Historically, China and the United States have not been two kindly superpowers. Dating back to China's rise to Communism and the ensuing bloodshed of the Korean War, there has been much mistrust between the two economic and military powerhouses.
Today, relations between the two are strengthening.
Nowhere is it more apparent than in the future arrival of "The Wall: Reshaping Contemporary Chinese Art," a major art exhibit coming to the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in 2005.
Organized by Gao Minglu, an assistant professor in the Department of Art History, this ambitious exhibition is poised to be the largest installation of contemporary Chinese art to travel beyond its borders. Not only will it be on display at the Albright-Knox, but it will also be featured at the UB Art Galleries at the CFA on North Campus, as well as UB's Anderson Gallery on Martha Jackson Place near South Campus.
"When I submitted the 'Wall' proposal to the Albright-Knox, I thought the most important concern is to find a good topic, which not only can draw a comprehensive general view of contemporary Chinese art, but also can bring to the American audience with a deeper and specific perspective," said Minglu.
"The Wall" has both vast artistic and cultural significance for the city of Buffalo, the country as a whole and for China as well. Reflecting the rapidly evolving Chinese culture, from rural agriculture to thriving industrialists, the exhibit depicts, in detail, the transformation of Chinese civilization.
"'The Wall' will allow for an unprecedented cultural exchange and help us to fulfill our mission to exhibit the best contemporary art in the world," said Albright-Knox Gallery director Louis Grachos.
Perhaps the single greatest significance of the arrival of "The Wall" is the fact that this is the first major collaboration between museums in the United States and in China.
It would have been unheard of to attempt such a feat as recently as a couple decades ago.
"It is significant to note that 'The Wall' exhibition is the largest Chinese contemporary exhibition held both inside and outside China," he said. "It is not a pure survey exhibition as is the case with most of the large international exhibitions organized before now."
"'The Wall' exhibition does not attempt merely to show how Chinese artists represent those physical walls, such as the Great Wall," said Minglu. "Rather it intends to present the notion of the wall from both physical and conceptual perspectives."
Consisting of over 100 works by 52 artists, "The Wall" will collaboratively bring contemporary Chinese art to life.
"The collaborative effort involved in this exhibit has scanned the globe to bring the best to UB and to Buffalo Niagara, and that is truly exciting," said UB President John B. Simpson.
Included in the installation will be pieces ranging from paintings and sculptures, to photographs and film. In fact, a film festival will run concurrently, showing films that have yet to be viewed in China or elsewhere.
"The wall, as a cultural boundary, will be torn down with the showing of these films," said Simpson.
Arriving from the China Millennium Monument Art Museum in Beijing - where it will be on display in spring 2005 - "The Wall" is bound to further establish the prominence of the Albright-Knox Gallery while also placing the UB Art Gallery on the national map.
"Buffalo is the perfect city to launch the North American tour of the exhibition for many reasons," he said. "First, it is one of the few major cities in North America that does not have a Chinatown or a large Chinese population.
"Second, the combination of the Albright-Knox, a world-class museum with a strong history of contemporary American and European exhibitions, and the University at Buffalo Art Galleries, an academic center for museum studies and cutting-edge contemporary art, meets the needs of this large, in-depth exhibition," he said.
The arrival of "The Wall" exhibit will both electrify and enlighten the arts community of Buffalo. It will run from Oct. 1, 2005 until Jan. 8, 2006, and then move on to three other galleries in the States before concluding in Hong Kong.
"The art scene in Buffalo has always been exciting and I see no better place to break new ground than here," said Minglu.
Photo: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki
