Group Exhibition
SONATA FORM # 2023
2023.07.22 - 09.16
TRIUMPH GALLERY is pleased to present a group exhibition, SONATA FORM # 2023, which includes three artists: Fang Lijun (b.1963, China), Ji Dachun (b.1968, China) and Lu Hao (b.1969, China), from the 22nd July untill the 16th September, 2023. This exhibition will present more than 20 works by the three artists at different periods.
Centered around the structure of the gallery hall in 798 Art Zone, SONATA FORM is a curatorial sector launched by TRIUMPH GALLERY in summer 2023.SONATA FORM, also referred to as the "sonata-allegro form," represents a compositional framework prevalent in both classical and contemporary music, characterized by its tripartite movement structure and progressive development. This particular musical form aligns harmoniously with the architectural layout of the gallery hall of TRIUMPH GALLERY. And the form is also resonates with the gallery's aspirations to redefine the notion of “a gallery exhibition."
As a curatorial sector, SONATA FORM aims to delve into the realm of "non-narrative curation," investigating how the static frame of the gallery space, akin to a Bauhausian spatial arrangement, can be employed to craft a dynamic interplay and rhythm through the presentation and placement of artworks. This approach, in turn, seeks to reestablish the focus of the exhibition on the artists and their works.
Centered around the structure of the gallery hall in 798 Art Zone, SONATA FORM is a curatorial sector launched by TRIUMPH GALLERY in summer 2023.SONATA FORM, also referred to as the "sonata-allegro form," represents a compositional framework prevalent in both classical and contemporary music, characterized by its tripartite movement structure and progressive development. This particular musical form aligns harmoniously with the architectural layout of the gallery hall of TRIUMPH GALLERY. And the form is also resonates with the gallery's aspirations to redefine the notion of “a gallery exhibition."
As a curatorial sector, SONATA FORM aims to delve into the realm of "non-narrative curation," investigating how the static frame of the gallery space, akin to a Bauhausian spatial arrangement, can be employed to craft a dynamic interplay and rhythm through the presentation and placement of artworks. This approach, in turn, seeks to reestablish the focus of the exhibition on the artists and their works.
Fang Lijun
Fang Lijun was born in 1963 in Handan, Hebei, China. He graduated from the Printmaking Department of the Central Academy of Fine Arts in 1989. On July 1st of the same year, Fang Lijun moved to Yuanmingyuan, the Old Summer Palace, and later the Yunamingyuan Artists' Village was gradually formed. In 1993, Fang Lijun established his studio in Songzhuang. The Songzhuang Artists' Village has steadily developed for the last two decades. In 2014, Fang Lijun established the Archive of Chinese Contemporary Art.
Fang Lijun has held exhibitions in major art institutions and galleries, including Ashmolean Museum Oxford, Ludwig Museum Koblenz, Staatliche Kunsthalle, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, the Japan Foundation, Ariana Museum in Geneva, Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Turin, Macaw Museum of Art, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Shanghai Art Museum, Hunan Museum, Beijing Minsheng Art Museum, Hubei Art Museum, United Art Museum and the etc. His participation includes the Venice Biennale, Sǎo Paulo Biennial, Kwangju Art Biennial, and Shanghai Biennial. His works are collected by The Museum of Modern Art (USA), Seattle Art Museum(USA), San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (USA), Centre de G. Pompidou (France), Ludwig Forum für Internationale Kunst (Germany), Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam(Holland), The National Gallery of Australia (Australia), Fukuoka Asian Art Museum (Japan), Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo(Japan), Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art(Japan), National Art Museum of China(China), Shanghai Art Museum (China), Guangdong Art Museum (China), He Xiangning Art Museum (China), Hunan Museum（China）, CAFA Art Museum(China). He is one of the Chinese contemporary artists with the most extensive collection by major art institutions worldwide.
He has published more than 50 personal albums and related publications, including Fang Lijun: Chronicles, Fang Lijun: Criticism, Fang Lijun: Works of Art, FANG LIJUN, Fang Lijun: The Precipice Over the Clouds, Fang Lijun: Espaces Interdits Forbidden Areas, Fang Lijun: Woodcuts, Live Like A Wild Dog, Etc. Fang Lijun has been invited as a visiting professor and graduate supervisor at more than 20 universities and colleges, including the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Sichuan Academy of Fine Arts, Jingdezhen Ceramic University, Xi 'an Academy of Fine Arts, etc. In 1993, his painting "Series 2, No. 2" appeared on the cover of the New York Times Magazine.
Fang Lijun has held exhibitions in major art institutions and galleries, including Ashmolean Museum Oxford, Ludwig Museum Koblenz, Staatliche Kunsthalle, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, the Japan Foundation, Ariana Museum in Geneva, Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Turin, Macaw Museum of Art, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Shanghai Art Museum, Hunan Museum, Beijing Minsheng Art Museum, Hubei Art Museum, United Art Museum and the etc. His participation includes the Venice Biennale, Sǎo Paulo Biennial, Kwangju Art Biennial, and Shanghai Biennial. His works are collected by The Museum of Modern Art (USA), Seattle Art Museum(USA), San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (USA), Centre de G. Pompidou (France), Ludwig Forum für Internationale Kunst (Germany), Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam(Holland), The National Gallery of Australia (Australia), Fukuoka Asian Art Museum (Japan), Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo(Japan), Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art(Japan), National Art Museum of China(China), Shanghai Art Museum (China), Guangdong Art Museum (China), He Xiangning Art Museum (China), Hunan Museum（China）, CAFA Art Museum(China). He is one of the Chinese contemporary artists with the most extensive collection by major art institutions worldwide.
