M HKA Ensembles

M HKA, Antwerp

16 September 2022 - 08 January 2023

Yang Fudong
 

Yang Fudong originally studied painting but has become internationally renowned for his video installations and feature films. As one of the key figures of China’s contemporary art scene and independent cinema movement that has gained international prominence since the 1990s, his films and photographic work are often rooted in traditional Chinese painting. Nature is a recurring theme in his work, with particular reference to the theme of the garden — portrayed as lush, sensual and erotic — as an important motif in Chinese philosophy. Often using sumptuous poetic imagery, Fudong’s practice indicates his disillusionment with both communist and capitalist ideals, which are all too often soured by corruption. As an artist conscious of socio-economic realities, he also offers reflections on issues such as China’s new affluence, the shift from an agrarian society to corporate agriculture, the abandonment of the poor and the loss of traditional values, all accelerated by China’s rise as a global superpower.

M HKA acquired several of Fudong’s works in 2009, the same year that the museum presented the key exhibition Useful Life, a survey of artistic practices in China.

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