'Phantom Patterns'
Group show by:
Hui Zhang, Xiaoyu Xiong, Alan Rutherford
Preview:
6-9pm
Thurs 20th July
Open
11am - 5pm
21st – 25th July
Saltspace Gallery, Axiom Building, 54 Washington Street, Glasgow G3 8AZ
‘Phantom Patterns’ is a group show that is the culmination of two years of collaborative research and making by artists Alan Rutherford (Scotland), Xiaoyu Xiong (China) and Hui Zhang (China). The artists worked together between 2020 and 2023 through the British Council’s ‘Connections through Culture’ programme, in partnership with the Shanghai based Ruan Yisan Heritage Foundation (RYH) to collaborate through its ‘Arts and Heritage’ project which invites artists to work at the ancient town of Chongwu in the province of Fujian.
The artists were interested in the colourful textile patterns of the local Fujian Hui’an woman’s clothing, inspiring them to seek a deeper understanding of the woman and their role in the local community. Despite long standing contributions of physical labour (they helped to build the town and actively maintain it), they are mostly overlooked and undervalued in the local community. The work in the exhibition celebrates the role of these women and seeks to support them in establishing a voice and a presence that can help to transcend local attitudes.
Alan Rutherford will show 2D drawings and Augmented Reality work that explores new and different ways to experience a place and site that would otherwise be physically out of bounds.
Xiaoyu Xiong presents moving image works that document her invitation to the Hui’an women to participate in her performances in and around Chonwgu town. Xiong will also screen a recent performance by the Hui’an woman that was recorded specifically for this show.
Hui Zhang presents 2D works. ‘Phantom Patterns’ were interventions in the town of Chongwu. Zhang placed pattern images in-between buildings around the town, to remind people of the of the importance of Hui’an woman’s contribution and their strength.
website: https://www.artheritageexhibition.cn
Artists:
Hui Zhang
Hui Zhang is an emerging artist specialising in sound installation and augmented reality (AR). He focuses on the intersection of mythology and daily life, injecting new blood into the revival of intangible cultural heritage through soundscape and cross-cultural studies. Recently, he has been awarded the APENFT and the British Council CtC Art Fund.
Alan Rutherford is a visual artist based in Glasgow. His practice is based primarily in sculpture and film-making and is concerned with the construction and deconstruction of cultural identity, the ideological power relations that exist between the past and present - struggles between past built environment (such as monuments and installations) and the current attitudes towards them, tensions such as the construction and deconstruction of cultural identity. He was awarded an MA in Fine Art from the University of the Creative Arts in 1999 and holds a BA(hons) in Sculpture from the Glasgow School of Art. Recent achievements include undertaking the role of Lead artist in the British Council’s CtC project 2021-23 and participation in various group shows in France, Spain and Sweden in 2022.
Xiaoyu Xiong (Sherry) is an emerging artist from Beijing and is currently studying for her MFA at The Glasgow School of Art. She is interested in the boundaries and relationships between individuals and communities, using mainly interactive installations to connect with the public. In 2019 Xiaoyu was shortlisted as one of ‘100 Young Artists’ and participated in the Here/There Exhibition held in Beijing Today Art Gallery. She received a Chinese Government Scholarship 2022-2024(CSC) and a Gold Award at the Chinese Graphic Design Association (GDC) Awards 2021 and was also selected by GDC for the 30th annual Exhibition in 2022.
