Beijing New Millennium Time Gallery 24th Anniversary!

Time: number and infinity

——Exhibition of works of 12 artists

Time: numbers and innumerables

Exhibition of works of 12 artists

Exhibition time: 2023.12.08 –2024. 03.08

Curator: Zhang Siyong

Participating artists:

Yan Li Yanxi

Hua Qing Zhou Song

Zhu Mingtao Qing Taimao

Wang Zun Liu Hongxun

Tu Fang Chen Xi

Wu Hongbin Zhang Siyong

Sponsored by: Beijing Millennium Time Gallery

Co-organized by: Millennium Time Art Center

Support: Uruguayan Center for the Arts

Copyright Chain National Operation Center

Time: numbers and innumerables

——Exhibition of works of 12 artists

Text / Zhang Siyong

Regarding the artistic expression of time, contemporary creative groups strive to present it as not only a feast for the senses, but also an interweaving of thinking. In this era of rapid information flow and rapid development of Internet technology, we are trapped in the rapid flow of time. How to understand and express time has become one of the core issues that contemporary artists think about. In this exhibition, the theme is “Time: Numbers and Countless”, which blends the conceptual nature of number with the vastness of time, presenting a unique perspective on time, concreteness and infinite possibilities.

order of numbers

The artist Yan Li displays the order of numbers in time through the collage of digital symbols and geometric shapes on the canvas. This is not just a presentation of mathematical concepts, but also an orderly interpretation of the passage of time. Artists Zhu Mingtao, Tu Fang, and Chen Xi use precise lines and shapes to compose the movement of time in their works like musical notes. The audience will be immersed in the order of numbers, and will also feel the tranquility and stability of time in the artist Wu Hongbin’s “Historical Research” series of comprehensive material works. When the classics become ashes, time solidifies history, and through the specific number of The artistic handicraft form and the act of folding, sealing or even completely erasing countless knowledge give the connotation of number and infinity a newer language form.

countless infinities

In contrast, artist Zhou Song is good at using countless concepts. The horizontal composition named “Z Series” constitutes the picture. The black abstraction is cold and futuristic, leading the audience to infinite imagination. In his works, countless symbols and shapes seem to spread across the universe. The conceptual space composed of order and disorder exceeds the scale we can understand. This infinity allows the audience to feel the vastness of time and think about their own insignificance and greatness in this boundless sea of time.

contrast and reflection

In the formal construction of the works in the exhibition, the multi-dimensional expressions become mutual reflections, and the visual core is the contrast and reflection between numbers and innumerables. Artists Qing Taimao, Wang Zun, and Yan Xi use unique expression techniques to interweave the symbols of numbers and the abstract concept of time. Sometimes orderly, sometimes infinite, the two contrast with each other, forming a multi-dimensional picture of time. In this space of contrast and reflection, the audience perceives the complex and subtle relationship between number and time.

The evolution of numbers

The visual evolution of numbers is a highlight in the exhibition. Focusing on the gradient and deformation of numbers specifically formed in the picture, artists Hua Qing and Liu Hongxun outline the flow of time through the trajectory and environment of the picture. The subject becomes smaller, the landscape becomes larger, and in a vast or ideal social field, the simple individuality under the general meaning of numbers and innumerables is deduced to rely on complex sociality. Zhang Siyong makes the numerous and countless melodies of paintings become clear or vague through the changes of ink images, just like time slowly unfolding on the canvas. This dynamic visual effect immerses the audience in the ripples of time, allowing them to feel the richness and infinite rhythm of time brought about by the quantitative changes in creation.

Of course, “Time: Numbers and Countlessness” is not just a direction of artistic language, but also an inspiration for human beings to explore and think in the long river of time. In this exhibition, artists outline the diverse aspects of time through the expression of the concreteness and infinite variations of numbers. In this interweaving of numbers and innumerables, the audience will experience the multidimensionality of time and think about their own existence in this endless time. The exhibition becomes a link connecting the past, present and future, guiding the audience to find the resonance of artistic shapes and conceptual spirits about time, microcosm and infinite possibilities in the expression of contemporary art.

Written on December 6, 2023 at Beijing Millennium Time Gallery

Exhibition space

END