He has published more than 50 personal albums and related publications, including Fang Lijun: Chronicles, Fang Lijun: Criticism, Fang Lijun: Works of Art, FANG LIJUN, Fang Lijun: The Precipice Over the Clouds, Fang Lijun: Espaces Interdits Forbidden Areas, Fang Lijun: Woodcuts, Live Like A Wild Dog, Etc. Fang Lijun has been invited as a visiting professor and graduate supervisor at more than 20 universities and colleges, including the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Sichuan Academy of Fine Arts, Jingdezhen Ceramic University, Xi 'an Academy of Fine Arts, etc. In 1993, his painting "Series 2, No. 2" appeared on the cover of the New York Times Magazine.
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Ji Dachun
Ji Dachun was born in 1968 in Nantong, Jiangsu, China. He graduated from Central Academy of Fine Arts, Oil Painting Department, Beijing, China in 1993. As one of the most representative Chinese contemporary artists, Ji Dachun is widely noticed for his distinctive personal style. His paintings are witty, humorous, ethereal and tranquil, and full of romantic poetry and Zen. In particular, his choice and persistence in easel painting, in an environment where installations, images, pictures, and multimedia methods are becoming more popular, it highlights its unique expressive charm and profound significance.
After having produced many of his now-widely recognized figurative paintings from his early career, Ji Dachun (b. 1968) begins to gravitate towards acrylic, a medium that is comparatively lighter and less saturated than oil paint. Initially he was obsessed with the viscous pictorial effect of acrylic, and later on there were his serial explorations of the themes of “Black” and “White”. Throughout this entire process, he has experimented with Payne’s gray—which he considered an unstable pigment color—in terms of how it presents different shades of transparencies, textures, and tonal layers on the canvas. He experimented so as to grasp the relationship between the subject of paint, the residue, and the image. Through this project, Ji Dachun endeavors to grasp his own position within the coordination of (art) history and reality and comes up with his own rationales to experiment with—or deconstruct—paint in a perhaps attempt to approximate the boundaries of finite things.
Ji has held solo exhibitions at LudwigMuseum (Koblenz,Germany), MACRO Museo d‘Arte Contemporanea Roma (Rome, Italy), Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (Beijing, China), Kunstmuseum Bern (Bern, Switzerland), Posco Museum (Seoul, South Korea) and other art institutions. His works have been exhibited in the 56th Venice Biennial, 2012 Gwangju Biennale Special Exhibition, The First Triennial of Chinese Arts, 2001 Chengdu Biennale, 2000 Shanghai Biennale, the 1st China Oil Painting Biennale and the 2nd 2ed Annual China Oil Painting Exhibition.
After having produced many of his now-widely recognized figurative paintings from his early career, Ji Dachun (b. 1968) begins to gravitate towards acrylic, a medium that is comparatively lighter and less saturated than oil paint. Initially he was obsessed with the viscous pictorial effect of acrylic, and later on there were his serial explorations of the themes of “Black” and “White”. Throughout this entire process, he has experimented with Payne’s gray—which he considered an unstable pigment color—in terms of how it presents different shades of transparencies, textures, and tonal layers on the canvas. He experimented so as to grasp the relationship between the subject of paint, the residue, and the image. Through this project, Ji Dachun endeavors to grasp his own position within the coordination of (art) history and reality and comes up with his own rationales to experiment with—or deconstruct—paint in a perhaps attempt to approximate the boundaries of finite things.
Ji has held solo exhibitions at LudwigMuseum (Koblenz,Germany), MACRO Museo d‘Arte Contemporanea Roma (Rome, Italy), Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (Beijing, China), Kunstmuseum Bern (Bern, Switzerland), Posco Museum (Seoul, South Korea) and other art institutions. His works have been exhibited in the 56th Venice Biennial, 2012 Gwangju Biennale Special Exhibition, The First Triennial of Chinese Arts, 2001 Chengdu Biennale, 2000 Shanghai Biennale, the 1st China Oil Painting Biennale and the 2nd 2ed Annual China Oil Painting Exhibition.
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Lu Hao
Lu Hao was born in Beijing in 1969, graduated from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in 1992. He served as the curator for the Chinese Pavilion at the 53rd Venice International Art Biennale and also became the exclusive designer for a limited edition Ferrari sports car in 2009, he held the position of foreign art consultant for the Paris City Government from 2009 to 2013. Currently lives and works in Beijing.
Lu Hao's artistic practice contains various mediums, including sculpture, photography, installation art, ink painting, and oil painting. His creations are rooted in Chinese forms and culture, exploring themes related to urban architecture, living environments, and lifestyles, while providing keen insights into the changing landscape of Chinese society. Since the 1990s, Lu Hao has participated in many international exhibitions, including the Documenta Kassel, Busan Biennale, São Paulo Biennial, Shanghai Biennale, Istanbul Biennial, Lyon Biennale, and Venice Biennale, etc., among other influential international exhibitions, and his works have been collected by renowned domestic and international art museums, art institutions and important collectors.
Lu Hao's artistic practice contains various mediums, including sculpture, photography, installation art, ink painting, and oil painting. His creations are rooted in Chinese forms and culture, exploring themes related to urban architecture, living environments, and lifestyles, while providing keen insights into the changing landscape of Chinese society. Since the 1990s, Lu Hao has participated in many international exhibitions, including the Documenta Kassel, Busan Biennale, São Paulo Biennial, Shanghai Biennale, Istanbul Biennial, Lyon Biennale, and Venice Biennale, etc., among other influential international exhibitions, and his works have been collected by renowned domestic and international art museums, art institutions and important collectors.
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