In yet another confrontation, the intrepid Zhang is photographed sitting naked atop a public toilet, covered with honey and flies. Then there are artists like Song Dong, who recorded Printing on Water, his 1996 performance in the Lhasa River, Tibet, in 36 photographs. To use the all-encompassing rubric, Chinese, to describe works from Hong Kong, Taiwan and the mainland, many critics point out, is simply inadequate. The visual subtlety of mainlanders like Gu sometimes makes the work of Hong Kong and Taiwanese artists look like rude adolescent rebellion by comparison. In any case, the exhibition is an opportunity for art buffs to view work from Chinese artists around the world, and to see for themselves the similarities and differences.
Many people tend to view Chinese art through a political lens.
But it's actually much more subtle. Gu, based in New York for the past 13 years, is a prime example. His United Nations series of installations involves constructing public spaces out of very private material. Temple of Heaven, for example, is a meditation space using screens decorated with psuedo script molded from human hair. Gu's forthright manner is hardly out of character.