Peek into Modern China: The Sigg Collection at M+ Museum

Step into the world of contemporary Chinese art at the M+ Museum, home to the most comprehensive collection that awaits to unveil the vivid tapestry of modern China.

Sense of Wander: ★★★★☆

Wang Jin's The Dream of China (1997) weaves an imperial dragon robe using industrial plastic sheets and nylon string, questioning authority, authenticity, and identity.

HONG KONG — The realm of "contemporary art" can be enigmatic, leaving viewers puzzling over the messages hidden within the artwork. In a world where nearly anything can be deemed “art”, understanding the meaning and nuance of these creative expressions proves to be challenging. Yet, amidst this ambiguity, a question emerges: To what extent can we gain insights into the cultural dynamics of an evolving society through the lens of contemporary art, especially considering the fact that art reflects the spirit of its time?

An exhibition at the M+ Museum prompts us to explore the profound narratives of contemporary Chinese art over the past five decades, through a collection that intertwines social, political, and art historical perspectives. Entitled M+ Sigg Collection: From Revolution to Globalisation, this remarkable exhibition showcases a selection of contemporary works of art amassed by Uli Sigg.

Since his arrival in China in the late 1970s, Sigg became aware of the profound metamorphosis sweeping through the nation. In the absence of institutions collecting works by contemporary Chinese artists, he embarked on a mission to document and safeguard their creative expressions. Instead of walking the path of private collectors, Sigg took an institutional approach, accumulating an “encyclopedic” collection that offers an unparalleled glimpse into China's evolution.

In 2012, the M+ Museum made an acquisition of 1,510 contemporary artworks — 1,463 by donations and 47 by purchase — from Sigg. This remarkable collection represents 324 artists and encompasses diverse mediums, ranging from painting and sculpture to photography, installation, performance documentation, video, and multimedia.

The M+ Museum is now now home to the world's most comprehensive collection of contemporary Chinese art. Nestled in cosmopolitan Hong Kong, the museum is on a mission to amplify the voice of contemporary Chinese art within the predominantly Western narrative of global art history.

This article doesn’t aim to chronicle the evolution of contemporary Chinese art, as an in-depth exploration is available in the publication Chinese Art Since 1970: The M+ Sigg Collection. Instead, I’d like to guide you through the exhibition on view at M+, illuminating the artworks that spoke to me during my visit.

Rather than spotlighting familiar names like Ai Wei Wei, Cao Fei, Zhang Xiaogang, Zhang Huan, Zen Fangzhi, and Yue Minjun, I’ll be unveiling the voices of artists whose impact on the discourse of contemporary Chinese art — though they less familiar to Western audience — is equally profound. Through these pieces, I hope to give you a tantalising glimpse into the various themes and subjects explored by contemporary artists in China, from the post-war period to the present day.

In Lin Tianmiao’s Braiding (1998), the artist presents her self-portrait in an installation, deliberately keeping the digitally printed photograph out of focus.

The countless threads connected to Lin Tianmiao’s printed portrait gradually thin out as they wind away from the canvas.

Artists are known to embark on journeys that depart from their personal experiences, transcending the individual realm to weave intricate narratives that resonate with the society at large.

Lin Tianmiao (林天苗), for instance, showcases her fascination with the physical and symbolic dimensions of the female body, harnessing them as potent vehicles to confront universal challenges experienced by women. With a background as a textile designer who resided in New York during the '85 New Wave movement, Lin's artistic trajectory bears the imprints of this pivotal era.

Upon her return to China in 1995, Lin embarked on a thought-provoking artistic endeavour, giving birth to an The Proliferation of Thread Winding in her Beijing courtyard. This artwork intricately assembled thousands of sewing needles and cotton threads to outline the form of a human body on a bed. Accompanying this installation was a video that revealed the artist’s meticulous handiwork as she diligently wound threads. This same dedication characterises her self-portrait, Braiding (1998), on view at the exhibition.

In Braiding, Lin’s portrait takes centre stage, imprinted on a canvas and deliberately rendered out of focus. Close examination reveals countless cotton and linen threads, meticulously stitched through the delicate perforations across her visage. The threads gradually become thinner as they wind away from the canvas, leading to a small video screen displaying a footage of the artist’s hands deftly braiding the threads.

Lin’s self-portrait engages in a meaningful dialogue with the experimental art of 1990s China. Her shaved head, symbolising the removal of gender stereotypes, challenges conventional notions; the embrace of braiding further blurs the lines of gender demarcation.

