Exhibition Dates
10–31 March, 2015
Open daily, 9am–7pm
The Rotunda, Exchange Square, Central, Hong Kong
Pearl Lam Galleries and Hongkong Land unveiled today a monumental 18-metre long, 7-metre high installation, Boat by Zhu Jinshi, composed of bamboo, cotton threads, and over 12,000 sheets of Xuan (rice) paper. The work is shown in Hong Kong for the first time and is on view to the public in The Rotunda, Exchange Square until 31 March.
“Hongkong Land is delighted to showcase Boat by Zhu Jinshi in The Rotunda of Exchange Square, as we set sail into a prosperous Year of the Ram,” said Y K Pang, Chief Executive of Hongkong Land. “The Company has been a keen patron of promoting art and culture. The debut exhibition of this internationallyacclaimed art piece is in keeping with our vision of creating a vibrant lifestyle for the community.”
Zhu Jinshi is one of China’s leading contemporary artists, who has offered outstanding contributions to the field across various mediums, including painting, performance art, and installation art. Xuan (rice) paper has been a major medium in the artist’s repertoire since 1988 when, working in Berlin, he produced A Cubic Meter of Xuan Paper. Working on monumental site-specific Xuan (rice) paper installations has been a constant line of exploration for Zhu that culminates with Boat’s arrival in Hong Kong. The Rotunda exhibition follows high-profile exhibits of the work in Beijing and Shanghai in 2012, Art13 in London in 2013, and the Rubell Family Collection in Miami in 2014.
Pearl Lam said, “Zhu Jinshi’s Xuan (rice) paper Boat is characteristic of the artist’s practice which deconstructs Western theories of art and visual language by rooting them to Chinese traditions and philosophy. The work’s many layers of cultural resonance embody Zhu’s own distinctive artistic career. I am delighted to be bringing a large-scale installation work by the artist to Hong Kong for the first time.”
Through the meditative process of working with Xuan (rice) paper Zhu Jinshi transforms his fascination with time into a physical manifestation of the concept of time: both subjective time, and time in a cultural sense. The sheer size and visual impact of Boat is in stark contrast to the delicate nature of the material from which it is made, and through this duality the work becomes a vessel for the cultural implications of its materials, as well as for the artist’s own journey, and the viewer’s passage through space and time.
Hongkong Land has long been a pioneer in the use of commercial property to display works of art. Its buildings, which form the core of Hong Kong’s Central Business District, are home to an impressive collection that spans emerging local artists and modern masters of the 20th century, together with art exhibitions held throughout the year, thousands of people who work, shop, dine or visit Central each day enjoy a unique opportunity to experience exceptional art as they go about their daily lives. This collaboration with Pearl Lam Galleries enables a continuation of the shared desire between the organisations
to bring important artworks to the public of Hong Kong.
The exhibition of Boat by Zhu Jinshi is open to the public daily from 10 to 31 March 2015 at The Rotunda, Exchange Square in Central, Hong Kong. Guided tours will be offered throughout the opening hours between 9am to 7pm for visitors to experience the walk-in installation.
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