小明和小红《天鹅》
am art space 上午艺术空间 www.amspacesh.com
50B Fengxianlu, Shanghai, China
March 1 – March 31
At first sight the space of the gallery seemed almost empty. When I came the performance of the two artists has already finished, and only the artists and a late guest remained in the space having a conversation. As I wandered around the space, I realized it was filled with sound, one slowly changing rich tone emanating from the space below the staircase. Hidden under the staircase was a video showing an earlier performance of Xiao Ming and Xiao Hong in the same space. The sound filled the space in a manner that must have been similar to when the performance took place. Taking another round around the space, I noticed the very thin lines of color placed on the white walls. The looked like miniature rainbows.
The emptiness of the space, the reverbating sound filling the space and the minimal interventions on the white walls made the space feel much bigger, as if the white walls were just cuts through space with a different transparency. The sound gave a feeling of a cathedral to the space. The whole artwork left a very spiritual impression. In the time between I entered and left the space, something changed. My way of seeing changed. My way of hearing.
There would be much more to say about this show, but even without reading the accompanying text, even without seeing the life performance, the space was speaking itself.
am space is one of few locations in Shanghai were you can see works that engage the space of the gallery itself instead of simply utilizing the walls of the gallery. This has been Xiao Ming & Xiao Hong’s second exhibition at am space. On the first time (“Anthem”, last year) the space seemed similarly empty at first sight, only to slowly reveal its fullness. I again realized that it takes a certain personal state and self-reflection to be brave enough to show less. Showing less and less until nothing is left, and that is when everything appears. Like in the works by John Cage. This is an exhibition that talks to your body as much as to your eyes and ears, it requires the presence of body and mind. A section of space and time.