Of course by the time I am writing this, it is too late to see these fabulous exhibitions. But I will waffle on regardless. The Lisson Art Gallery is what I would consider a hidden gem in Marylebone. The exhibition itself is split between two buildings on the same street. The first is at 67 Lisson St.
The highlight of the Afterimage exhibition was this piece by Wang Youshen. This stems from the 1993 exhibition he did titled ‘Newspaper/advertising’ where he plastered the Great Wall of China with newspaper articles.
The exhibition ‘Afterimage: Dangdai Yishu’ is divided into several interrelated chapters, in order to examine a moment in Chinese contemporary art that signifies both a break with the traditions or aesthetic value – based on technical skills advocated by Chinese art academics from the twentieth century onwards and a gradual shift into new subjectivities that resist traditional concepts relating to medium, authorship and meaning. Lisson Brochure
Across the road at the second gallery, or first depending on which way you’re running, This fabulous piece by Lin Tianmiao is known as ‘Protruding Patterns’. The media it is constructed from are carpets. Lin Tianmiao was one of the first contemporary Chinese artists to gain international recognition.
‘protruding patterns’ features words and expressions about women in various languages which were collected by Lin Tianmiao over the years. using novels, newspapers, and colloquial dialogue as sources, the artist gathers phrases that demonstrate the power of language in reinforcing sexist attitudes. this lexicon is woven into thickly raised wool forms, becoming tangible to visitors who can touch and walk on the carpets. Design Boom
What I found most amazing about this piece was not the intricacy of the woven fabric but rather how interactive it was. One could and indeed should walk freely among this work and enjoy every aspect of it. The white walls surrounding it force your focus onto the colourful patterns beneath you, which I found quite striking.
All information on the current exhibitions can be found here.
Please do visit this fantastic free gallery if you have the time and inclination. You won’t be disappointed.