 he opening exhibition "Hypallage—The Post-Modern Mode of Chinese Contemporary Art" opened at September 1st, 2008 at The OCT Art & Design Gallery, Shenzhen. This exhibition is curated by Feng Boyi, Wang Xiaosong and Rita Zhao. It is one of the largest-scale exhibitions on post-modern mode in Chinese contemporary artistic creation.
Post-modernism is the cultural logic of late capitalism. With China’s opening up, the trend of maketization brought by international capital and by the information aggregation formed by internet, post-modernism has become the cultural fact in China. Especially the new generations of artists who grow up in an environment of cultural diversity have been immersed in a kind of post-modern emotion and discourse pattern, which are incorporated in their art works. This exhibition entitled Hypallage attempts to categorize and exhibit the creations, which resorts to post-modern concepts and modes, in  the history of Chinese contemporary art. In other words, we try to take the creations of contemporary artists as examples to examine what connection they have with post-modernism, how they embody the post-modern inclination, and how to understand the value and significance in them.
The primary feature of the post-modern mode of Chinese contemporary art is the appropriation, parody, facelift and distortion of world-wide classic concepts and works in history of art. In other words, in the range of visual art, the re-understanding and revise of classic concepts and images constitutes the most remarkable presentations of post-modern mode of Chinese contemporary art. Therefore, this exhibition presents the creations, which are the facelift and distortion of classic concepts and works, from part of contemporary Chinese artists. This exhibition not only shows the attitude toward classics in the development of Chinese contemporary art, but also extends the uncertain state of so-called classics.
In terms of the use of image resource and the artists’ attitudes, there are several distinctive features. Firstly, some artists choose to copy and duplicate  certain works of masters or classic symbols into their artwork. Secondly, some artists have been explored the conversion between public images and classic paintings. Facing interesting works of historical images, they do not dwell on already-made judgment of historic value; instead visually they regard history as one or many images. History and historic events have become photos, files and documents. Thirdly, the most common way for many artists is to substitute, draw, parody and distort in the process duplication and appropriation, which could be divided into structural revision and distortion, hypallage and parody. We could see a mixture of the appropriation and fabrication of classic images, self and other, poetic quality of history and dilemma of reality, which is the result of collage, hypallage and parody of hyper text. The standards given by the familiar works become temporal and unreliable. The works become profound while we enjoy the pleasure of violating taboo through disrespect, absurdity and humor.
Certainly, these creations are not simple copy, duplication, facelift and distortion, and every piece of work processes different meanings. The artists show their reflection and cognition of tradition and modern times, present and future, uncertainty and multi-meaning of history though their personal relationship with traditional classics and history. The juxtaposition of the true and fake classics is not only their experiment but also their attitude to classics. They are not restricted to traditional aesthetics and carry out deconstructive creation without rules. These well-known images are  unfamiliarized. The viewer’s expectations are manipulated; they could experience the amazement brought by new modes and perspectives, and the freedom given by getting rid of rules. Once the viewer stares at the art works, they would realize that the texts before them are no longer the traditional classics in history of art, but rather “new” historic visual image after facelift. The visual text has been imprinted with the artist’s personal mark.
Participating Artists (Alphabetized)
Ai Weiwei, Bai Yiluo, Cao Hui, Chen Danqing, He Sen, He Wenjue, Hong Lei, Huang Yan，Jing Kewen, Li Luming, Li Zhanyang, Liu Dahong, Liu Jianhua, Liu Xuguang, Liu Ye, Lu Hao, Lv Shengzhong, Ma Baozhong, Ma Han, Miao Xiaochun, Peng Wei, Qiu Zhijie, Qu Guangci, Shang Yang,Shao Fan, Shi Hui, Shi Xinning, Sui Jianguo, Wang Huaxiang, Wang Qingsong, Wang Tiantian, Wang Yin, Wang Youshen, Wang Zi, Wei Guangqing, Xing Junqin, Xu Bing, Xue Song, Yang Maoyuan, Yang Shaobin, Yao Lu, Yu Fan, Yuan Xiaofang, Yue Minjun, Zhan Wang, Zhang Gong, Zhang Hongtu, Zhang Wei, Zhao Bandi, Zhao Gang, Zhong Biao, Zhou Tiehai, Zuoxiao Zuzhou.
The OCT Art & Design Gallery is invested and built by OCT Group. It's built on the purpose to drive forth and develop the vanguard design, which involved varied design industries such as graphic and space design, product and fashion, digital and animation design and targeting many other dynamic and contemporary art events. The main building of the gallery is renovated from an old warehouse. A hexagonal glass curtain wall, which is made by overlapping steel structures, forms of shell around the original building and works to preserve the heritage within.
Zhang Gong，The Liberty Guides the People，215×100cm，Acrylic on cnvas，2007
Qu Guangci，Last Dinner――Mourn，58×110×34cm，Bronze，2005
Yue Minjun，Women of Algiers，229×292cm，Oil on Canvas，2006
Xia Xiaowan，Chinese Ancient Landscape of Li Tang，163×120×95cm，21 pieces of 6mm glass，2008
Wang Zi, History of Art No.3
Chen Danqing，春宫与山水之三，Oil on canvas，74×60 cm，1999
Shang Yang，Dong Qichang’s Plan -3（Triptych），223×505cm ，Compositive material on canvas，2006
Wang Xinghua，Giving back by way，70×170cm，Oil on Canvas，2007
Lu Hao，Flower Bird Insect and Fish—Birdcage，30×50 cm，Oil on Canvas，2007
Zhan Wang，Ornamental Rock，Stainless Steel，2002
Li Zhanyang，“Rent”--Rent Collection Yard，700×60×60cm，Painted fiber reinforced plastic，2007
Lv Shengzhong，Descending Luck，Performance,，Video， Installation，Mixed material of paper cutting and etc.，2008
Miao Xiaochun，The Last Judgment in Cyberspace，Picture，Size according to the wall，2006-2008
Zuoxiao Zuzhou，I Love Contemporary Art，180×270cm，Picture，2007
Sui Jianguo，Clothes Veins Study—Discobolus，Height 172cm，Bronze，1998
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