From the archive…
Reckoning with the Past: Contemporary Chinese Painting
Currently on display in the cafe and curated by University of Edinburgh Archive Intern Sara Pocher this display sheds light upon a mid-nineties exhibition of Chinese painting shown at Fruitmarket, which focused on art made after 1989. Installation images are shown alongside the exhibition poster and press.
Reckoning with the Past: Contemporary Chinese Painting 3 August – 28 September 1996
Reckoning with the Past: Contemporary Chinese Painting was held at the Fruitmarket in 1996 and displayed the paintings of fifteen artists based in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong.
The exhibition showed artwork produced after 1989, a year that is often seen as a turning point for Chinese art and society. The works reflected the artists’ desire to ‘reckon with the past’, both as a way to re-establish a connection to their cultural and artistic heritage and to critically engage with the contemporary socio-political climate. Some artists, particularly those from Hong Kong and Taiwan, were also greatly concerned with issues of individual identity and belonging. The exhibition toured to several other Scottish and international venues.
This display was curated by Sara Pocher, Fruitmarket Archive Intern, The University of Edinburgh.
Images: Fruitmarket archive
