M WOODS, an art gallery located in the 798 Art District of Beijing, is hosting an exhibition of film, photography, and interactive installations by Andy Warhol entitled Andy Warhol: Contact from August 6, 2016 to January 7, 2017. Sponsored and/or supported by various organizations such as Hublot, NUO Hotel, T Magazine, Uber, and LIFAair, and curated by M WOODS Director Presca Ahn, it is the first in a series of solo exhibitions that the museum has planned for the coming years.
The exhibition features Warhol’s silent film portraits from the 1960s entitled Screen Tests, as well as various self portraits and portraits of others using Polaroid film from the 1970s and 1980s. The Screen Tests documents well-known individuals who have become a part of our contemporary culture such as Bob Dylan, Salvador Dali, Lou Reed, and Marcel Duchamp.
Through the immediacy of the medium of Polaroid film, Warhol was able to explore one of the themes that he dealt with often throughout his artistic career: time, and most of all, time’s interaction with human life. Through photographic documentations of himself and those around him, Warhol can be said to have engaged in an artistic investigation into the impact of time’s passing on human life, on identity, and on existence. Today, through his documentations, we are able to see the faces of those of the past, captured in moments that were as real as they were fleeting.
Kiss, Warhol’s 1963 film, is also taking part in M WOODS’ exhibition. A minimalist film that reacts against romantic narratives commonly found in the mainstream media and cinematic culture, Kiss explores the potential meaning, or lack thereof, behind intimacy and human contact. Silver Clouds, an installation, is also on view in the gallery space. When it was first exhibited in 1966 in New York, the viewers are allowed to physically interact with these silver clouds, making them an early example of interactive art installations.
If you have been interested in developing the scope of your familiarity with contemporary and modern art, or have wished to give more time to exploration of Beijing’s most prominent art district, this exhibition could be a great way to start. Drop in at M WOODS Art Gallery between now and next January, and if you enjoy what you see, perhaps keep track of the gallery’s exhibition calendar in anticipation of future solo exhibitions scheduled to be on show.
M WOODS Art Gallery 木木美术馆
Ages 7+. RMN 40 for students. RMB 60 for adults.Tuesday-Sunday 11:00AM-06:00PM D-06 798 Art District, 2 Jiuxianqiao Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 北京朝阳区酒仙桥2号798艺术区D-06
Content & Image Source: Douban