While the act of braiding traditionally carries significant societal implications pertaining to women's roles, it also recalls the braided queue that Manchu men were compelled to wear during the Qing dynasty (1644-1912). By engaging in gender issues, Lin solidifies her self-portrait as one of contemporary art's most provocative statements.

Turning our attention to artist Hu Xiaoyuan (胡曉媛), her work A Keepsake I Cannot Give (2005-2006) also delves into the social significance of hair. The artist took her own hair and meticulously embroidered them into images of natural subjects and parts of her body. In traditional Chinese culture, hair held intimate symbolism, often given from one lover to another as a keepsake and symbol of fidelity, as hair can endure almost indefinitely when separated from the body.

Hu Xiaoyuan deviates from conventional norms, using her artwork to comment on the desire to express oneself in deeply intimate ways. By engaging with hair as an artistic medium, she raises questions about identity, memory, and the cultural implications tied to this deeply personal aspect of the human body.

In A Keepsake I Cannot Give (2005-2006), Hu Xiaoyuan presents images of her body parts meticulously embroidered with her own hair.

Across the patriarchal chronicles of Chinese art, voices of women have often been muted and overlooked. Similarly, in the domain of ink painting, a pivotal facet of creative expressions in Chinese culture, the contributions of female artists have remained largely eclipsed.

In a bold and daring move to defy the prevailing male supremacy in ink art, artist Chen Lingyang (陳羚羊) charted her own course through Hand Scroll (1999). This work employed the conventional hand scroll format, typically associated with landscape painting in ink art. In a revolutionary twist, Chen chose to use her menstrual blood — instead of traditional ink — to tinge the paper. Her choice of paper also breaks tradition — instead of rice paper, she opted for an unexpected and intriguing alternative: toilet paper.

Chen’s unusual choice of material might unsettle most viewers, as menstrual blood remains a taboo subject in many Chinese-speaking cultures (This issue is discussed in my other article The First Museum in Asia Dedicated to ‘Period’). But her audacious use of menstrual blood as a medium of self-expression confronts the societal prejudice against menstruation, while calling for a long-overdue recognition of female experiences in the artistic realm.

In Hand Scroll, artist Chen Lingyang tinged her menstrual blood on toilet paper, presenting the work in conventional handscroll format.

As I wandered from one gallery to another, I’ve come to pass by two seemingly ordinary bamboo sticks leaning against the wall. At first sight, their value didn't strike me. But upon closer inspection, I made a fascinating discovery — the bamboo sticks are not what they appear to be.

Traditionally, Chinese artisans often transformed one material into the likeness of another, showcasing their artistry and skill in manipulating the original substance. What appears as bamboo within this exhibition is, in fact, masterfully carved from the highly coveted Phoebe zhennan wood — a precious native of southern China. This wood, cherished for its golden grains, was once reserved for royalty during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing dynasties. The creative force behind this remarkable feat, A Stick of Bamboo (2011), is none other than Hu Qingyan (胡慶雁), and his choice of employing such a prized material to portray a humble plant like bamboo raises questions.

Bamboo — revered for its resilience and flexibility — bears profound cultural connotations in China, often serving as a metaphorical compass for literati and scholars as they navigate life’s trials. Its fast growth and strength have also made it a valuable resource in construction for centuries.

The artist imbues his work with extraordinary depth by sourcing wood not from ordinary Phoebe zhennan trees, but from a historic house destroyed by the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, infusing an additional layer of significance into the piece.

Hu's bamboo, crafted from this prestigious material, triggers reflections on multiple fronts. It underlines the deceptive nature of appearances, while prompting us to question societal hierarchies of value and worth. In the mean time, its use of repurposed wood from a natural catastrophe invites us to explore the interplay between materials, meanings, and the innate resilience of the natural world. As I contemplate this compelling installation, it's as if Hu gently prompts us to embrace our own potential for growth and strength — much like the bamboo — in the face of life’s challenges.

In A Stick of Bamboo (2011), artist Hu Qingyan skillfully carves bamboo sticks from the highly coveted Phoebe zhennan wood, serving as a reminder that appearances can be deceiving.

Another thought-provoking exhibit, which also delves into the issue of value, is a pair of canvases titled Gold and Ash (1985) presented by artist Shan Fan (單凡). One canvas gleams with opulence, adorned in lustrous gold leaf, while the other is coated with unclaimed ashes of a homeless individual, collected from a crematorium. This striking juxtaposition — of glamour and gloom — illustrates the jarring disparity between the rich and the poor, a reality that deeply affected the artist when he saw beggars at the train station in Hamburg — a scene that stood in stark contrast to the affluence he had long associated with the West.

