On November 7, 2023, the dual exhibition Enrichment by artists Di Yang and Xiaochi Dong will open at the Nan Ke Gallery. Spanning various mediums including paintings, installations, and video, the artworks will be intricately arranged within the gallery's expansive space. While showcasing their distinct artistic philosophies and creative styles, the exhibition will revolve around the theme of 'Enrichment'. It will delve into the intertwined relationship between internal self-awareness and external objective existence, discussing the paradoxical yet symbiotic connection between the 'internal' self and the 'external' reality.
The exhibition theme ‘Enrichment’ is a term from the field of zookeeping. It refers to the practice of stimulating captive animals to engage in more natural behaviors by strategically using props, food, scents, and other factors within enclosed environments. This encourages the animals to exhibit behaviors closer to their natural instincts and habits.
In this exhibition, the gallery space itself resembles a large ecological tank, and the exhibition serves as an 'enrichment' for the artists and their works residing within it. As descendants of primates, humans possess an inherent arboreal nature. Extending from this concept, the exhibition in the space of Nanko Gallery unfolds vertically, with the works and territories of two artists being distributed at different heights. Through this vertical overlapping, the exhibition not only showcases the artists' distinct styles but also weaves a unified core throughout the exhibition's layout and movement pathways.
'Enrichment' originates from the artistic philosophy of Xiaochi Dong. Throughout his artistic journey, the "ecological tank" has remained a cherished subject of observation for him. "It is an artificially created environment that simulates animal behavior adaptations, yet it is more stable than the environment in its natural, pristine state," he explains.
Among the exhibited pieces, the artworks dispersed on the gallery's second floor emulate the forms of tropical plants within the ecological tank, offering a perspective that allows observation from the interior to the exterior. In his past creations, Xiaochi drew inspiration from greenhouse environments like the Shanghai Botanical Garden and the Kew Garden in London. Typically, this kind of "observation" occurred from the outside looking in.
However, as his creative journey evolved, he gradually shifted his perspective. He narrowed his focus to the ecological tank where he kept poison dart frogs in London, transitioning his gaze from an external observation to an inward one. Through the lens of the animals he cared for, he began to scrutinize the so-called "real world" outside, offering a unique insight from the inside out.
For Xiaochi, his undergraduate and graduate studies in traditional Chinese painting in Shanghai have profoundly influenced his artistic style. In his artworks, the delicate brushstrokes of mountains, rivers, trees, and stones merge with the pointillist style of European painting, creating subtle and intricate textures. By incorporating materials like volcanic ash, he achieves a serene, rational yet hazy, and warm effect in his creations, blending precision with emotion.
While Xiaochi's artistic expression resonates with the connotation of 'Enrichment', Di Yang expands the concept's denotation. In this exhibition, a series of new works unfold from the space of Nan Ke Gallery, drawing inspiration from the layout of an old apartment building that reminded him of the narrative spaces described in literature. Within this context, using his consistent artistic language, Di responds to the contemporary human existential crisis through various forms of expression, such as imagery and installations.
Expanding the scale to the dimensions of the universe, Earth itself resembles an ecological tank, and humans, who consider it their home, are akin to the animals nurtured within this ecological tank. Scholar David J. Mellor identifies five dimensions of animal welfare, with 'Enrichment' representing the preservation of their "freedom to express their innate behaviors without constraints."
Despite the abundant material resources and even spiritual pleasures provided by modern civilization, the deteriorating collective mental state seems to metaphorically reflect the absence of this sense of 'Enrichment'.
This prompts one to contemplate what needs of humans, the so-called advanced animals, have not been fulfilled in our increasingly alienated society. These needs have not received precise positioning or recognition. Yang Di's works unfold like a novelist crafting a story, aiming to respond to this ancient enigma. Through narrative structures, his art endeavors to address these profound questions.
The space of the lower floor has been transformed to resemble a bathroom landscape, screening Di's video work Foaming Venus. In literary works, bathrooms are often portrayed as sanctuaries within the realm of domestic life. In the video, a young girl sings inside the bathroom. At times, she portrays an idealized idol, and at other times, she represents a teenager temporarily escaping from family life. It appears that her idealized image can be anyone except her own authentic "self."
The partition on the third floor has been designed to resemble the atmosphere of an old-fashioned Shanghai hair salon, showcasing ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) works that connect all the images. The sound functions like a ghost wandering through the salon, guiding the audience from hairstyle changes to diving underwater.
Toward the end, it uses sound to depict actions, slowly peeling off the "customer's" skin and providing an opportunity to change one's appearance. The artist aims to explore the dialectical relationship between "external image" and "identity." This exploration extends to discussing the demands and regulations of social standards on the essential essence of modern individuals, even to the extent of their toxicity.
In the adjacent exhibition space, artworks feature various comb patterns presented on walls covered with leather material, echoing these contemplations. When external appearances are confined by societal norms and established standards of identity, the courage to seek inner change and the right to maintain outward appeal both demand significant mental energy. These demands and encroachments can potentially compress the already precarious mental essence's space for survival.
When these works, with their interwoven yet individually distinctive elements unified within the space of the old Western-style house, they appear to embody the sudden flashes of inspiration that occur in a novelist's creative process. These inspirations are immediately captured and frozen in their wild state, waiting for viewers to join the creation. Each viewer can contribute to the storyline with their own perspectives and preferences, completing the narrative in their unique way.
The theme 'Enrichment', not only resonates with the artistic content and philosophies of the two artists but also harmonizes the exhibition layout and communication. From an organizational perspective, the concept of a 'dual solo exhibition' follows the idea of 'community enrichment'. Much like the diverse species coexisting within an ecological tank, mixing different artistic styles not only enhances the visual appeal but also communicates the message of biodiversity to the viewers. This exhibition connects two artists with distinct yet interconnected styles, dispersing their artworks across the space through various forms such as paintings, videos, and installations, resulting in a unique and abundant artistic ecosystem.
When viewers are invited into the exhibition of Enrichment, they actively contribute to the entire narrative of the concept. This participation can be seen as a journey through the enriched artistic ecosystem presented by the gallery. Simultaneously, it can be viewed as an act of enriching their own daily lives through the act of attending the exhibition. The concept, extending from the 'ecological tank' to the 'bathroom' and even to the notion of enclosed and nurtured spaces within gallery domains and social life, is thus completed through this participation and engagement.
Text by Roxane Fu
