Research
Art residencies Australia - China
Reflecting on the importance of cultural and artistic exchanges between different cultures and nations, attention has turned to experiences and encounters with artists in Australia and China over the past 20 years and more. Internationally regarded Chinese artist Yin Xiuzhen came to Melbourne in 2000 to take up a residency as the UNESCO /ASCHBERG Bursary laureate resident at Gertrude Contemporary in 2000 in Fitzroy Australia. Yin photographed her installation, which was created from second-hand clothes, and later embellished the prints with whimsical additions, presenting them to me as a parting gift. We spent quite a bit of time with 'Yin' (she joked at the time that her Western friends always use her surname), and grately enjoyed learning about her work, including the installation I had seen at the Asia Pacific Triennial in Queensland in 1999.
According to then Director of Gertrude Contemporary, Samantha Comte:
Through her choice and transformation of materials and objects, and the situation of her work, Yin Xiuzhen examines how cultures are built from the diverse experiences of individuals and communities over time. Her work explores the layers and residues of presence and meaning that mark and measure our lives. (Samantha Comte, critical review of Building Materials, Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces March 3-25, 2000)
In the following year of 2000, during a residency in Beijing, I visited Yin Xiuzhen and her artist husband Song Dong at their Hutong home near Beihi. Song Dong kindly drew a freehand map to guide me to the Yong He Gong lama temple, as I wanted to light some incense for my sister-in-law who passed away whilst I was in Beijng. I later came to realise that the centre plan of Beijing is an important feature in both Song Dong's and Yin Xiuzhen's respective practices. I have since donated these small items to the State Library of Victoria. They are a precious reminder of the importance of cultural exchange and the possibilities of communicating across different cultural contexts. Art is especially powerful in this respect.
Unique state photographs by Yin Xiuzhen, 2000, Damian Smith Archive, State Library of Victoria
Song Dong, hand-drawn map of central Beijing, 2001, Damian Smith Archive, State Library of Victoria
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