In modern Chinese society, much like in other cultures, the pursuit of wealth and beauty has emerged as a prevailing motif. Artists Sun Yuan (孫原) and Peng Yu (彭禹) respond to this phenomenon with their creation titled Civilisation Pillar. This monumental, yellow pillar, exceeding three meters in height, is crafted from human fat, extracted through liposuction operations conducted at cosmetic surgery clinics in Beijing. A striking embodiment of excess.

Through this audacious piece, the two artists deliver a powerful, provocative commentary — the interplay between societal advancement and the relentless pursuit of physical ideals. By reshaping a part of the human body into an architectural element, Civilisation Pillar offers a poignant contemplation of the universal themes that define our civilisation, urging us to scrutinise the values and priorities that shape our world.

In Gold and Ash (1985), artist Shan Fan makes a bold statement about the disparity between the rich and the poor.

Sun Yuan and Peng Yu covered Civilisation Pillar (2001) with human fat extracted through liposuction, creating a powerful, provocative commentary on the relentless pursuit of physical ideals.

One of my personal favourites among the displayed artworks is an installation titled Beijing Opera (2001/2020), crafted by artist Yin Xiuzhen (伊秀珍). Nestled in the corner of a gallery, this artwork features digital prints that come together to form a picturesque backdrop of a park. The stools and folding chairs placed on the floor complete the setting, inviting viewers to step into a scene that captures the daily rhythms of Chinese citizens.

In Beijing Opera, visitors are immersed in communal life, as people gather to share tea, engage in conversation, and partake in their routines. We see audience stead on stools, attentively listening to the stories of the elderly. In the background music, we capture snippets of opera singing on the radios.

Yin Xiuzhen's artistic journey delves into the themes of globalisation, excessive urbanisation, and memory. As gentrification and homogenisation reshape Beijing’s cityscape, Yin witnessed how the lives of people had transformed. She reflects, "In a rapidly changing China, 'memory' seems to vanish more quickly than everything else. That's why preserving memory has become an alternative way of life." When asked about her artistic vision, Yin expressed her desire to transport people to diverse realms, enabling them to experience emotions directly.

Scenes like those recreated in Beijing Opera are becoming increasingly rare — a testament to the evolving cultural tapestry and shifting societal currents that have enveloped its citizens.

In Beijing Opera (2001/2020), artist Yin Xiuzhen recreates a scene that has become increasingly rare in the face of rapid urbanisation in the city.

Indeed, the artworks on view at the M+ exhibition not only offer a glimpse of a nation in transformation, but provide us with a unique window into the changes experienced by its people, with artists as their representatives.

Departing from micro-level individual experiences, these works traverse into the realm of macro-level society and even the nation as a whole. Lin Tianmiao, Hu Xiaoyuan, and Chen Lingyan weave powerful narratives through their thought-provoking creations, carving out spaces for women’s voices to be heard in the discourse of Chinese art. Drawing inspiration from personal encounters and broader societal themes, they created expressions that resonate universally, touching the core of shared human experiences.

Both Gold and Ash and Civilisation Pillar illuminate the complexities and paradoxes woven into modern society, challenging the established hierarchy of values that shape our world — from tangible material possessions to the intangible perceptions that influence our belief and value systems.

While the development of a nation inevitably brought about changes, Yin Xiuzhen's installation offers a poignant reflection on the past. It evokes a mix of emotions that words alone may struggle to convey — a yearning for a brighter future combined with a nostalgic longing for what is now gone.

Contemporary Chinese art clearly provides us with profound insights into the multifaceted tapestry of modern China, allowing us to connect with its past, explore its present, and contemplate the boundless possibilities of its future. Pi Li, the exhibition curator, elaborates, “Insights into Chinese culture and society gained from a reading of its contemporary art carry an immediacy, depth, and critical analysis that even reading one hundred books may not provide.”

Regarding himself as a researcher rather than a collector, Sigg sees China as his "ultimate object of study". The complexity of this subject is apparent, as the narratives of China unfold in countless dimensions. But as viewers, we are granted the privilege of observing these currents of change from a vantage point that allows us to immerse ourselves in a rich and diverse depiction of a place that its own people might not fully experience.

Reference:
Li, P. (2021). Chinese art since 1970: The M+ Sigg Collection. Thames & Hudson
Wu H. et al. (2015) Yin Xiuzhen. Phaidon

M+ Sigg Collection: From Revolution to Globalisation was on view at the M+ Museum in Hong Kong from November 12, 2021 to July 30, 2023.