Event: Wang Qingsong at Beetles+Huxley

Beetles+Huxley, one of Europe’s leading and most innovative photography galleries, is delighted to present the UK’s first retrospective of Beijing artist Wang Qingsong, who represented China in the Venice Biennale 2013. The show, comprising of 11 large-format photographic works, explores the role of spectacle in shaping reality in contemporary China and marks the artist’s first solo exhibition in London for almost 10 years.

Born at the start of the Cultural Revolution, Qingsong’s provocative, and often humorous works comment on the overwhelming social and visual changes which have taken place in his native country over the last four and a half decades. Working predominantly in the mediums of photography and film, his pieces are known for their massive scale, deep symbolism and careful staging, which can sometimes take several weeks and involve up to 300 extras. Many of the artist’s large-format photographs, which have been shown in galleries and museums across the globe, including the International Centre of Photography (NY) and the V&A (London), also attract significant attention at auction.

The globalisation of China and the explosion of consumerism are key topics in Qingsong’s oeuvre. His interest in Western art history is also a recurrent theme which blends into Chinese aesthetic motives and literary traditions contributing to this feel of staged documentary. While the staging of his photographs involves meticulous preparation, often taking place in cinema studios and requiring hundreds of extras, he considers his work to be a photojournalistic endeavor.

Home, 120x250cm, 2005

Wang Qingsong was kind enough to answer our questions despite the fact that English is not his native language:

All About Photo: When did you realize you wanted to be a photographer instead of a painter and why?

Wang Qingsong: I never wanted to be a photographer. It was because in early 1990s, there came the opening up relaunch by the former leader Deng Xiaoping who made a special research visit into South China. He decided to open up some coastal cities for economic reform experiments. After this new move, China started to stage huge transformations. Foreign corporations were introduced into mainland. Because of these new advances, I found painting was not sufficient enough to express what my eyes captured and my mind thought everyday. Therefore, I'd say that photography came to find me who was mesmerized by its mermaid lure of keeping track of everyday transformations China happens. This new form of life gives not only me but also millions of Chinese people a new way to look into the possible future which leads to today's massive popularization of selfies online.

Read the full interview: HERE

The exhibition: September 22 - October 24, 2015
Beetles+Huxley
3-5 Swallow Street
London W1B 4DE
020 7434 4319
www.beetlesandhuxley.com


All About Wang Qingsong