there I was, working for his sad traveling amusement show, selling cotton candy and tricking people into thinking I could read their fortunes. I quickly moved up the carnie ladder and started training for the aerial show. But every time I got up in front of that smelly, snickering crowd my heart started skipping like a racehorse and I was as anxious as a cat on a hot tin roof. Even a couple thimbles of moonshine couldn’t calm my damaged nerves. Nonetheless, I climbed into my steel hoop and held on for dear life, spinning and twisting to my hearts content, forgetting all of my troubles like a dead pig in the sunshine.” Margaret Johnson

15. Circopedia, 2013 Pantalla RGB LED, cristal unidireccional, marco de madera de teca Pantalla RGB LED, vidre unidireccional, marc de fusta de teca RGB LED display, one-way glass, teakwood frame 42 x 42 x 7,5 cm 35

“You were adorable. I fell in love at first sight. The thought of us snuggling together on the couch and drifting off to sleep came to mind. But then you saw my pedigree and then I saw the look on your face and in that second my entire world came crashing down like a black hole had opened up beneath me and I was sucked into the vacuum. As you walked away I thought “that’s it, I’ll never fall in love with another human again.” Other faces came and went but I think most of them passed me by once they saw me in all of my mopey lackluster. Then one day, that fateful day, I heard a voice and looked up and you were standing there. You said “fuck the pedigree, I only want slobbery tongue-kisses from you.” When you opened my cage my heart burst like a glitter-grenade, and that night as we lazed on the sofa you showed me my new pedigree and all it said was “I belong to you.” Jackson McHugh

16. Concerning My Pedigree, 2015 Proyección laser Projecció làser Laser projection Medida variable Variable size 37

“You don’t have to knock anyone out to win a fight. Most of the time all you have to do is make it to the end without your opponent landing a major hit or knocking you down. So if you’re so scared of losing and taking a few hits then by all means, play it safe. However, know this: “He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.” Sure, eventually someone will land a solid hook and may even knock your lights out, but what good is being a fighter if you don’t ever know what it feels like to take a hit? Get out there and start putting some heart behind it. You’re here for one reason and one reason only: to win. Fists up, head down, and keep your eye on the prize.” Ryan Nimmo

17. When to Throw a Punch, 2016 Proyección laser Projecció làser Laser projection Medida variable Variable size 39

Liu Dao

Liu Dao, que traducido al inglés significa “island 6” es un colectivo de jóvenes talentos con sede en Shanghái. Ellos mismos dicen ser los “frikis” de la tecnología, inspirados por todo lo que sea innovación e interacción de las máquinas con el individuo, produciendo arte de vanguardia desde la contemplación del futuro y del pasado de Asia. A partir de un foro comunitario, Liu Dao trabaja en torno al arte visual, interactivo y conceptual en el que el humor y la ironía son un factor determinante en la siempre sorprendente y refrescante aplicación de las nuevas tecnologías. Desde el inicio de Liu Dao, pintores, escultores, fotógrafos, cineastas, artistas de nuevos medios, y artistas de la imagen digital y el software, bailarines, escritores, ingenieros y curadores trabajan juntos para producir las piezas finales. Liu Dao, que traduït a l’anglès significa “island 6” és un col·lectiu de joves talents amb seu a Xangai. Ells mateixos diuen ser “frikis” de la tecnologia, inspirats per tot el que sigui innovació i interacció de les màquines amb l’individu, produint art d’avantguarda des de la contemplació del futur i del passat d’Àsia. A partir d’un fòrum comunitari Liu Dao treballa al voltant d’un art visual, interactiu i conceptual en el qual l’humor i la ironia són un factor determinant en la sempre sorprenent i refrescant aplicació de les noves tecnologies. Des de l’inici de Liu Dao, pintors, escultors, fotògrafs, cineastes, artistes de nous mitjans, i artistes de la imatge digital i el programari, ballarins, escriptors, enginyers i curadors treballen junts per produir les peces finals. Liu Dao translated into English means “island6” is a collective of young talents based in Shanghai. They claim to be “freaks” of the Technology, inspired by everything that is innovation and interaction of the machines with the individual, producing avant-garde art from the Contemplation of Asia’s past and past. From a community forum Liu Dao works around a visual, interactive and conceptual art in which humor and irony are a determining factor in the always surprising and refreshing application of new technologies.From the beginning of Liu Dao, painters, sculptors, photographers, filmmakers, new media artists, and digital image artists and software, dancers, writers, engineers and curators work together to produce the final pieces.

< Search History 41

Portada Butterfly Babe, 2016. Pantalla RGB LED, pintura acrílica, collage de papel, marco de madera de teca. 47 x 67 x 5 cm. Proyecto y edición Galería Zielinsky Textos Ricardo Zielinsky Mychaelangelo Norkus Ryan Nimmo Melani Murkovic Jackson McHugh Kathleen McCampbell Margaret Johnson Andras Gal Coordinación Carla Zerbes Zielinsky Corrección de textos Salima Lleixà Esteva Diseño gráfico Eduardo Mantovani Genari © Queda expresamente prohibida la reprodución parcial o total de este catálogo sin el consentimiento de los autores. Barcelona, Mayo 2017

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LIU DAO RELEASED BEAUTY INAUGURACIÓN | INAUGURACIÓ | OPENING 04.05.2017 - 19.30h EXPOSICIÓN | EXPOSICIÓ | EXHIBITION 04 de mayo - 23 de junio Martes a Sabado, de 12h a 20h 04 de maig - 23 de juny Dimarts a Dissabte, de 12h a 20h May 4 - June 23 Tuesday to Friday, from 12 to 8 p.m.

PASSATGE DE MERCADER, 10 |08008 |BARCELONA |+34 932 684 575 |WWW.ZIELINSKYART.COM 44