An exhibition of contemporary Chinese art at the H&R Block Artspace at the Kansas City Art Institute explores the recent cultural transformations in China. Here, Artspace Director Raechell Smith describes the Project Wall, a billboard outside the gallery by artist Yang Yongliang, which provides a preview. By Laura Spencer
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/national/local-national-817270.mp3
Kansas City, MO – From the KCAI website: "From a distance, the image of mountain peaks, fjords, a winding river and mist evokes a style of Chinese ink painting called shanshui, or mountain and water painting," said Raechell Smith, director of the Artspace. "A closer look, however, reveals that mountains are built from facades of skyscrapers, trees are construction cranes and electrical poles, and the mist-enshrouded river is a pollution-filled street and a stream of congested traffic."
The exhibition Stairway to Heaven: From Chinese Streets to Monuments and Skyscrapers at the H&R Block Artspace at the Kansas City Art Institute runs through April 4, 2009.
Current Perspectives: Visiting Artist and Scholar Series, Thursday, March 12, 7:00 pm. Xing Danwen, Visiting artist from Beijing. Epperson Auditorium, Vanderslice Hall, KCAI, 4415 Warwick Blvd.
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