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Where faces of the poor prod shoppers looking for luxury
By Fei Lai |
April 15, 2009, Wednesday
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Print Edition
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A major exhibition by Tong Yanrunan features portraits of migrant workers but finds itself in a setting surrounded by boutiques offering luxury goods from famous brands. Fei Lai looks over this strange mixture.
The Hubin International Boutique Compound, a commercial zone by the West Lake where luxury brands seem to gather, is taking on a new look with 108 portraits of migrant workers.
"Metropolis Migration," a major exhibition by Tong Yanrunan, a lecturer at the China Academy of Arts, is on display there until May 8.
A serious contrast to the usual advertising pictures posted by the surrounding fashion and style boutiques, these striking portraits are truly impressive.
"Each painting has its own story. For me, the stories are special experiences that I enjoy from start to end as I paint them," Tong says.
"Migrant workers are a group of people to whom society has paid little attention. Some of them became my models just for the 20 yuan (US$2.93) I would pay. I try to catch the momentary flash of their reality."
The figures created by Tong are not detailed but are impressions. Looking closely the impressions become less detailed. As though the subjects that the viewer is observing are about to fade and vanish. None of the paintings are precise and realistic but they each have an aura of reality and of honesty.
Some might regard the portraits as abstract works. But for Tong, these faces are a solid unsung part of history.
Tong's strong visual images are a call for more attention to be paid by the public to the living situations of migrant workers in cities.
Yu Weizhong, the exhibition's curator, believes the upmarket location is a good way of helping achieve Tong's goal of making more people aware of the plight of migrant workers.
"It's common in Europe for art to be displayed at boutique malls. The combination and the setting gives shoppers a wonderful feel for the luxury goods and the deep emotional impact of the art," Yu says.
"This is the first time that Tong has exhibited his Metropolis Migration series on such a large scale. It's a simple way of promoting values in society. The huge contrast between the boutiques and the often coarse images forces the viewer to think of the social problems behind the pictures."
For the past 10 years, Tong has painted hundreds of migrant workers. Most of the works in the exhibition are the major works he has created in recent years, including the "Low Income Group" and the "Farmer" series.
Poor old men, perplexed middle-aged men and young people with naive expressions face the viewer, and all the characters created by his brushes have different expressions. What they do have in common is that none of them smiles. The brushstrokes seem to made almost randomly. However, they immediately evoke vivid images and emotions.
"Although Tong is not a traditional portrait artist, he obviously has a connection and affection for traditional painting techniques. Through this connection we discover in his portraits the lives of his subjects," says Jiang Zhenggen, a curator.
"When all these works are displayed together, you can see that they are actually a portrait of the time. What they reflect is a fragment of a time and the personal emotions silently hidden beneath the images."
Hubin used to be a popular commercial area in the 1980s specializing in traditional local produce, upmarket hotels and famous luxury brands. It was a first choice for shopping for newcomers.
With Hangzhou's growing demands for consumerism and art, the area was redesigned and opened to the public in 2005.
The site's classic architecture with a mix of European styles and Jiangnan (south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River) flavors elegantly merges into the city's graceful mountains and the West Lake.
Here one can find famous brands such as Dolce & Gabbana, Georgio Armani, Swarovaki and Porsche and Ferrari. It is a place where fashion and lifestyle meet art.
"Hangzhou is a metropolitan city. Standing on its streets, we see faces from all over the world. More than a decade ago, I was a migrant worker myself. I believe a modern city is one that includes migrant workers," says Gao Fagen, vice dean of the China Academy of Arts. "The exhibition is more than an advocacy for human concern. It is injecting other connotations into fashion through art."
"Metropolis Migration"
Date: through May 8
Venue: Hubin International Boutique Compound
The Hubin International Boutique Compound, a commercial zone by the West Lake where luxury brands seem to gather, is taking on a new look with 108 portraits of migrant workers.
"Metropolis Migration," a major exhibition by Tong Yanrunan, a lecturer at the China Academy of Arts, is on display there until May 8.
A serious contrast to the usual advertising pictures posted by the surrounding fashion and style boutiques, these striking portraits are truly impressive.
"Each painting has its own story. For me, the stories are special experiences that I enjoy from start to end as I paint them," Tong says.
"Migrant workers are a group of people to whom society has paid little attention. Some of them became my models just for the 20 yuan (US$2.93) I would pay. I try to catch the momentary flash of their reality."
The figures created by Tong are not detailed but are impressions. Looking closely the impressions become less detailed. As though the subjects that the viewer is observing are about to fade and vanish. None of the paintings are precise and realistic but they each have an aura of reality and of honesty.
Some might regard the portraits as abstract works. But for Tong, these faces are a solid unsung part of history.
Tong's strong visual images are a call for more attention to be paid by the public to the living situations of migrant workers in cities.
Yu Weizhong, the exhibition's curator, believes the upmarket location is a good way of helping achieve Tong's goal of making more people aware of the plight of migrant workers.
"It's common in Europe for art to be displayed at boutique malls. The combination and the setting gives shoppers a wonderful feel for the luxury goods and the deep emotional impact of the art," Yu says.
"This is the first time that Tong has exhibited his Metropolis Migration series on such a large scale. It's a simple way of promoting values in society. The huge contrast between the boutiques and the often coarse images forces the viewer to think of the social problems behind the pictures."
For the past 10 years, Tong has painted hundreds of migrant workers. Most of the works in the exhibition are the major works he has created in recent years, including the "Low Income Group" and the "Farmer" series.
Poor old men, perplexed middle-aged men and young people with naive expressions face the viewer, and all the characters created by his brushes have different expressions. What they do have in common is that none of them smiles. The brushstrokes seem to made almost randomly. However, they immediately evoke vivid images and emotions.
"Although Tong is not a traditional portrait artist, he obviously has a connection and affection for traditional painting techniques. Through this connection we discover in his portraits the lives of his subjects," says Jiang Zhenggen, a curator.
"When all these works are displayed together, you can see that they are actually a portrait of the time. What they reflect is a fragment of a time and the personal emotions silently hidden beneath the images."
Hubin used to be a popular commercial area in the 1980s specializing in traditional local produce, upmarket hotels and famous luxury brands. It was a first choice for shopping for newcomers.
With Hangzhou's growing demands for consumerism and art, the area was redesigned and opened to the public in 2005.
The site's classic architecture with a mix of European styles and Jiangnan (south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River) flavors elegantly merges into the city's graceful mountains and the West Lake.
Here one can find famous brands such as Dolce & Gabbana, Georgio Armani, Swarovaki and Porsche and Ferrari. It is a place where fashion and lifestyle meet art.
"Hangzhou is a metropolitan city. Standing on its streets, we see faces from all over the world. More than a decade ago, I was a migrant worker myself. I believe a modern city is one that includes migrant workers," says Gao Fagen, vice dean of the China Academy of Arts. "The exhibition is more than an advocacy for human concern. It is injecting other connotations into fashion through art."
"Metropolis Migration"
Date: through May 8
Venue: Hubin International Boutique Compound
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