@ 501 Artspace, Huang Jue Ping, Chongqing, China
November – December 2008
I decided very early on in my residency that going to the other side of the earth to do exactly the same that I’m doing home wasn’t the right thing to do. Instead I started to go out to meet people to know more about their situation and to discover how they feel about it. Before I arrived in Chongqing my intention was to work with a single individual as a living model. I wanted to paint them as well as learn about their life in Chongqing. On arrival I realised that this proposal would not be feasible or practical. Instead I started to think of a way to discover the inner-life of the young people in Chongqing and how this could be developed into a body of work. I wanted to gain a better understanding of human interrelations and the aspirations of Chinese youth. I interviewed a variety of people from differing social standings including waiters, chefs, bar tenders, prostitutes, business entrepreneurs, and students all under 30 years old. I received all kinds of ideas and opinions about themselves and the world and their environment. China has a huge population and with all the changes that is undergoing is the perfect place to meet people who are in a state of flux, confronted with new situations in their environment. The young people want to develop a new culture with aspirations that a very different from previous generations. They are keen to find their own place in the world and create a new China for themselves. Therefore the work I chose to make attempted to address the aspirations of the young Chinese and discover their wishes for the future.
After gathering information about people’s feeling and ideas through simple questionnaires, I was amazed by how much the Chinese youth looked to the West, and aspired to a ‘western’ lifestyle. I naively believed the Chinese would have their own way of life and philosophy coming out from a long tradition but I soon realised that the reality was nothing like this. I made a book with a selection of the questionnaires to be exhibited as part of my open studio.
China is one of the most interesting places I have discovered and Chongqing or more precisely the colourful Huang Jue Ping Street – where 501 Art Space and the Sichuan Fine Art School are situated – is the perfect place to meet people from every corner of China.
The residency was a real pleasure, and very interesting.
